St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, August 31, 2025

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Archdiocese-wide Second Collection Planned Next Weekend to Help Those Suffering in Gaza

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Daily, we hear heartbreaking stories of suffering from Gaza. So many innocent victims, including those who belong to Christian communities, face violence, dire living conditions, and hunger. Our Holy Father Pope Leo has said “Gaza is starving,” as he called for a cease fire. In a particular way, the faces of Gaza’s hungry children make an indelible impression on our hearts.

Perhaps we feel helpless to address this complex story that involves international

players. There is, however, a pathway for us to respond. Two very reliable agencies of the

Catholic Church are already there providing vital emergency humanitarian relief and medical and psychological care for the sick, malnourished, and wounded. They are the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

On the weekend of September 6-7, the parishes of the Archdiocese of Chicago will take

up a special collection that will be promptly forwarded to CNEWA and CRS.

Whatever you can give will go far to alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters in

the Middle East. I know the compassion and generosity of the people of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In the name of all those who will benefit from your support, I thank you.

Finally, let us pray urgently for the gift of peace in our wounded world, a peace which

only the Lord can give.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Cardinal Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago

Rectory Office Closed on Monday, September 1

The office will be closed on Monday, September 1 for Labor Day.

A communion service will be held at 7:30 am.

Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) on Friday Evenings

All are warmly invited to take part in our weekly 

Rosary group, held every Friday evening at 7:00 pm.

This bilingual gathering takes place in the Ministry Center dining room at 6214 N. Glenwood Ave.

Whether you're new to the Rosary or have prayed it for years, you're welcome to join us in this peaceful time of prayer and reflection.

Care for Real Collection Drive for Asylum Seekers is September 6-7

Our monthly collection for asylum seekers is September 6 and 7 before and after masses. Please place items in the bins at the back of church. Items will be donated to Care for Real who is working hard to help these newly-arrived neighbors.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/cfrchicago for information about donating and links to their Facebook and Instagram pages to see what they are specifically looking for at this time. 

Thank you for supporting our neighbors in need!  

Religious Ed Classes Begin Next Sunday, September 7

Register your child for the 2025-2026 Religious Ed school year! Classes are held on Sundays from 9:15-10:15 am on the St. Gertrude campus. They will begin in two weeks, on September 7.

Here's how to sign up for classes:

1. Go to https://stgertrudechicago.org/religious-education-news and fill out a registration form.
2. Email it to Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.
3. Pay the fee for the 2025-2026 school year ($230 for one child and an additional $40 for each student from the same family.) Please note, children making their First Communion/Reconciliation or their Confirmation will also need to pay a $75 sacramental fee.

Looking for more information? A handbook and Religious Ed calendar is available in both English and Spanish. Questions can also be emailed to Eloy Escamilla. 

Kid Word Returns on September 7: New Location Announced

On Sundays during the 10:30 am Mass in church, children aged 4-7 years-old are invited to attend Kids Word to hear an age-appropriate Gospel message and do fun, scripture-based activities such as coloring or crafts.

Classes for this school year will begin on Sunday, September 7. They will take place in the newly renamed Junior Disciples Room (formerly the baptistry with glass doors), located at the back of the church just off the vestibule. 

Children will be invited by the celebrant to come to the altar before the readings and will return to church before the petitions.

Email eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for details.

Book Club Gathering is Tuesday, September 9  



Join us for a discussion of Groundskeeping by Lee Cole on Tuesday, September 9 at 6:30 pm in the Ministry Center, 6214 N. Glenwood Ave. New participants are always welcome!

For questions, contact Lea Cloninger (773.213.0509) or Sue Benjamin (773.551.8401).

Friendship Club is Thursday, September 11 

The St. Gertrude Women's Friendship Club meets monthly on the second Thursday of every month in the Ministry Center, 6214 N. Glenwood Ave. 

The gathering begins at 11:30 am, and attendees should bring their own (brown bag) lunch.

St. Gertrude’s Youth Group Heads to Lincoln Park Zoo

The St. Gertrude Youth Group is planning an outing to the Lincoln Park Zoo on Saturday, September 13, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The group will travel together by CTA.

All students in grades 7 and up are invited to join. Email Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org with any questions.

Interested in Serving at Mass? Become a Lector or Altar Server!

Would you like to play a more active role in our parish liturgy? This September we’re offering training for two important ministries:

• Altar Server Training: Tuesday, September 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the church. Open to students in grades 5 and up.
• Lector Training: Tuesday, September 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the church. Open to youth and adults who wish to proclaim God’s Word.

Both roles are a meaningful way to grow in faith and serve our parish community. All are welcome!

Welcome Back to our Gym Mass!

On Sunday, September 21, the Gym Mass will return at its regular 10:30 am time! This more relaxed Mass is held in the Gym at 1401 West Granville Avenue. 

Fr. Sergio Romo to Be Installed as Pastor of St. Gertrude in September

We are delighted to announce that Fr. Sergio Romo will be formally installed as Pastor of St. Gertrude Parish on Sunday, September 28, at the 10:30 am Mass, with Bishop John S. Siemianowski presiding. All are welcome.

The Installation Mass is a beautiful sign of stability and unity, marking the beginning of a new chapter of shared ministry. As pastor, Fr. Sergio will continue to lead our parish family in prayer, service, and mission, helping us live out our faith with joy and commitment.

After Mass, please join us in the Social Hall for our monthly hospitality gathering, Brewed at St. Gertrude, as we celebrate this meaningful moment together.

To make the gathering even more festive, we invite you to bring a treat to share—a plate of cookies, a family specialty, brownies, a favorite snack, or anything you enjoy will add to the celebration.

Lending Closet Volunteer Feature

Meet Dawn, a Lending Closet angel! Dawn first came to the Lending Closet several years ago in need of medical supplies and toiletries that were not adequately provided for at the nursing home in Rogers Park where she lived.

Dawn visited the Lending Closet regularly, usually with a long "shopping list." A few items were for herself, but most were for her many friends in need at the nursing home. Today, Dawn lives independently - but she continues to help people confined to nursing homes.

Thanks for being one of our amazing outreach angels, Dawn!

~ Laurie Hasbrook, Lending Closet Manager

Helping Hands Needed with our Brewed at St. Gertrude Social Gatherings

Brewed at St. Gertrude, our monthly hospitality following the 10:30am Mass, is gearing up for the coming year. Thrilled by the participation of so many parishioners in this gathering, we want to make it a regular event that continues into the near future. 

Would you like to join our ministry team? We seek additional volunteers who can help with one or more of the following: set up, serve, bring food, and/or clean up. Our dedicated crew has been making each hospitality welcoming each month, but could benefit from some more hands! 

Those who are interested in giving a little bit of their time each month are invited to meet following the next Brewed at St. Gertrude on August 24th in the Social Hall. Please feel free to reach out to Steven Patzke at stevenjcpatzke@gmail.com with interest or questions.

Growing in Faith

For more than a century, our Church has taught and upheld the dignity of labor and has laid out a vision for how society should protect and advance workers' rights.

Starting with the groundbreaking Rerum Novarum in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, and continuing with Pope John Paul II in Centesimus Annus in 1991, the Church issued encyclicals which state clearly that unions are a necessary and legitimate way to secure a decent wage and advance justice in the workplace. 

How thrilling that our new Pope Leo XIV adopted the name “Leo,” in some part to connect with the first stirrings of this social thought within our Catholic Church! 

In the United States, beginning in 1919 and continuing through the Depression and subsequent decades, the U.S. bishops issued several statements identifying with the working class. As a pastoral matter, this was necessary, as the Catholic faithful at the time were largely poor or working-class people. During strikes throughout this period, workers were often attacked and even killed by security forces hired by the employer, often with the complicity of the local police force and sometimes federal troops. Further, they were frustrated in their organizing efforts due to adverse rulings and injunctions handed down by federal courts. 

The Church’s teaching, and leaders like Monsignor Gibbons, were tremendously influential and instrumental in combating these injustices. Along with other faith leaders, they led efforts to pass federal legislation and support New Deal reforms. 

On the tenth anniversary of the 1986 pastoral letter Economic Justice for All, the U.S Bishops affirmed the Church’s commitment and the biblical call for economic justice in the world: “The dignity of the human person, realized in community with others, is the criterion against which all aspects of economic life must be measured.” Mater et Magistra, 219–220.

On this Labor Day, we recognize the continuing relevance and power of this teaching. We might ask if today’s Catholic leadership, both clergy and lay people, sufficiently defend the principles enshrined in the teaching such that we put the dignity of workers at the center of our economic life. 

~ Denise Debelle

Substitute Catechists Needed to Teach Religious Education This School Year

We are looking for catechists to be substitute teachers in our parish’s Religious Ed program and Kids Word! Catechists don't have to be professional teachers. Most are parents and parishioners who enjoy kids and are willing to help them grow in a personal relationship with God, participate in the sacraments, and develop a mature conscience, and integrate faith in all areas of their lives.

Please consider offering your time and talents to help our young people learn about and grow in their faith. If you have any questions, please reach out to Eloy Escamilla, Pastoral Associate, Religious Education and Youth Ministry, at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org or call 773.764.3621. 

Interested in Becoming Catholic?

The OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly called RCIA) is a process by which adults learn more about the Catholic Church. This free program begins in the fall and meets until Pentecost.

Many people who begin OCIA are non-Catholics seeking to become Catholic or at least to explore whether Catholicism might be a good home. Those who complete the process and decide to become Catholic are initiated into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Others who take OCIA are already Catholic but want a deeper understanding of their faith foundation.

The OCIA process does not ask those who have been baptized in another faith to give up their denominational experiences. Rather, the OCIA process seeks to add new colors and designs to their existing faith life tapestry. In addition to attending Mass, the OCIA process includes weekly gatherings of breaking open the Word of God, sharing our stories, and learning about our faith traditions.

Classes begin in September.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the OCIA process at St. Gertrude, contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621. 

Ignatian Volunteer Corp: An Evening of Song with Dan Schutte

Join us for an unforgettable evening of music and inspiration as Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) Chicago celebrates 25 years of service to the Chicagoland community.

Renowned liturgical composer and songwriter Dan Schutte—best known for beloved hymns such as Here I Am, Lord—will lead a special concert at Holy Name Cathedral on Thursday, September 25. The evening begins with a reception at 5:00 pm, followed by the concert at 7:00 pm.

Tickets are just $25, with sponsorship opportunities available to support IVC’s mission of service and spiritual growth.

Don’t miss this joyful celebration of faith, music, and community!

To purchase tickets or learn more about sponsorship, visit www.ivcusa.org/chicago-schutte or scan the QR code.

New Parishioners

• Stephen Meister
• Janelli Rodriguez and Kirk Brown
• Andrew Welling and Matthew Mullen

Baptisms

• John Anthony Clennon Infusino
• William John Noonan
• Lorenzo Zion Ochoa

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, August 30 at 5:00 pm - Patrick Reardon, Christine Lincoln
• Sunday, August 31 at 8:00 am - Mary Clare Barker, Hallie Burhoe
• Sunday, August 31 at 10:30 am - Sarah Millar, Rafael Melendez

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, August 30 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, August 31 at 8:00 am - Josephine Delgado
• Sunday, August 31 at 10:30 am - Troy McMillan, Michael Kowalsky, Michelle Kuehlhorn

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, September 1: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, September 2: 7:30 am - Juanita Gusmanos+, Peter Tunney+
• Wednesday, September 3: 7:30 am - People of God
• Thursday, September 4: 7:30 am - Julienne Fouche+
• Friday, September 5: 7:30 am - Donald Nyderek+
• Saturday, September 6: 7:30 am - Daniel McCarthy; 5:00 pm - Ricardo Martinez+
• Sunday, September 7: 8:00 am - John Staggs+; 10:30 am - Janet McGivern+

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, please contact the Rectory at 773.764.3621 or email stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org. Names will remain on the list for three weeks. After that time, please renew the name using same contact information.