St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, February 16, 2025

The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

There are three things that last, faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

I agree. But I must admit that at the present time, the virtue I seem to need the most is HOPE. Things at times seem hopeless, and I will not let myself fall in that rut. There are three things that last... and the greatest of these is HOPE. I need hope. And that is why I am truly grateful that ,we as a faith community around the world, are being called to rally around this virtue and find ways to LIVE a jubilee year of hope.

There is a logo associated with the Jubilee Year of Hope that you will begin seeing a lot around here, especially since nine of us from the parish will go on a pilgrimage to Italy for the jubilee year. I find the logo very meaningful and want to share the symbolism. The logo, pictured above, shows four stylized figures, representing all of humanity, coming from the four corners of the earth. They embrace each other to indicate solidarity and fraternity which should unite all people. The figure at the front is holding onto the cross. In moments of great need, remembering the paschal mystery -- especially the resurrection — can help us to persevere in hope. There are the rough waves under the figures, symbolizing the fact that life’s pilgrimage does not always go smoothly in calm waters. Often the circumstances of daily life and events in the wider world require a greater call to hope.

That’s why we should pay special attention to the lower part of the cross which has been elongated and turned into the shape of an anchor which is let down into the waves. The anchor is well known as a symbol of hope.

It is worth noting that the image illustrates the pilgrim’s journey not as an individual undertaking, but rather as something communal. We need community! Perhaps you could sit with this logo in prayer as I have.

A jubilee year is intended to be a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation; it is a time to forgive debts. In some ways Jesus’ entire life was a jubilee year: bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free.

He lived these words in his encounters with others, all of which brought about liberation and conversion. How can we do the same?

Together in hope,

~ Fr. Mike

The Sacred Oils

The Ambry. How many times have you walked by this? It contains the three sacred oils: Sacred Chrism, Oil of Catechumens, and Oil of the Sick.

OS, Oleum Sanctum, is used for those preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism to be marked as Catechumens or studiers of the faith.

SC, Sanctum Chrisma, is used at Baptism after the person has been washed in the waters of the font to mark them as “priest, prophet and king,” at Confirmation and Holy Orders, and to anoint the walls of the Church and consecrate the altar. The Sacred Chrism oil has a fragrant scent to it as perfume is added just before the bishop consecrates this oil.

OI, Oleum Infirmorum, is used in the Anointing of the Sick to anoint the person on the forehead and the palms of their hands.

The sacred oils are consecrated by the bishop of the Diocese every year at the Cathedral at the Chrism Mass which takes place on the Tuesday of Holy Week and then presented to the parish community at the Holy Thursday Liturgy.

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 Fridays in February.

They are 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/84331230411?pwd=rnUN9lmPtxjVg6bdiQ5QnsbBlpcptc.1 

Meeting ID: 843 3123 0411; 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 at astryczek@sbcglobal.net.  

No Religious Ed Classes on Sunday, February 16/Rectory Closed on February 17

Presidents Day is celebrated on Monday, February 17. Because of the long weekend, there will be no Religious Ed classes on February 16.

Additionally, the Rectory office will be closed on Monday, February 17. Mass will be held at 7:30 am.

Collection for Care for Real Collection Scheduled for February 22-23

Our next collection drive for Care for Real February 22 and February 23. The organization is urgently seeking donations of diapers in sizes 2-6, baby wipes, juice boxes, thermal layers (all sizes) gently used coats (all sizes), hand warmers, lotions and hand soap, shampoo and body wash, adult incontinence under bed pads.

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.  

Next "Brewed at St. Gertrude" Gathering Planned for Sunday, February 23

December's parish hospitality "Brewed at St. Gertrude" event was a big success! It was a joy to see almost 200 parishioners socialize and enjoy music from the Heavenly Horns.

The next parish hospitality gathering is planned for February 23rd after the 10:30am masses. We are seeking a few volunteers who are willing to help set up, serve, or clean up.

Please email Steven Patzke at stevenjcpatzke@gmail.com if you are available. 

Refugee and Immigrant Ministry Update: New Volunteer Meeting Planned for Thursday, February 27 at 7:15 pm

The St. Gertrude Refugee and Immigrant Ministry is so grateful to have a list of over 150 souls who embrace the Gospel imperative to welcome the stranger.

Thank you for all your support, and in particular, thank you to our entire parish community for our recent special collection. We received nearly $4,000 to continue the work.

You may also know that there is a smaller group that does the work of the Ministry - interacting with our community partner Refugee One, keeping tabs on our supply of housewares to help with apartment settling, monitoring our financial health, and sending out communications like this email.

We'll be having a meeting on Thursday, February 27 at 7:15 pm in the Ministry Center Chapel, 6214 N. Glenwood Ave. This is an open meeting specifically focused on engaging active volunteers to reflect on our mission and plan going forward, with people interested in volunteering to continue the cycle of leadership.

You may also wonder what is going on with the refugee resettlement process in the wake of recent Executive Orders of the current administration. I urge you to visit the website for Refugee One - they offer comprehensive resources including English language classes, life and work skills, job finding, help with school placement including going with families to parent teacher meetings, trauma-informed therapy, and more. Groups like ours help via Financial Co-Sponsorship (the family we recently supported), personal Co-Sponsorship (trained neighbors accompanying families), and Apartment Furnishing Teams. These are ongoing needs for our Chicagoland neighbors.

Our contact at Refugee One sent this message: "You likely already know, but unfortunately the Trump administration suspended refugee arrivals via executive order as of January 27. You can read through some FAQs here that explain these changes and how they’re affecting RefugeeOne.

That said, both co-sponsorship and apartment furnishing teams will hopefully be options again down the road, but right now our two main asks are:

1) Advocacy: Call your senators, your representative, and the White House, letting them know that you strongly oppose the refugee ban and executive actions targeting newcomers

2) Donate: Private donations are critical at this moment to ensure the 500 refugees we’ve resettled in the last six months can receive full, uninterrupted support to reach self-sufficiency. Gifts will also help us maintain core infrastructure while the government pause of refugee resettlement has brought a key funding source to a halt."

I think that's all for now. We couldn't do this without all of you so thank you again.

On behalf of the St. Gertrude Refugee and Immigrant Ministry,

~ Denise Goodman

Teens are Invited to Register for St. Gertrude’s Youth Mission Experience 

Parish teens are invited to take part in St. Gertrude's Youth Mission experience this summer from June 23-27. Teens in seventh grade through high school will volunteer with a different Chicagoland organization each day.

This is an excellent opportunity to have fun and earn volunteer hours! There is a $100 fee for the week. A $50 deposit is required at the time of registration. Please note that there are scholarships available! All participants will receive a t-shirt, water bottle, and a sports drawstring backpack.

To reserve a spot or for more information, contact pastoral associate Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org. 

Timeline for New Pastor Placement

Here is an estimated timeline of the Pastor placement process:

· End of January: A list of parishes looking for a new pastor will be released.

· February/March: Discernment for pastors takes place.

· March/April: Hopefully we will have an announcement of a new pastor.

God of new beginnings, be with us, the people of St. Gertrude, as we await the appointment of our next Pastor. Enable us, in this time of waiting, to be a people of hope, trusting in the presence and power of the Spirit.

We thank you for the pastoral leadership of all who have been pastors of our faith community, for those who have ministered as members of pastoral staffs over the years, and for the gifts of the Spirit shared in countless ways by those whose lives have graced this sacred space. 

May the community of St. Gertrude continue to be a beacon of welcome, of hope, of reconciliation, of peace and justice for all who seek you.

Bless those priests who may be considering applying to be the next pastor of our faith 

community and of all who will be a part of the discernment and selection process. Bless the works of our hands. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Volunteers Needed!



Several months ago, we began the transition process of welcoming a new pastor. However, this transition involves much more than just one person—it represents a shift in the mission and direction of our parish.

As part of this process, we have been reflecting on who we are as the parish of St. Gertrude’s, what our mission is, and the role we play in our neighborhood and the broader world.

This transition also includes some very practical changes. The pastoral staff has been taking on increasing responsibilities, and they have been doing an excellent job. However, they cannot carry this weight alone—they need your help.

We need more volunteers to sustain the programs and ministries we currently offer and to continue moving forward, no matter who the pastor may be.

Here are a few immediate areas where your assistance is needed:

• Baptismal Preparation: We offer a monthly class for families having their babies baptized for the first time.
• Live Streaming: The 10:30 am Mass is live-streamed to bring the liturgy into the homes of those who cannot attend in person.
• Choir: The choir is looking for singers and musicians. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. All voices are welcome.
• Heart to Heart Ministry: This outreach program offers aid and support to older adults in need.
• Church Environment:/Decoration: As we approach Lent and Easter, there is need for assistance making the church look beautiful.

Please consider getting involved in one of these ministries. If you have any interest in any of these ministries, please reach out to Fr. Mike Gabriel at mgabriel@stgertrudechicago.org

Growing in Faith: The Blessed are You! 

The Beatitudes of Jesus deliberately confront his society’s ideas of the "winners." Wealth, important connections with other powerful people, elevated position in town, and a life seeming so easy were often seen as special blessings of God, signs of God’s favor. It is easy then to see how poverty, misery, and a continuous list of setbacks could be exploited by the rich as signs of God’s disfavor, and for some people , a retribution for their own sin, or that of their family.  

The gospel today reiterates Jesus’ forthright reassurance, his throwing to one side any such ideas. Jesus is speaking to the world, especially people abused by the rich, and powerful, that they are to rejoice in the truth, that God blesses them all the time, feels for them, loves them. And so God needs us all to make that truth real, to allow people to feel blessed, to feel loved, by taking on the issue of poverty, and  to outreach to the suffering, and to those who are mourning a loss, whatever that loss. This is what the great "prophets" of Jesus’ time and our own have preached and practiced, many of them to their own death by the powerful. 

 The Beatitudes, then, are treasures from Jesus, that not only reaffirm God’s constant loving blessing on all of us, especially those who are seen in our society as unimportant and marginal, but stand as our ongoing mission to them.

~ Sister Wendy Cotter, CSJ, Ph.D

Loyola University's The Hank Center for The Catholic Intellectual Heritage Invites You to Envisioning a Livable Future on Monday, February 17

Join Loyola's University for an online serial symposium in collaboration with John Carroll University marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si'. The event will be held via Zoom from 5:30-6:45 pm CST.

The topic is the Contribution of Catholic Social Thought. A synopsis of the discussion is :Ten years after the publication of Laudato Si’, what are, or ought to be, the growing edges of Catholic social thought? What does it have to contribute to our understanding of the climate crisis and the development of an ecological conscience?

Additional sessions will be held on Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, April 9. This is a free online event, and registration is required for each session. 

Visit https://www.luc.edu/ccih/conferences/archive/laudatosiat10series.shtml for more information and to sign up.

Save the Date! NCA's Soiree is Saturday, March 8

The 2025 NCA Soiree is weeks away! This year, the event will be held at the Ravenswood Event Center, 4021 N Ravenswood Ave.

Tickets for the Soiree and the Grand Raffle can be purchased at biddingforgood.com/ncasoiree.

We hope to see you there!

Next NCA Monthly Caregiver-Toddler Playdates on Monday, March 10

Looking after your child/children or caring for a little one? You're invited to our next monthly get together for caregivers and toddlers! The gathering will be held on March 10, as well as April 7 and May 12 at Northside Catholic Academy, 6216 N. Glenwood, from 9:30-10:30 am.

Each hour is filled with story times, crafts, and free play for little ones. Caregivers must attend.

RSVP to gmalfatti@ncaschools.com. 

New Parishioners

• Anh Tran

Rest in Peace

• Geoffrey Penar 

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, February 15 at 5:00 pm - Patrick Reardon, Millie Slane
• Sunday, February 16 at 8:00 am - Mary Clare Barker, Jay Cook
• Sunday, February 16 at 10:30 am - Bob Backis, Edie Sheridan

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, February 17: 7:30 am - Bill Snow
• Tuesday, February 18: 7:30 am - Claire Roach
• Wednesday, February 19: 7:30 am -  Jacqueline Elwod+
• Thursday, February 20: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, February 21: 7:30 am - Joanne Meade
• Saturday, February 22: 7:30 am - JoAnne Martin+; 5:00 pm - Joan M. Silverstein+
• Sunday, February 23: 8:00 am - Estelle Ann Guardino+; 10:30 am - Joan Casey+; Ed DeWolf+; 10:30 am Gym - Megan Quinn

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.