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 21 and Sunday, July 28, 2024

16th & 17th Sundays in Ordinary Time

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

Last Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Trump is tragic on so many levels. For the last few years, rhetoric in our country, especially in politics, has gotten more and more vicious. It has seems to me the bar of decency of rhetoric has continued to be lowered and lowered.

Truthfully, I wasn’t so surprised to hear that one of the candidates had an assassination attempt on their life. Thankfully, the former president is safe and our prayers go out to those who were injured in this rally and the person who lost his life. President Biden called the country to turn down the volume on our wording against one another and to come to unity as a nation. This is something for all of us to consider.

Cardinal Cupich made this statement about the attempted assassination attempt.

“Please join me in praying for the continued recovery of former president Donald Trump, for his family, as well as for the other victims of yesterday’s horrific assassination attempt, one of whom has died. The FBI has announced that the suspect is a young man of just 20 years. This is a moment of great risk in the history of our democracy. May God the Father enfold all his children in his loving embrace, encouraging us to listen to our better angels, to break the cycle of violence, and choose peace.”

Many do not like the topic of gun control being brought up at this time, but it is crucial. Daily, we see so many lives lost to guns, leaving their families grief-stricken. Guns have been so normalized, that for many, if someone is at odds with them, they use a gun to make their point. In Chicago alone, this past 4th of July became one of the deadliest weekends in our city's history. We need to address the root causes of violence and not deflect it on to other things.

Youth Group Mission Experience

Our youth group will be starting their mission experience this coming week. Their mission is right here in our neighborhood. Throughout the week, they will face some challenges (for example, weather and unfamiliar work), and the students may feel out of their comfort zones.

Please keep them in your prayers.

Friday, July 19

• 8:00 am ~ Friday Morning Men's Prayer and Scripture Discussion Group
• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Sunday, July 21

• Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) staff in the back of church

Wednesday, July 24

• 7:00-8:30 pm ~ Backyard Conversation Event in the rectory yard

Friday, July 26

• 8:00 am ~ Friday Morning Men's Prayer and Scripture Discussion Group
• 6:30 pm ~ Commonweal Dialogue (see article for location)
• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Saturday, July 27

• Care for Real Food & Supply Drive before and after 5:00 pm Mass

Sunday, July 28

• Care for Real Food & Supply Drive before and after Masses

Friday, August 2

• 8:00 am ~ Friday Morning Men's Prayer and Scripture Discussion Group
• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Saturday, August 3

• Collection of goods for Asylum Seekers (Care for Real will collect and distribute items) before and after 5:00 pm Mass
• 5:00 pm ~ U.S. Catholic Mission Association to speak at Mass

Sunday, August 4

• Collection of Goods for Asylum Seekers (Care for Real will collect and distribute items)
• U.S. Catholic Mission Association to speak at Mass

Thursday, August 8

11:30 am - Women's Friendship Club in the Ministry Center

Monday, August 12

• 7:00 pm ~ Book club in the Ministry Center

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.

Youth Mission Experience

Our youth mission experience is planned for the week of July 22-26. Teens in our parish youth group, in seventh grade through high school, will volunteer with a different Chicagoland organization each day. 

Please keep our teens in your prayers as they work to help others this week!

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. 

New Backyard Conversation Event Planned for Wednesday, July 24 to Discuss Social Justice Issues

The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational spiritually-rooted organization that labors to transform racial, economic, social and environmental systemic structures through grassroots coalition building, community organizing, and liberative formation. CSPL is proud to be a partner of St. Gertrude in the work for justice.  

CSPL staff will be at the back of church on Sunday, July 21st. Please stop by and learn more about the organization! 

In addition, CSPL members will facilitate the ​​St. Gertrude backyard conversation on Wednesday, July 24th from 7:00-8:30 pm in the Rectory yard. (Rain date info will be shared on the parish website later.) The event will be a listening session for CSPL to hear/determine social issues in the parish community. Please sign up at the back of the church to participate. Bring a chair and a snack/drink for yourself and to share.

Currently CSPL is working in collaboration with other partners in advancing two important issues: Child Care For All and Youth Mental Health. CSPL envisions a "conscienticized" and spiritually-rooted movement of people organizing from the grassroots to transform and build liberative and democratic systems in the ongoing journey towards achieving a greater approximation of God’s Kin-dom. 

To learn more about CSPL you can visit www.csplaction.org. Or contact Gabriel Lara at (708) 567-3448 or via email at gabriel@csplaction.org. 

Next Commonweal Dialogue Gathering is Friday, July 26

The next Commonweal Dialogue will take place on Friday, July 26 at 6:30 pm. John Williams has again graciously agreed to hold the meeting on his back porch at 1305 W. Glenlake Ave. We will enjoy wine and pizza with our conversation.

The topic is “Faith and Politics in the 2024 Presidential Election.” Questions we might consider include (but are not confined to) the following: What part does our Catholic (or other) faith play in our 2024 vote for President of the United States? Does our faith influence our political views or do our politics influence our religious beliefs? How do Catholics with opposing political views talk to one another with civility and understanding?

Suggested Readings:

• An article by Heidi Schlumpf in NCR: https://www.ncronline.org/news/catholic-trump-voters-see-no-choice-upcoming-election-even-after-conviction
• Cardinal Cupich's essay of July 5 in Chicago Catholic: https://mailchi.mp/chicagocatholic/news-from-chicago-catholic-235756?e=c6abf5e3da
• Brief extracts from Jonathan Haidt's book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (to be provided by email to participants on the Commonweal Dialogue list or by request).  

Commonweal Dialogue provides opportunities for civil and cordial conversation about topics of contemporary concern at the intersection of faith and politics.

Please let us know if you are planning to attend so that we can better plan the refreshments by emailing Verna Foster at vfoster@luc.edu.  We hope you will join us!

Two Upcoming Collections for Care for Real

We have two upcoming collections for Care for Real planned.

Our monthly Food & Supply Drive for Care for Real is July 27 and July 28. Please place nonperishable items in the bins at the back of church before and after mass times.

Special needs this month include diapers in sizes 2-6.

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. 

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

Russ, Bruce, Therese, Joanne, Bernie, Michael, Sue, and Neal are missionaries. Some are priests, some religious, some lay. They are sent by the Church to bring Christ to the world. Mission leaders called them forth, accompanied them through their vocational discernment and missionary formation.

Your generosity keeps those leaders connected, learning from each other, and collaborating on God’s mission – to save the world one person at a time.

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. 

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.

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. 

Growing in Faith

I can’t remember a time in my life when the political and cultural climate has been so discouraging. Younger adults my children’s age feel even more hopeless. 

No matter where in this confusion we find ourselves, it seems clear that we haven’t had the best possible leaders raised up for us to choose or follow.

The reading from Jeremiah condemns the shepherds who have misled and scattered the flock, who have caused us to fear and tremble.

So what does a real shepherd look like? Jeremiah’s God promises to raise up true shepherds who are righteous and who will count and care for each one. And in today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to give his apostles advice on how to be prepared to lead and minister. “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

But the word Mark uses here for “rest” is the one used in scripture to describe Sabbath-rest. He calls them not just to sleep and leisure, but to go away to the desert where one encounters divine wisdom, to be led by a vision that reveals the connection and blessedness of all creation, and to learn how to receive divine energy and nourishment. 

Sabbath-rest enables us to feel and experience creation, especially others, in God’s perspective. We need a system and leaders who respond not to interest groups and voter profiles, but calls us to imagine and work towards a “beloved community”

Today’s Gospel ends describing Jesus' heart as filled with compassion in his resolve to teach and heal us. So I pray for a centered Sabbath-vision that fosters compassion-- it’s what I need in my own heart and in the leaders we raise up.

~Jim Zajakowski-Uhl

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

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 information to news@stgertrudechicago.org 10 days before the print date. The schedule is:

• August 4 & 11 (info due July 26)
• August 18 & 25 (info due August 9)

Rollator Walkers Needed for the Lending Closet

The Lending Closet is in dire need of rollator walkers (walkers with a seat) and tub transfer benches. 

Please e-mail or call the Lending Closet manager Laurie Hasbrook at lhasbrook@stgertrudechicago.org or 773.973.5464 ext. 115 if you have one to donate.

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, July 20 at 5:00 pm - Tim Harrington
• Sunday, July 21 at 8:00 am - Barb Daly
• Sunday, July 21 at 10:30 am - Steven Monti, Carlos Barragan, Maria Ugarte
• Saturday, July 27 at 5:00 pm - Kathleen Dawson
• Sunday, July 28 at 8:00 am - Kathryn Stimac
• Sunday, July 28 at 10:30 am - Michelle Kuehlhorn, Annie Hasselbeck, Steven Hasselbeck

Upcoming Mass Intentions



• Monday, July 22: 7:30 am - Purgatorial Society
• Tuesday, July 23: 7:30 am - Dorothy Denzler
• Wednesday, July 24: 7:30 am - People of God
• Thursday, July 25: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, July 26: 7:30 am - Dolores Winsow+
• Saturday, July 27: 7:30 am - Chris Crop; 5:00 pm - People of God
• Sunday, July 28: 8:00 am - Kathryn Jean Winslow; 10:30 am - Jim Corbett, Kevin Corbett, Jack Degnan
• Monday, July 29: 7:30 am - NCA students past and present
• Tuesday, July 30: 7:30 am - Joe Shields+
• Wednesday, July 31: 7:30 am - The Buttitta family
• Thursday, August 1: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, August 2: 7:30 am - People of God
• Saturday, August 3: 7:30 am - Patricia Gillespie Kelly+; 5:00 pm - The Kelly & Gillespie Family
• Sunday, August 4: 8:00 am - People of God; 10:30 am - Augusto Vatungbakal+

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.