St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, December 21 and 28, 2025

The Fourth Sunday of Advent and the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

From Fr. Sergio

Over 2,000 years ago, in the midst of a world filled with fear and anxiety, salvation came not by brute force or a powerful army, but in the least powerful and most vulnerable way: as a newborn baby. This infant relied on loving parents to help him grow—to become a faithful child of God and a good citizen of the world. He would then grow into an adult who fully immersed himself in our humanity and healed it from within by touching our wounds and the brokenness brought on by sin and death.

Christmas celebrates this singular event in history, when the all-powerful became the least powerful to bring us healing and new life.

The newborn child we celebrate at Christmas has shown us a different way out of the darkness that so often takes hold of our world—the way of vulnerability and love. Every loving relationship depends on mutual vulnerability, and vulnerability can only exist where there is assurance of love. This dynamic is clearly revealed in the life of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels. God does not love humanity from a distance, but intimately, through the vulnerability of Jesus’ human nature. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to love in the same way.

Our world hosts countless summits of powerful leaders who plot and plan with seemingly unlimited resources, yet the way of peace continues to elude us. Political parties, neighbors, and even family members often hold one another in contempt over differences of opinion and policy. The way out of these dark labyrinths we create for ourselves is not by seeking or clinging to power, but by letting go—by becoming the least among us and loving one another as we are: broken, yet redeemed in Christ Jesus.

May true love and lasting peace dwell in our world, our nation, our homes, and our hearts this Christmas and every day of the New Year. We need not be afraid any longer, for God is with us, showing us the way.

Merry Christmas!

~ Fr. Sergio Romo, Pastor

St. Gertrude's Christmas Schedule

Christmas Eve 

• Rectory office closed
• 5:00 pm - Family Mass (Christmas pageant) 
• 8:00 pm - Carols in Church 
• 8:30 pm - Vigil Mass

Christmas Day 

• Rectory office closed
• 8:00 am Mass
• 10:30 am Mass
• No Gym Mass 

Friday, December 26

• Rectory office closed
• 7:30 am Mass

New Year's Eve (Wednesday, December 31)

• 7:30 am Mass

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Thursday, January 1)

• Rectory office closed
• 10:00 am Mass

Friday, January 2

• Rectory office closed
• 7:30 am Mass

How to Watch our Live-Streamed Masses

Looking to watch our services online? Masses are live-streamed on our parish Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stgertrudechicago/live/, then posted on our parish's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@saintgertrude1117/videos.

You do not need a Facebook account to watch Mass on Facebook Live.

Holiday-Themed "Brewed at St. Gertrude" is This Sunday, December 21

The final Brewed at St. Gertrude’s hospitality for 2025 will take place after 10:30 Mass on Sunday, December 21 in the parish social hall. 

Join us for a holiday celebration that will include music, festive treats, and a visit from Santa. The Brewed planning committee invites volunteers to join them in: 1.) decorating the social hall on Saturday evening, December 20th, 2.) help staff the event and/or 3.) bring food for the event on Sunday. 

If you would like sign-up for any of these activities, please email Michelle Nickerson at mnickerson@luc.edu.

Last Day to Purchase Greenery in Person Is This Sunday After the 10:30 am Masses

Greenery will be sold at the playlot on the west side of the Social Hall, 1401 W. Granville Avenue, on Sunday, December 21 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.

Each 6’ Christmas tree is $55. Three different sized wreaths are available—the 18” wreath is $25, the 24” is $27, and the 36” is $35. Garland is also available for $40 per 5’ length. Only cash and checks will be accepted for in-person purchases.

Deanery-wide Advent Reconciliation Service Planned for This Monday, December 22 at St. Ita's

A deanery-wide reconciliation service will be held at St. Ita's, located at 5500 North Broadway, on Monday, December 22 at 7:00 pm.

There will be several priests on hand speaking a variety of languages to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with participants.

7th & 8th Grade Students: Essay Contest Entries Due Tuesday, December 22

Students in the 7th and 8th grade are invited to take part in our annual essay contest. Participants should write an essay based on this prompt: What is the impact of Christianity on human rights?

Entries should be 500-550 words. Spelling and grammar count!

The top three winners will receive gift cards and have their essays published online and in the bulletin.

Entries must be submitted online or postmarked by Monday, December 22, 2025. Email essays (preferred method) to eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org or mail them to Eloy Escamilla, 1420 W. Granville, Chicago, IL 60660. 

Help Needed to Decorate the Church for Christmas on Monday, December 22 and/or Tuesday, December 23

As we prepare our worship space for the joy of Christmas, we invite members of our community to lend a hand in decorating the church. On Monday, December 22 and Tuesday, December 23 at 1:00 pm, volunteers will gather in the church to help set up Christmas trees, arrange poinsettias, and bring the beauty of the season to life.

Teenagers, young adults, and adults are all welcome—no special skills required, just a willing spirit and a bit of holiday cheer. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve, meet others, and help create a warm and festive environment for all who will celebrate with us.

If you’d like to join or have questions, contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for more information. We look forward to decorating with you!

Sign Up to Be a Part of our Christmas Eve Pageant: Practice Scheduled for Tuesday, December 23 at 6:30 pm

Our parish tradition continues! During the Gospel at the 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Family Mass, the children of St. Gertrude will bring the Nativity story to life in a joyful, heartwarming pageant.

We are seeking children ages 5 and older to participate, and adults to assist with organizing and guiding the event.

If you or your children would like to take part in this special celebration, please contact eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.

Giving Tree Deadline is December 28

The Giving Tree Program will continue through December 28! We are collecting gift cards to support RefugeeOne, St. Gertrude’s Refugee Ministry, and Centro Romero, which serves survivors of domestic violence.

Gift cards offer families the dignity and freedom to choose what they most need, and we encourage donations in $20 increments.

Cards from anywhere are welcome, but ones from Target, Jewel, Walmart, Aldi, or Ventra are especially helpful!

Please place your gift cards in the boxes near the statue of St. Teresa of Ávila at the front of the church.

If you have questions, contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org or Joe McMahon at jpmgmu@aol.com.

Care for Real Collection is December 27-28

Our next Care for Real collection drive is December 27 and 28 before and after masses. 

Please note, our food-insecure neighbors, and Care for Real, are in urgent need of support, especially after many people didn't receive full funding for their November SNAP benefits.



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.  

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.

We are so grateful for your help supporting Care for Real as they work to provide food and much-needed supplies to our neighbors who are struggling. 

Coat Drive for Cradles to Crayons Ongoing Through the End of December

This Advent season, altar server and parishioner Ethan Craft is leading a winter coat drive to support Cradles to Crayons, a local charity that provides essential items to school-age children throughout the Chicagoland area. Cradles to Crayons works to ensure that every child has the clothing they need to stay warm, safe, and ready to learn—especially during Chicago’s harsh winter months.

Ethan, now an 11th-grade student at Saint Patrick High School and a graduate of Northside Catholic Academy, is organizing this drive as part of his service in the Cradles to Crayons Teen Leadership Corps. His project focuses on helping local children stay warm through the simple, meaningful act of sharing what we can.

A donation box will be placed in the back of church/entryway, clearly marked with flyers that identify the charity and list requested items. Gently used coats, along with hats and gloves, are gratefully accepted through the end of the month.

Your generosity will directly benefit children in our community who need support this winter.

For more information, please contact Ethan Craft or his father Jason at jason.craft773@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping make a difference!

Parish Photo Directory: January 13 Date Added



All December photography appointments have been filled. The remaining available session date is Tuesday, January 13. Should this date reach capacity, an additional session may be offered.

Parishioners for whom this date is not suitable are invited to email Jen Reyes at stgertrudeparishcouncil@gmail.com to discuss alternative arrangements.  

Appointments can be made after Mass or online at schedule.ucdir.com (Church code: IL457, Password: photos).

Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) Meeting Planned for Saturday, January 10

St. Gertrude is a member of CSPL, the faith-based organization that organized the recent People’s Mass and Eucharistic Procession to the Broadview Detention Center.

Come together with other parishioners on Saturday, January 10, a week later than usual due to the holidays, from 1:30-3:00 pm in the Ministry Center to build community and discuss how to help advance our parish's commitments to social justice, human concerns and faith formation through our participation in CSPL. Learn more about CSPL. 

All are welcome! 

Christmas Letter from Cardinal Cupich 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Our Christmas celebrations coincide with the beginning of winter. There is less light at this time of year and more cold than we might want. The contrast is striking for people of faith. We remember God’s only begotten Son born of the Virgin Mary. He comes into a dark and cold world as its light and its warmth.

In chapter four of Matthew’s gospel at the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, the evangelist cites words of the prophet Isaiah:

…the people who sat in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region

and shadow of death

light has dawned. (Mt 4:16)

Events of this past year could suggest that all we have is indeed a cold and dark world. That seems to be the message of the wars fought around the world, of the tragic school shootings and political assassinations in our nation, and of our frayed connections with each other. 

Again, for us as people of faith, the contrast is stark. We are realistic, and we know well the challenges of our world in this tense moment of the world’s history. We also know, however, a larger narrative of God’s love incarnate in Jesus Christ, the light that breaks the power of sin and death. Saint John wrote of him: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) This light enlightens us and warms us. Whatever struggles we face, we are assured because he walks with us.

As you gather with family and friends and fellow parishioners, I urge you to reassure each other with our convictions of faith. Take responsibility in the world to be a sign of hope and a source of encouragement for others. In this way, you will bring Christ the light to those who need him.

Join me and pray for our world, our nation, and our local communities that we can all walk in the light.

Sincerely yours in Christ, 

Cardinal Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Staff/A Christmas Blessing

Thank you for being an active part of the St. Gertrude Parish community and for helping make 2025 such a meaningful and joyful year.

Strong parishes do not happen by chance—they are built and sustained by generous, engaged parishioners. We are deeply grateful for each of you and for the many ways you share your time, talent, and faith. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May 2026 be filled with peace, joy, and abundant blessings.

~ Father Sergio and the staff of St. Gertrude parish

A Christmas Blessing

God grant you the light of Christmas, which is faith;

the warmth of Christmas, which is purity;

the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;

the belief in Christmas, which is truth;

the all of Christmas, which is Christ.

~ Wilda English

Growing in Faith for December 21: Christ Is Born Today

“During the reign of Emperor Grinch, when J.B. was governor of Whoville, a decree went out across the land: Perfectly Uniform Color Enforcement (PURE) would be cracking down on strangers, capturing and deporting the colorfully other. Some people cheered this news. But when PURE arrived in the cities, it came as a masked military machine and began to terrorize certain neighborhoods, sending shivers down the spines of even law-abiding citizens, including Joseph.

Joseph—law-abiding to the last letter—had a problem. He was engaged to María, a recent refugee fleeing political persecution in her native land. Joseph was a little fuzzy about María’s color status, and he definitely didn’t want any trouble, being a master of conflict avoidance. He decided to gently break things off with María and went to his peaceful prayer chair to figure out what to say.

But when he checked in with his inner Angel—an ever-reliable source of counsel—the Angel was having none of it. ‘Do not be afraid to take María as your wife, Joseph. The reign of the emperor will pass, but the love that pours forth from your union with María will be just the elixir this hate-weary world needs right now.’

And so Joseph gulped, said “yes,” and Christ was born into their life…”

What risk are you being asked to take in the service of Love, so that Christ may be born into your life, too?

~ Peter Buttitta

Growing in Faith for December 28: Holy Family Sunday: To Be Other Josephs

In today’s Gospel, we are moved and inspired by St. Joseph’s quiet strength and protective love—a love on which God could rely to entrust Mary and Jesus to him. Attentive to holy dreams, Joseph saves Jesus from Herod’s sword by taking Mary and the baby Jesus across the border into Egypt, where they live as foreigners—immigrants seeking asylum, without family or friends, relying completely on God.

This past September (September 19, 2025), Pope Leo preached a homily in which he lifted up St. Joseph as a model for all of us—those to whom God entrusts the care and protection of His children in need. I am moved by our parishioners who are other Josephs in their outreach to those seeking asylum here, whether from dangers back home or from the realities of poverty right here.

On this Feast of the Holy Family, here at St. Gertrude’s, we want our parish to be what Pope Leo describes as the ideal: “a domestic Church,” where all are welcome.

~ Sister Wendy Cotter, CSJ, Ph.D

Saturday Morning Mass Schedule Change 



Please note that beginning in the New Year, there will no longer be Saturday morning Masses.

We thank you for your understanding and invite you to join us at our other regularly scheduled Mass times.

Year-End Giving

As you consider your year-end charitable donations, please think about making an additional contribution to St. Gertrude. Your generosity has helped support us during these past trying years. We hope that you will continue to support us now and into the coming year as we carry out our service and our ministries to our parish and our community.

Information about making a donation can be found at https://stgertrudechicago.org/donate.

Thank you so much for all you have done and are doing!

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, December 20 at 5:00 pm - Millie Slane, Marty Waide
• Sunday, December 21 at 8:00 am - Jay Cook, Kevin Kadowaki
• Sunday, December 21 at 10:30 am - Ellen Pierce, Eric Ameyaw
• Saturday, December 27 at 5:00 pm - Patrick Reardon, Joe Tomaselo
• Sunday, December 28 at 8:00 am - Hallie Burhoe, Suzanne Teberg
• Sunday, December 28 at 10:30 am - Rose Karasti, Anne-Marie St. G.

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, December 20 at 5:00 pm - Roman Reyes
• Sunday, December 21 at 8:00 am - Hallie Burhoe
• Sunday, December 21 at 10:30 am - Patrick Robinson, Lisa Schneider, Michelle Kuehlhorn
• Saturday, December 27 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, December 28 at 8:00 am - Steven Monti
• Sunday, December 28 at 10:30 am - Rafael Melendez, Annie Hasselbeck, Stephen Hasselbeck

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, December 22: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, December 23: 7:30 am - Glenn and Mary Martin+
• Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24: 7:30 am - Peter and Mary Tunney +; 5:00 pm - Parishioners of St. Gertrude  ; 8:30 pm - Parishioners of St. Gertrude  
• Thursday, December 25: 8:00 am - Parishioners of St. Gertrude; 10:30 am - Parishioners of St. Gertrude  
• Friday, December 26: 7:30 am - Pete Ballard+ 
• Saturday, December 27: 7:30 am - Deceased of the Kelly family ; 5:00 pm - Emmett McKee+; Jenny and Austin Wyman+
• Sunday, December 28: 8:00 am - Betty Taylor+; 10:30 am - Paul William Kelly+; 10:30 am Gym - Enoch Rivers+ 
• Monday, December 29: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, December 30: 7:30 am -Grace V. Cabrera+
• Wednesday, December 31: 7:30 am - Donovan family
• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Thursday, January 1: 10:00 am - Parishioners of St. Gertrude
• Friday, January 2: 7:30 am - Michael Cannon+
• Saturday, January 3: 5:00 pm - Marie Roti+
• Sunday, January 4: 8:00 am - Mark Schreiner+; 10:30 am - Mary Lou Derwent+; 10:30 am Gym - Maggie McSweeney+ 

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.