St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, June 1, 2025

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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.

Car Wash Run by our Parish Youth Group This Saturday, May 31

Come support our parish youth group this Saturday, May 31! The teens will be available to wash cars from 10:00 am-1:00 pm in the parish parking lot at the northwest corner of Thome & Glenwood. 

The cost is $15 per vehicle. All proceeds will go towards youth group activities.

Youth Group to Hold a Hot Dog Sale During the Edgewater Yard & Garden Sale on Saturday, June 7

The parish youth group also has an upcoming event planned during the Edgewater Yard and Sidewalk Sale next Saturday, June 7 from 9:00 am-5:00 pm.

The teens will sell pop and hot dogs to attendees in the parish parking lot, located at the northwest corner of Thome & Glenwood Avenues, from 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Please consider stopping by and supporting them (or saying hello!) if you are out enjoying the Edgewater sales!

If your teen in grades six and up is interested in joining our youth group, please contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.

Second Collection on June 7-8 for Priests’ Health and Retirement

Priests have dedicated their lives to ministry, serving our needs as Catholics from the moment we are baptized until we receive last rites before entering eternal life. A second collection on June 7-8 will provide for the health and well-being of 386 active and 247 retired archdiocesan priests.

Your generosity to this special collection directly impacts both the many active and retired archdiocesan priests who we have come to rely on throughout our lives.

As we’re all aware, healthcare and retirement costs continue to rise, so there is an urgent need for your gifts to this fund. Your generosity will not only ensure the health and well-being of our priests, but also support their ability to continue meaningful work in our parishes and communities.

Collection Drive for Care for Real is June 7-8

Our next collection drive for Care for Real is June 7-8!

Care for Real is urgently seeking donations of new socks and underwear, diapers in sizes 4-6, shampoo, hand soap, and adult incontinence briefs.

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.  

Friendship Club is Thursday, June 12

The 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, and attendees should bring their own (brown bag) lunch.

Adult Faith Formation Commission Forming

One of the “hungers” identified in the St. Gertrude Parish Strategic Plan is that of developing and supporting opportunities for ongoing adult faith formation in our parish. 

If you are interested in being part of a group whose mission will be to support current adult faith formation ministries in the parish as well as to discern and develop new possibilities for adult faith formation, please send your name and email address to Bob Backis, PPC Co-Chair, at rjbackis@gmail.com by June 1st.

For more information, please email Bob or call him at 773.510.6553.

An initial meeting of an Adult Faith Formation Commission will be held in June.

Growing in Faith: The Ascension of Jesus, and the Joy of Hope   

Last year, on the Feast of the Ascension, dear Pope Francis announced the theme of the Jubilee Year 2025 as HOPE. I feel that was prophetic, don’t you? For Pope Francis, the completion of Jesus’ life on earth is a fulfillment of the faithfulness and love of God for us, and God’s desire that we experience confidence and joy—the joy experienced by the witnesses to Jesus’ Ascension as they returned to the city with that new hope. I find his words so helpful:

Pope Francis said that day:

“...Christian hope sustains the journey of our lives, even when the road ahead seems winding and exhausting. It opens our eyes to future possibilities whenever resignation or pessimism attempt to imprison us. It makes us see the promise of good at times when evil seems to prevail... It makes us dream of a new humanity and gives us courage in our efforts to build a fraternal and peaceful world, even when it seems barely worth the effort. By our actions, our words, the decisions we make each day, our patient efforts to sow seeds of beauty and kindness wherever we find ourselves, we want to sing of hope, so that its melody can touch the heartstrings of humanity and reawaken in every heart the joy and the courage to embrace life to the full.”

~ Sister Wendy Cotter, CSJ, Ph.D

Easter Flower Offerings

• In memory of Helen and Andrew Galoney from Marie Galoney 
• In memory of: Beatrice "Trixie" Muchman from Marilyn Klein
• In memory of Mary A. Pierce and John A. Pierce from Ellen Pierce
• In memory of Pope Francis from Marilyn Klein 
• In memory of the Charles Strubbe Family from Marie Galoney 

The Parish Pastoral Council is Looking for New Members!

The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is renewing its search for new members. If you are interested in learning more about the PPC or are interested in joining, please complete this INTEREST FORM. 

Questions or comments for the PPC can be sent to stgertrudeparishcouncil@gmail.com.

Join the Ignatian Volunteer Corps! First Info Session on June 12

Want to make a difference? Want to grow in your faith? The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) matches the skills and experiences of adults 50+ with Chicagoland nonprofits dedicated to walking with and assisting those most in need. IVC supports members in deepening their faith through formation opportunities rooted in the Ignatian tradition.

Learn more by attending an upcoming information session: 

• St. John XXIII Parish (Evanston) - June 12, 11:00 am
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (Glenview) - June 17, 2:00 pm
• Old St. Mary Parish (Chicago) - June 26, 2:00 pm

Register online at www.ivcusa.org/chicago or call Program Manager Cathy Buescher at 201.407.6052.

The Edgewater Community Religious Association (ECRA) Juneteenth Event Planned for Sunday, June 19

The Edgewater Community Religious Association (ECRA) invites you to a powerful Juneteenth Service: "America the Free?" — a time to reflect, remember, and rise.

Join St. Gertrude parishioners and other members of faith communities in Edgewater at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church as we honor freedom and justice with a message from Annamarie Brown, Co-Executive Director of Circles and Ciphers, and a moving performance by Circles and Ciphers themselves.

This is more than a service—it’s a call to community and a celebration of resilience.

Free parking available at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church (5649 N Sheridan Rd).

What is ECRA?

The Edgewater Community Religious Association (ECRA) is an interfaith association of religious organizations that work toward fostering friendships and understanding of other faiths and to nurture a thriving and just neighborhood.

For decades, ECRA has linked religiously diverse neighbors to create solutions to local problems, including the Edgewater Community Council and creating Edgewater’s food pantry, Care for Real. St. Gertrude was a founding member of ECRA.

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, May 31 at 5:00 pm - Millie Slane, Patrick Reardon
• Sunday, May 31 at 8:00 am - Steven Monti
• Sunday, June 1 at 10:30 am - Patrick Robinson, Lily Benham

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, June 2: 7:30 am - Laurie Hasbrook
• Tuesday, June 3: 7:30 am - Jonathan Hannau
• Wednesday, June 4: 7:30 am - Tracy Shields
• Thursday, June 5: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, June 6: 7:30 am - Marie Cristol+
• Saturday, June 7: 7:30 am - Edgar Osorio Leon; 5:00 pm - Joan Harrington; Richard Kunkel+
• Sunday, June 8: 8:00 am - Lillian McCall+; 10:30 am - Paul Messbarger+

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.