St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, July 13, 2025

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mission Appeal is This Weekend: Please Welcome Sr. Rubi Arellano!

This weekend is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) annual Mission Cooperation Plan, an opportunity for religious congregations from other countries to share their stories and invite support from our faith communities.

The second collection for this initiative provides vital assistance to ministries that bear witness to and proclaim the love of Jesus in parts of the world affected by poverty and upheaval.

Currently, she is the director of Project Vida, a program operated by the SSV Sisters serving impoverished communities and children in Jaiba, Brazil.

Sr. Rubi previously served for 13 years as Superior Sister at the SSV Mission in Borongan, Philippines. Her missionary appeal will focus on the needs of Ain Karim Children’s Home, operated by the SSV Sisters in Borongan City, Philippines. This is the only accredited and government-licensed facility in Eastern Samar for children in crisis, from newborn to eight years old. Ain Karim serves as the official orphanage of the Diocese of Borongan.

The SSV Sisters welcome and care for these special children—many of whom are disabled, malnourished, neglected, orphaned, or abandoned—with tenderness and love, seeing in them the face of Jesus in his most vulnerable form. The children are nurtured in a family-like atmosphere filled with compassion and faith.

Please be as generous as you can!

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 North Glenwood Avenue.

"Brewed at St. Gertrude" Social Gathering is Next Sunday, July 20

Please join us on Sunday, July 20, for a parish hospitality event, "Brewed at St. Gertrude!" 

Following the 10:30 am mass, come to the Social Hall for pastries, coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. All are welcome: new and long-time parishioners, families, and visitors!

Commonweal Action: Next Meeting Planned for July 20



St. Gertrude’s Commonweal Action will meet again on Sunday, July 20, in the Social Hall after the 10:30 am Mass.

At our June 22 meeting, we discussed the results of the "Faith in Action" survey and, in small groups, began planning ways to respond to those results by opposing the current administration’s unchristian policies—policies that harm the poor, the elderly, children, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and veterans.

Commonweal Action is committed to protecting access to healthcare (Medicaid) and food (SNAP), ensuring safety from wrongful deportation, and upholding the dignity of our most vulnerable neighbors. We take action through protests, letter-writing, educational efforts, and collaboration with like-minded community groups.

To move forward with the plans we’ve developed, we need your input, your energy, and your help!

Please join us on Sunday, July 20, around noon in St. Gertrude’s Social Hall—after the 10:30 am Mass and once everyone has had a chance to grab a coffee and connect at Brewed at St. Gertrude’s social gathering. The meeting will last approximately 90 minutes.

All are welcome.

Care for Real Collection Drive is July 26-27

Our collection drive for Care for Real is July 26 and July 27 before and after masses to support our neighbors in need.

Care for Real reports a tremendous need for food in our community. Food costs are still rising, new policies are removing safety nets, and summer means families must find options to replace the food their children receive at school.

Please visit https://careforreal.org/wishlist/ 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.  

Lending Closet News: Thank You to the Jewish Voice for Peace

At the conclusion of their 18-day water-only hunger strike—calling for an end to U.S. funding of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid—Jewish Voice for Peace–Chicago gifted two newly purchased transport chairs to the Lending Closet.

Transport chairs are of tremendous help for families caring for loved ones at home and are among the most requested items in the Lending Closet.

Thank you, JVP–Chicago!

~ Laurie Hasbrook, Lending Closet Manager

Growing in Faith

“A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off, leaving him half-dead... A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight... Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him.”

Reading this week’s Gospel, I found connections to my own experiences—particularly those I’ve had within the St. Gertrude’s community. Since my parents have been part of this parish for many years, I’ve felt the spirit of “All are Welcome” for as long as I can remember.

Whether through Sunday Masses, post-Mass hospitality, or gatherings beyond the corner of Granville and Glenwood, I have always felt a sense of belonging. As I’ve grown older, my appreciation for that welcome has deepened.

I believe it’s important to be inviting to everyone, recognizing that each person brings something valuable—if we’re willing to embrace their differences. Part of being welcoming is also about resisting the urge to judge others, just as the Samaritan helped the injured man without hesitation. We see this same spirit in John, chapter 8, when Jesus tells the crowd about to stone the adulterous woman, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

That passage, along with today’s Gospel, reflect the values I strive to live by.

~ John McCormick

Parish Garden Update

We're happy to report that the parish garden is thriving! Our latest harvest of fresh lettuce and herbs has been delivered to Care for Real, where it will be shared with neighbors in need.

Thanks to the hard work of our garden volunteers, this simple act of care is bringing fresh, healthy food to a few grateful families in our community.

Register Your Children for the 2025-2026 Religious Ed School Year in August!

Registration for the 2025-2026 Religious Ed school year will open in August!

Classes are held on Sundays from 9:15-10:15 am on the St. Gertrude campus. They will begin in September.

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 2025-2026 school year are $230 for one child and an additional $40 for each student from the same family. Children making their First Communion/Reconciliation or their Confirmation will also need to pay a $75 sacramental fee.

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

Edgewater Glen Garden Walk is This Sunday, July 13

Come explore the beautiful gardens of West Edgewater Glen this Sunday, July 13, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm., rain or shine! This annual event showcases the creativity and hard work of local gardeners in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of Norwood, Glenlake, Hood, and the south side of Granville—all within an easy walking distance.

A suggested donation of $5 per adult (cash preferred) is appreciated. Children are welcome at no charge. The walk begins at 1354 W. Norwood, at the corner of Norwood and Glenwood. Street parking is readily available.

For more information, contact Kim at kaulas@rcn.com or 773-368-3949.

Lector by Notre Dame Scholar on Saturday, July 26: A Contemplative Revolution: Eucharistic Beholding, Believing, and Becoming in a Frenetic Age at St. Gregory the Great

In an age where life rushes forward at a relentless pace—especially in a city like Chicago—how can we recover a sense of stillness, meaning, and presence? Join renowned theologian and author Timothy P. O’Malley for a timely and thought-provoking talk, A Contemplative Revolution: Eucharistic Beholding, Believing, and Becoming in a Frenetic Age. The event will take place on Saturday, July 26 at 10:30 am at St. Gregory the Great Church, 5545 N. Paulina St.

O’Malley will explore the spiritual consequences of our culture’s addiction to speed and digital immediacy, and offer a bold invitation to slow down. Drawing on themes from his latest book, Behold, Believe, Become: Meeting the Hidden Christ in Things We See, Say, and Do at Mass, he will reflect on the power of the Eucharist to reshape not only how we pray, but how we live. Through Eucharistic contemplation, O’Malley suggests, we can become agents of a quiet revolution—one rooted in presence, belief, and transformation.

Timothy P. O’Malley is a professor and Catholic theologian at the University of Notre Dame, where he serves as the associate director for research at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and the academic director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. His writing and research focus on liturgical spirituality, sacramental theology, and the renewal of Catholic life.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, contact Mark Franzen at 773.561.3546 or visit stgregoryhall.org. Copies of Behold, Believe, Become will be available for purchase at the event.

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, July 12 at 5:00 pm - Christine Lincoln, Joseph McMahon
• Sunday, July 13 at 8:00 am - Kathryn Stimac
• Sunday, July 13 at 10:30 am - Patrick Robinson, Edie Sheridan

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, July 12 at 5:00 pm - Tim Harrington
• Sunday, July 13 at 8:00 am - Barb Daly
• Sunday, July 13 at 10:30 am - Troy McMillan, Annie Hasselbeck, Stephen Hasselbeck

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, July 14: 7:30 am - Donald Nyderek+
• Tuesday, July 15: 7:30 am - James Bloomquist, Jr.+
• Wednesday, July 16: 7:30 am - Lillie Buie+
• Thursday, July 17: 7:30 am - Communion service
• Friday, July 18: 7:30 am - James Murray+
• Saturday, July 19: 7:30 am - Noreen Tierney+; 5:00 pm - The deceased of the Kelly family
• Sunday, July 20: 8:00 am - Paul Messbarger+; 10:30 am - Billy Tobin+

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.