St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, November 30, 2025

The First Sunday of Advent

The Latest News at St. Gertrude

The First Week of Advent

This Sunday we enter the holy season of Advent, a time of watchful waiting and joyful hope. As we light the first candle on the Advent wreath, we are invited to turn our hearts toward the promise of Christ’s coming—both in history and in our daily lives. The Scriptures this week call us to stay awake, to notice God’s presence breaking into the ordinary moments we might otherwise overlook.

In these early days of Advent, we are encouraged to slow down, make space for quiet reflection, and renew our trust in God’s faithful love. May this first week draw us closer to Christ, who comes to bring light to our darkness and hope to a waiting world.

Events During Advent

As we enter this holy season of anticipation and light, we invite everyone to participate in several opportunities that foster generosity, prayer, and community. Our annual Giving Tree Program is underway, collecting gift cards to support RefugeeOne, St. Gertrude’s Refugee Ministry, and Centro Romero, which accompanies survivors of domestic violence. Gift cards, especially in $20 increments, allow families the dignity of choosing what they most need during this season of hope and renewal.

To enrich your spiritual journey, the Adult Spirituality and Formation Committee is hosting a special three-part Advent series. Each session offers a different doorway into reflection—through contemplative prayer, art, and thoughtful conversation—guiding participants to slowly and intentionally prepare their hearts for Christ’s coming. All are welcome to attend one or all of the gatherings as we deepen our awareness of God’s presence in this sacred time.

Looking ahead, the Deanery-wide Advent Reconciliation Service will be held on Monday, December 22 at St. Ita’s, offering a communal opportunity for healing and grace. Families are also encouraged to take part in our beloved Christmas Eve pageant, where children help bring the Nativity story to life at the 5:00 pm Family Mass. Sign-ups are now open for children who wish to participate and for adults who can assist—all helping to make our Christmas celebration especially joyful.

Harvest of Hope: Archdiocese-wide Food Drive Begins This Weekend

The Federal SNAP benefits that help 700,000 neighbors across the archdiocese put food on their tables have been drastically reduced.

Please help us ensure food pantries run by local parishes and Catholic Charities are fully stocked as we approach the holiday season.

Between November 29 and December 14, there will be a donation box labeled "Catholic Charities in the vestibule in the back of church. Please consider donating canned chicken, canned soup, canned tuna, and canned beef. 

Giving Tree Program Begins This Weekend

The Giving Tree Program is now underway! 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 by December 28.

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

Order Your Trees, Garland, and Wreaths from St. Gert’s Annual Greenery Sale! 

Online Order and Paper Forms Now Available! In-Person Sales Begin Next Sunday After the 10:30 am Masses

St. Gertrude is once again hosting our annual Christmas greenery sale, with a limited number of balsam pine trees, wreaths, and garland available for purchase. Our Christmas greenery sale is a great opportunity for parishioners to get ready for the holidays while supporting St. Gertrude ministries. 

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. 

In-Person Sales

Greenery will also be sold at the playlot on the west side of the Social Hall, 1401 W. Granville Avenue, on November 30, December 7, December 14, and December 21 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Only cash and checks will be accepted for in-person purchases.

Place an Order Online

Click here to place an order online or scan the QR code. Please note, if you are interested in having your item/items delivered, please add the delivery fee to your order in GiveCentral—it’s a separate charge! 

Order Via a Paper Form

Download a traditional paper form here or pick up an order form in church. Forms and checks or cash can be dropped off at the Rectory office, 1420 W. Granville Ave or placed in the mail slot in the side (west) red door next to the Rectory side yard if the Rectory office is closed.

Checks should be made out to St. Gertrude. Please note "Greenery" in the memo line. 

Deliveries

Deliveries will be offered for a $6 fee. They will take place on Sunday, December 7 and Sunday, December 14 from noon - 4:00 pm. The greenery team will do their best to accommodate your preferred delivery date and will reach out to notify you when to expect your order. 

Please note, the boundaries for deliveries are north to Oakton, south to Irving Park, and east of the North Shore Channel.

Questions? Contact St. Gertrude Business Manager Eduardo Soto at esoto@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.

Tuesday, December 2 is Giving Tuesday

This Tuesday, December 2, is Giving Tuesday, a 

global day of generosity and care. 

St. Gertrude is a parish that is truly dedicated to helping others. Whether it be through caring for our seniors with our Heart to Heart program, collecting food for Care for Real, or committing to sponsoring a refugee family, our 

community of faith shows love to others every single day. 

If you are inspired to take part in this day-long donation campaign, please consider supporting St. Gertrude and making a donation here.

Every donation will make a difference!

Thank you!

An Ignatian Retreat in Daily Life at St. Gertrude

An “Ignatian Retreat in Daily Life” will begin this coming January and end in June. The retreat follows the basic themes of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, but will take

place in the midst of daily life rather than at a retreat center.

Participants commit to praying on themes from Scripture which will be selected for each day of the retreat. Small groups of retreatants will meet once a week to share their prayer experiences and receive guidance on the next week’s themes.

The director of the retreat will be Jim Neafsey, a parishioner at St. Gertrude’s who has

given Ignatian retreats for 50 years.

There will be a basic orientation to the retreat offered in December. Information

sessions will last 45 minutes. Information sessions will take place in the Ministry Center

on the following dates:

• Tuesday, December 2 at 7:00 pm
• Sunday, December 7 at 11:30 am (after Mass) 
• Saturday, December 13 at 9:00 am 

Each session will cover the same content, so you only need to come to one session.

They are intended to help clarify what the retreat entails and whether it fits with your

desires and pattern of life at this time. If you are interested, but cannot make any of

these meetings, please call or text Jim Neafsey at 773.580.5212.



This series is sponsored by the Adult Spirituality and Faith Formation Committee.

Advent at St. Gertrude: A Journey in Hope

“The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before. It is not possible to keep it from coming because it will. That’s just how Advent works. What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you.

So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.”

~ Text © Jan Richardson from Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas. janrichardson.com. (used with permission)

As Jan Richardson reminds us, Advent calls us to slow down—to watch, wait, and open ourselves to the mystery that is already unfolding in our midst. It is a season of quiet anticipation and spiritual renewal, inviting us to notice what is coming to birth within us and within our community.

This Advent, the Adult Spirituality and Formation Committee invites you to join a special three-part series designed to deepen that journey of awareness and hope. Each session offers a unique way to encounter the sacred—through prayer, art, and reflection—as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

All sessions will take place from 7:00–8:30 pm in the Ministry Center Chapel. You are welcome to attend any or all.

Session one is Wednesday, December 3, titled Pondering in Our Hearts: Lectio Divina and the Virtue of Hope with Patricia Sullivan and Karen Spear.



Over the millennia, countless Christians have sought a closer relationship with God through

contemplative reading of Scripture and other sacred texts. Rather than reading for information, pondering the Word of God and words of God involves contemplative openness of mind and heart to what the Scripture or other texts have to reveal to us.

Karen Spear and Pat Sullivan, both experienced practitioners of Lectio Divina, or sacred reading, will introduce the practice, focusing on a meditation from Fr. Richard Rohr on the theological virtue of hope. In this session, we will walk through the four moments of Lectio Divina as we open ourselves to hear the wisdom of Fr. Richard about how we can have hope in a time of turmoil as we enter the Advent season.

Session two is Wednesday, December 10, A Pre-Instagram Birth: The Nativity of Jesus Told Through Art with Fr. Sergio Romo and session three is Wednesday, December 17: Encountering the Mystery of God’s Presence Through Sacred Art with Jim Neafsey.

Please consider being part of this Advent journey. While all are welcome to “drop in,” we ask that you let us know if you plan to attend so we can prepare sufficient seating.

To register, email Mary Ann O’Connor at maryann.oconnor@rcn.com and indicate which session or sessions you will attend.

Come, stay, and wait with us this Advent season. Something beautiful is on the horizon.

Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) Meeting Planned for Saturday, December 6

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, December 6 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! 

Care for Real Collection is December 6-7

Our next Care for Real collection drive is December 6 and 7 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. 

Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Monday, December 8

We will celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, December 8. This is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Mass will be held at 7:30 am. The rectory office will be open.

Book Club is Tuesday, December 9

Join us for a discussion of Skipping Christmas by John Grisham on Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30 pm at the Ministry Center, 6214 W. Glenwood. New participants are always welcome!

For questions, contact Lea Cloninger (773.213.0509) or Sue Benjamin (773.551.8401).

Women's Friendship Club is December 11

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!

Their next gathering is Thursday, December 11. Consider yourself invited!

Youth Group Event is Planned for Saturday, December 13

Attention students in 7th grade and up! Save the date! On December 13, we've planned an afternoon of Christmas card-making and crafts, with cards going to those who are sick and homebound in our parish.

We'll gather in the Ministry Center from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. Snacks will be provided!

Please reach out to Eloy Escamilla at eecamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for more information.

Second Collection for Retirement Fund for Religious is December 13 and 14

The second collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious is taken up each year on the second Sunday of December. 

Across the United States, hundreds of religious communities lack financial resources sufficient to meet the retirement and health-care needs of aging members. Your gift will provide essential care for nearly 31,000 senior sisters, brothers and religious order priests who have dedicated their lives to serving others.

Let us show our gratitude to these selfless individuals by giving generously! 

Parish Photo Directory: Sign Up to Get Your Family Portrait Taken!



It’s time for a new St. Gertrude photo directory!

Photography sessions will take place December 18–20. Every participating household will receive a complimentary 8x10 portrait and a free parish directory.

You’ll be able to view your photos immediately and have the option to purchase additional portraits—perfect for keepsakes or holiday gifts.

Appointments can be made after Mass or online at schedule.ucdir.com (Church code: IL 457, Password: photos).

Questions? Email Jen Reyes at stgertrudeparishcouncil@gmail.com.

Deanery-wide Advent Reconciliation Service Planned for 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 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. 

Sign Up to Be a Part of our Christmas Eve Pageant: Practice Scheduled for 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. Additionally, we are hoping to find a family with an infant or young baby to portray the Holy Family this year.

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

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 

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

Growing in Faith: Preparing for the Lord: Advent Resources

Below are resources for the 2025 Advent Season from the Catholic Climate Covenant!

"Creation Awaits with Eager Expectation" 
For the first time, the Covenant is offering an Advent collection of 26 daily short prayers and reflections based on Romans 8:19 (“For creation awaits with eager expectation for the revelation of the children of God”) written by an incredibly diverse group of U.S. Catholics. 

“No Room at the Inn? Advent, Migration, and Radical Welcome” Sign up for this free resource in English and Spanish.

This Advent, we remember how Mary and Joseph sought shelter, knocking until finally a door opened. Through traditions like Las Posadas and Panunuluyan, communities are reminded to embody radical hospitality, opening space for God’s presence in the stranger, the migrant, and the excluded. 

“Entering the Night of Peace: Advent 2025 Reflection Guide”

Co-written by Cameron Bellm and Flora x. Tang, these poetic and thought-provoking reflections will be a welcome part of your daily prayer life during the Advent season, and can lead to rich and meaningful sharing within your prayer community.

Advent Simplicity Challenge

In a season that can mistakenly be focused on gifts and consumption, explore ways to live simply as we hopefully prepare for the coming of Jesus and the restoration of the earth.

Pray with the CRS Advent Wreath, Catholic Relief Services invites you to visit their Advent page each week of Advent to help prepare your heart for Christmas. As you light the candle of your Advent Wreath, reflect on the many gifts Jesus brings to our lives—including hope, faith, joy and peace—and on our Gospel call to share them with others to build a more just and peaceful world.

Less Hectic, More Holy Advent Workshops for Staying Centered and Sane, The Pastoral Center

Disrupting Darkness: Light, Love, and the Birth of Jesus, A JustFaith Advent Series consists of four 1-hour sessions, an optional half-day retreat, and discussion questions for an optional post-Christmas gathering. JustFaith Ministries provides all the resources and support you need to facilitate this series in your own church or community.

Candle lighting litanies and Starry Nights: An Advent Devotional Full of Light and Wonder are great for personal, family-based, and/or parish use during Advent.

You can find more Advent resources from SALT here.

Advent Conspiracy: Lifting four tents during advent:—Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All—to guide themselves, their families, and congregations through the Christmas season.

Wishing you a Blessing Advent!

~ The Growing in Faith Committee 

Composting Update

We have some beautiful rich compost soil percolating in our compost bin! Thank you for adding your vegetables to our compost to be used in Mary Clair’s vegetable garden in the Spring. If you want to continue adding throughout the fall and even in the winter. Go for it! 

Avoid all inorganic materials such as plastic, metal, and glossy or colored paper, which may contain harmful inks.

If you are adding eggshells which are a good source of calcium, crushing the shells speeds up the breakdown process, and while large pieces will eventually decompose, crushing them makes the calcium available to plants faster. 

Large, hard, vegetable pieces are a great addition, but please cut them in smaller pieces to speed up the time to decompose.

A reminder that the back gate off the alley is locked, you can come through the path between the church and Ministry Center.

Thanks again for your support of composting to help benefit our environment!

~ Guy and Andrea Banicki

Recent Text (and Email) Phishing Scam 

Over the past two weeks, we’ve received numerous calls, emails, and messages from our website from parishioners alerting us that someone is texting and emailing them, impersonating staff, falsely claiming that they in need of monetary assistance.

We are so grateful so many of you let us know what was happening! Please know that we would never send a

general request for help via text or email. Any legitimate request for support would only come through our official parish email (news@stgertrudechicago.org) via the bulletin or an e-blast.

Be sure to double-check the sender's address on any email asking for help. These scams can be very convincing, and we all need to stay vigilant.

Thank you for your awareness and caution!

Thank You for Sharing Your Photos

Thank you to all who shared photos of your loved ones for our Altar of Remembrance throughout the month of November. Your images created a beautiful and prayerful tribute, allowing our community to honor together the lives of those who have gone before us.

We ask that parishioners please pick up their photos from the Altar of Remembrance this weekend. Your participation made this tradition especially meaningful, and we are grateful for the opportunity to remember and pray with you.

Playdates at NCA on Mondays and Fridays

Bring your little ones (ages 0-5) and join us for fun-filled playdate! Held at Northside Catholic Academy, 6216 N. Glenwood, on Monday and Friday mornings from 9:30 - 10:30 am through December 19, the hour is filled with activities for kids, a chance to meet neighborhood families, and learn more about NCA.

Please scan the QR code in the graphic to RSVP!

St. Scholastica Monastery: Three Advent Retreats Offered

Join us for three Advent evening retreats which will offer opportunities for inner reflection and sharing. We will practice lectio divina, visio divina, and walking meditation using chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke.

Each retreat will be in the Oasis Room at St. Scholastica Monastery on the following Tuesdays from 7:00-8:30 pm: December 2, December 9, and December 16.

Please RSVP to Sr. Virginia Jung at vjung@osbchicago.org or 773.764.2413 ext. 262.

Worldwide Candle Lighting for the Loss of a Child - Sunday, December 14

The Elizabeth Ministry of Queen of All Saints parish will host the annual Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting service on Sunday, December 14 at 6:45 pm in the basilica, 6280 N. Sauganash Avenue, Chicago.

The Compassionate Friends is an organization supporting grieving families in all fifty states and across thirty countries. Every second Sunday in December, families and friends around the globe unite in lighting candles to honor the memories of children of any age who have died, at any time, for any reason. Everyone is welcome to participate in this non-denominational service of prayer and music as we remember children who have gone too soon. The service will also be live-streamed on our parish website.

Email elizabethministry.qas@gmail.com with questions, or to request the name of a loved one to be read during the service. Find more information about The Compassionate Friends organization and grief support at compassionatefriends.org.

Find more information about Queen of All Saints at www.qasparish.org.

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, November 29 at 5:00 pm - Millie Slane, Patrick Reardon
• Sunday, November 30 at 8:00 am - Rob Sierzega, Suzanne Teberg
• Sunday, November 30 at 10:30 am - Patrick Robinson, Rose Karasti

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, November 29 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, November 30 at 8:00 am - Kathryn Stimac
• Sunday, November 30 at 10:30 am - Troy McMillan, Michael Kowalsky, Bob Backis

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, December 1: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, December 2: 7:30 am - Carrillo family
• Wednesday, December 3: 7:30 am - Jose Divino Ferreira Souza 
• Thursday, December 4: 7:30 am - Marie Roti+ 
• Friday, December 5: 7:30 am - Robert Mette
• Saturday, December 6: 7:30 am - Mary Ellen Mellon+; 5:00 pm - James McKee+
• Sunday, December 7: 8:00 am - Eugene and Minnie McWright+; 10:30 am - Tim O’Toole+; 10:30 am Gym - Gina Heidkamp-Hajduch+

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.