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 4 and Sunday, August 11, 2024

18th & 19th Sundays in Ordinary Time

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

It is already August, a doorstep into a whole new school year! It has been a great summer and there is still time left to have fun.

NCA has completed moving everything from the other campus and are working hard to get everything in place for the first day of school.

Many other things are going on around here as well. Last week, the youth group finished their mission experience. We are grateful for all who attended and to those who volunteered their time.

So many people comment to me on how beautiful our church is, as well as how lovely the other buildings and the grounds are. Thank you to those who help keep this place up and running!

We now have five working toilets in the Ministry Center. It did end up costing us a bit more than planned. One of the pipes was totally corroded and needed to be replaced.

A marble bench was donated to St. Gertrude from the Messbarger family in memory of their parents, Pat and Paul. It sits in the garden between the church and Ministry Center.

Overall, the St. Gertrude campus is getting more and more use. And, like ourselves, it is aging. But thanks be to God, we are blessed with some volunteers, staff, and your support. We strive to be financially prudent as possible, as well as preventive as we can be. St. Gertrude's is at an age as a parish where we are facing many number of essential and “non glamourous" needs that, if not addressed, will cripple our operation and our mission greatly. In coming weeks, I will share a list of things that need to be addressed.

I would like to have a small group of volunteers to help discern what needs to be done and how do we approach and pay for it. Please let me know if you would be willing to be part of this small group. I can be reached at mgabriel@stgertrudechicago.org.

We are now actively searching for a new Musical Director. At present, we have 16 applicants for the job. We will start interviewing in the early part of August.

Thanks again to Brian Boyle, Mary Clare Barker, and Mary Herbin-Horan who have really done a great job with the music. Also, thank you to all those choir members from both the 10:30 am gym and church masses who come to sing every Sunday. Usually, both choirs take the summer off, but these members have been coming and leading us in song and prayer.

St. Gertrude’s will host the National/International Catholic Workers Gathering the weekend of October 4-6. This is a great opportunity for us to give thanks for all the hard work and ministry Catholic Workers does around the world.

August 15 is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Our mass schedule is:

• Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30 pm (Vigil)
• Thursday, August 15 at 7:30 am and 6:30 pm

Friday Morning Men’s Prayer and Scripture Discussion Group

The Friday Morning Men's Prayer and Scripture discussion group will have in-person gatherings on all the remaining Fridays in July and August.

It will be at the St. Gertrude Ministry Center, 6214 N. Glenwood. We meet for social conversation at 7:45 am and begin prayer at 8:00 am. 

We read and share our insights into the Scripture readings for the coming Sunday. We want to better live the Gospel in our daily lives and we share what the readings mean to us, from our personal perspectives rather than a scholarly point of view. We finish with an “Our Father” at about 9:00 am. Some opt to linger longer as their schedule permits.

An option to meet via Zoom is also available. Here is the Zoom information for our weekly gathering:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82324487220?pwd=otM815Mj0GGCKgLdIAm3wcXEdcSHEF.1

Meeting ID: 823 2448 7220; Passcode: pray

There are currently about 6-8 guys participating in a typical Friday morning gathering.  We hope several who are reading this will also find this to be appealing and give the group a try.  If you are interested and plan to come, it would be helpful – but not required – if you let Allen Stryczek know you are coming by sending him an email to astryczek@sbcglobal.net.  

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

All are welcome to attend the weekly Rosary group held on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm.

The bilingual gathering is held in the dining room of the Ministry Center, located at 6214 N. Glenwood Avenue.

U.S. Catholic Mission Association Will Visit August 3 & 4

Most of us know the song, “Here I am Lord” that we sing in Church. USCMA is a community of leaders engaged in God’s mission. Missionaries are sent by God to take the Good News of Salvation to “the ends of the earth.” They need leaders to support and encourage them. Your generous gift provides the resources these leaders need to stay connected to us, the Church, and each other.

On Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4, a member of the U.S. Catholic Mission Association will visit St. Gertrude and speak about their mission. To learn more, visit www.uscatholicmission.org. 

Collection for Asylum Seeker is This Weekend

Our monthly collection for asylum seekers is August 3 & August 4. Please place nonperishable 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.

Requests this month from Care for Real for asylum seekers include sanitary napkins (NO tampons) and diapers size 3T, 4T, and 5T.

Our collection drive for Care for Real is always the fourth calendar weekend every month, and our asylum seekers’ collection is the first weekend of each month.

Visit www.careforreal.org/wishlist to shop Care for Real's Amazon or Target wish lists to shop-to-donate today. Donations can also be dropped off between 12:00-3:00 pm every Monday-Saturday at the back entrance of 5339 N. Sheridan. 

Register for the 2024-2025 Religious Ed School Year!

Registration for the 2024-2025 Religious Ed school year will be open the last week of July through the end of August!

Classes begin on Sunday, September 8 and will be held from 9:15-10:15 am on the St. Gertrude Campus.

The goal of the Religious Education program at Saint Gertrude is to teach children to listen for and respond to God's invitation to love. 

In class, students and teachers work to: 

• Understand that everyone is loved and treasured by God.
• Live the lessons of Jesus Christ - loving God with your whole heart and loving your neighbors as yourself.
• Build a deeper personal relationship with God through prayer and reflection.
• Learn to pray as an individual and as part of a community. 
• Discover ways to love and serve others in our day-to-day lives. 
• Appreciate what it means to be part of a welcoming, loving community that cares for and respects people from all walks of life.
• Deepen their knowledge of the Catholic tradition.

The fees for the 2024-2025 school year are $210 for one child and an additional $30 for each student from the same family. Payments will be accepted here.

Registration forms, the Religious Ed handbook, and service options for students preparing for confirmation, can be found at stgertrudechicago.org/religious-education-forms.

An additional sacramental fee of $65 is required for children making their First Communion and First Reconciliation, or their Confirmation. 

Questions should be emailed to Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org. 

Catechists Needed to Teach Religious Education This School Year

We are looking for catechists to teach in our parish’s Religious Ed program! 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. 

Women's Friendship Club Gathering is August 8

St. Gertrude Women's Friendship Club meets monthly on the second Thursday of every month in the Ministry Center.

The gathering begins at 11:30 am; attendees should bring their own (brown bag) lunch. Dessert is provided!

Book Club Planned for August 12

On Monday, August 12, the book club will discuss People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. The gathering is at 7:00 pm in the Ministry Center, located at 6214 North Glenwood Avenue.  

We would love new voices and opinions!

Contact Lea Cloninger at her new number, 773.213.0509, or Sue Benjamin at 773.551.8401 with questions.

PreCana Class Offered at St. Gertrude Parish on Saturday, September 7

PreCana classes at St. Gertrude are primarily intended for couples getting married at St. Gertrude. Before registering, you must speak with Father Mike Gabriel about your planned wedding at St. Gertrude or receive consent to attend if you are getting married at a different parish.

This full day, in-person gatherings on Saturday, September 7 are dedicated to considering your life together as a married couple. Led by a facilitator couple from St. Gertrude, each session begins at 9:00 am and features presentations, prayers, and discussions with your partner and 5-10 other couples. Lunch and snacks are provided.

Couples can register for either session by calling the Rectory office at 773.764.3621or by filling out an online PreCana registration form at https://stgertrudechicago.org/marriage. If a sufficient number of couples do not sign up for a specific date, the session will be canceled and you will be provided with information to sign up somewhere else.

The cost of PreCana is covered by the church fee couples planning a wedding at St. Gertrude are charged. 

Interested in Becoming Catholic?

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (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 RCIA 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 RCIA are already Catholic but want a deeper understanding of their faith foundation.

The RCIA process does not ask those who have been baptized in another faith to give up their denominational experiences. Rather, the RCIA process seeks to add new colors and designs to their existing faith life tapestry. In addition to attending Mass, the RCIA 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 RCIA process at St. Gertrude, contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621. 

Our Teen Mission Experience!

Thank you to the parish for all your support and prayers. The youth had a wonderful community mission week impacting lives in the community and beyond. We volunteered at the following organizations this week: The West Ridge Nature Park, Care for Real, Cradles to Crayons, and Feed My Starving Children. We then celebrated all our hard work with a day at the beach at the end of the week. 

Special thanks to Jennifer Reyes and Anh Tran for helping to organize and lead the activities of the Mission week.

Mission Experience 2025 will be from June 23rd to the 27th. Hopefully, your child is interested in joining us next year!

Growing in Faith: I Am the Bread of Life

We’ve heard it said “ You are what you eat”. If this is so and I truly believe that I am receiving the body and blood of Christ,” do I appreciate this gift that I have received hundreds of times and how has it affected my life ?”

I extend my hands and the priest says “Body of Christ “, I reply “Amen”.   By accepting this host I am answering His invitation to be nourished by His love and grace and share it with others Communion- union with- all those around me who are now part of the Body of Christ not just in my parish but throughout the world and those who have gone before me.

~ Millie Slane

Thank You from the Heart to Heart Ministry

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart..." (Jean Baptiste Massieu)

Here at Heart to Heart we are overflowing with gratitude for you, the parishioners of St. Gertrude Parish, who support our ministry in a multitude of ways - on site, in the community, through your financial support and with donations of durable medical equipment to the lending closet. Here's small sampling of the kind of feedback we get weekly from those we are able to assist because of your support: 

"This letter is to thank you for all the kind deeds you've done. You have provided a sturdy walker (rollator) which assisted me in mobility problems. Additionally... you have provided much incontinent briefs. I could never have afforded this many. I thank God and you. There are good people in this world. May you be blessed. - Norma W."

Sister Susan Quaintance, Director of Heart to Heart

Laurie Hasbrook, manager of the Lending Closet 

NCA Info: What’s Happening at 6216?

To the parish community of St Gertrude,

We are grateful for your hospitality, support, and guidance over the past thirty years of NCA. In light of this great history, we will be taking an important step this fall. For the first time ever, our entire school community will be at one campus! We are excited by this move and what it means for each of our stakeholders.

If you'd like to know more about the consolidation or how you can support us in this crucial moment, please reach out to our Director of Institutional Advancement, Patrick Lambert at 773.743.6277 or PLambert@ncaschools.com.

With great hope,

Terese Black, Principal

Two Marriage Programs Available

Are You Struggling in Your Marriage?

If your marriage has become troubled or stressed, unloving or uncaring, or if your relationship has grown cold or distant, if you are thinking of

separation or divorce, or if you are already

separated or divorced, but you want to try again, then the Retrouvaille program can help you.

For more upcoming dates, information, or to

register, call 1.800.470.2230, 224-534-9235 or go to helpourmarriage.org. 

Learn the Art of Living your Marriage Journey

As Pope Francis states, living together is an art and can be a beautiful journey. Marriage can be challenging with family, work, finances, kids, busy schedules and al that life offers. Losing focus on what is important in life is easy.

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend experience focuses on what's important in your marriage and provides the tools to live a beautiful journey together. It's for any married couple that desires a richer, fuller life together.

For more info, visit www.wwme.org.

Summer Bulletin Schedule

Once again this summer, we will have bulletins every other week until the end of August.

If you like to have anything submitted, please send information to news@stgertrudechicago.org by August 9 for the combined bulletin for August 18 & August 25 bulletin.

Rest in Peace

• John P. Reilly, husband of Jeanne Reilly
• Victor Reyes, father of Carmen, the late Mildred, Victor D. (Phyllis Reyes), Arlene (Richard Sabatini), and Michael (Liz Farwell)

Baptisms

• Marcos Espinosa Pabst
• Rafael Espinosa Pabst

New Parishioners

• Lauren Nestor
• Brad Armour
• Alice Kearney Alwin
• Paula Donato
• Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy
• John Corum
• Kathleen Lawlor
• Jeanne Rattenbury
• Josephine Delgado
• Joseph Regan

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, August 3 at 5:00 pm - Tim Harrington
• Sunday, August 4 at 8:00 am - Hallie Burhoe
• Sunday, August 4 at 10:30 am - Bob Backis, Maria Ugarte, Michael Kowalsky
• Saturday, August 10 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, August 11 at 8:00 am - Barb Daly
• Sunday, August 11 at 10:30 am - Tim Love, Annie Hasselbeck, Steven Hasselbeck

Upcoming Mass Intentions



• Monday, August 5: 7:30 am - Greg Wall+
• Tuesday, August 6: 7:30 am - Purgatorial Society; Marie+ & Michael Adler +
• Wednesday, August 7: 7:30 am - Lt. Victor Strubbe, CFD
• Thursday, August 8: 7:30 am - Communion Service; Michael McGuire+
• Friday, August 9: 7:30 am - People of God
• Saturday, August 10: 7:30 am - Joe Shields+; 5:00 pm - Nancy Kelly Kohl+
• Sunday, August 11: 8:00 am - John Reilly+; 10:30 am - Claudette Mostyn+
• Monday, August 12: 7:30 am - NCA students past and present
• Tuesday, August 13: 7:30 am - Barb Hagenow+
• Wednesday, August 14: 7:30 am - Nancy Donnelly; 6:30 pm - Holy Family
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thursday, August 15: 7:30 am - Rodney Colin Manuel+ and Evansuela Manuel+; 6:30 pm - People of God
• Friday, August 16: 7:30 am - Marie & Michael Adler +
• Saturday, August 17: 7:30 am - Patricia Gillespie Kelly+; 5:00 pm - The Kelly & Gillespie Family
• Sunday, August 18: 8:00 am - Norman H. Linke+; 10:30 am - Kathleen Marsh+

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.