St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, October 4, 2026

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Next Weekend: Fr. Mike Bradley to Run the 2026 Chicago Marathon for Heart to Heart!

Many thanks for all the words of encouragement and support for my taking part in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 11. I’m also very grateful for all the donations to St. Gertrude’s Heart to Heart Outreach Ministry. The Saint Gert’s Marathon Crew T-shirts have been very popular! Thanks to everyone who purchased a T-shirt and supported Heart to Heart.

There are still a few T-shirts available in large, X-large, XX-large and even XXX-large! Please let me know if you’d like one at mbradley2222@yahoo.com.

Please also send me your prayer requests. I’ll write them down on a piece of cardboard that I’ll wrap around my arm and carry with me during the marathon. I’ll be praying for you, so please pray for me!

I’m grateful to Father Sergio for his wonderful support. Finally, I want to say thanks to all the medical staff who will be stationed along the marathon route. They are heroes!

My prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: O Jesus, I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble and patient. Grant that I may in some small way give You praise. Bless all those who seek Your mercy and love.

Fr. Mike Bradley

Blessing of the Animals Saturday, October 3

Bring your furry, feathered, and four-legged friends to St. Gertrude’s Blessing of the Animals this Saturday, October 3, at 11:00 am on the church steps!

In honor of St. Francis of Assisi, we’ll gather to give thanks for the joy, companionship, and love our pets bring into our lives. ❤️

Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us! You don’t need to be a St. Gertrude parishioner—everyone and every pet is welcome!

🐶🐱🐰🐦 Come celebrate this wonderful tradition with us. We can’t wait to see you and your beloved pets!

Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership: Listening Sessions

St. Gertrude is a member of CSPL, the Chicago-based organization that has led the internationally recognized effort to minister to migrants detained at the Broadview Detention Center. CSPL helps people understand their faith differently and empowers them to act boldly to improve lives and communities.

A small team of St. Gertrude parishioners is conducting 1:1 conversations with others in our church community to learn about the social justice issues they care about. The purpose is to determine which issues we might best respond to as a parish and as part of CSPL. If you would like to participate, please contact Jeanne Rattenbury: jeanne.rattenbury@gmail.com. 

Share What You Can: Care for Real Collection Planned for October 3-4

Our community has an ongoing opportunity to put compassion into action. This weekend, please bring nonperishable food and other essential items to the Care for Real Collection before or after any Mass at St. Gertrude.



Throughout the year, St. Gertrude partners with Care for Real by holding collections on the first and fourth weekends of each month. These regular collections allow us to respond to changing needs in our neighborhood and ensure that families and individuals have access to basic necessities.

Not sure what to bring? For Care for Real’s current wish list and links to its social media pages, visit linktr.ee/cfrchicago.

Thank you for sharing what you can. Every donation, large or small, is a reminder to our neighbors that they are cared for and not alone.

Come to the Gym Mass

Join us Sundays at 10:30 am for our Gym Mass at 1401 W. Granville Ave. Due to the priest shortage, the Gym Mass schedule is planned one week in advance. Please check the e-bulletin for the most current schedule, or contact the parish office at 773-764-3621, Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4:30 pm, or email news@stgertrudechicago.org.

We look forward to gathering with you!

Friendship Club is Thursday, October 8

The St. Gertrude Women's Friendship Club meets on the second Thursday of each month in the Ministry Center, 6214 N. Glenwood Ave. Gatherings begin at 11:30 am, and participants are invited to bring a brown-bag lunch.

Join us for fellowship, conversation, and friendship!

October Book Club

Join the St. Gertrude Book Club on Tuesday, October 13, at 6:30 pm in the Ministry Center, 6214 N. Glenwood Ave., as we discuss Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConagh.

New members are always welcome, and we would love to hear your perspectives! For more information, contact Lea Cloninger at 773.213.0509.

Save the Date: Forum on Magnifica Humanitas

Join Commonweal Action/Commonweal Dialogue on Friday, October 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Social Hall for an evening of timely and thought-provoking discussion on Pope Leo’s recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which explores humanity and artificial intelligence.

Professor Joseph Vukov, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago, will lead the forum and discuss the importance and implications of the encyclical for all of us as we navigate the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence.

You are encouraged to read Magnifica Humanitas before the forum. Read the encyclical on the Vatican website

Be prepared for an enlightening evening with timely and lively discussion. Pizza and wine will be served, and contributions to share are gratefully welcomed.

Growing in Faith

Last weekend's Gospel features two sons, one whose no eventually became yes, the other whose yes always meant no. The story brings to mind my mother’s late cousin, Fr. Ted Schmitt, pastor at St. Monica’s Parish and later St. John the Evangelist in Streamwood. An industrious leader, he turned around shaky schools and breathed new life into both parishes.

You might think he was on board with God’s will for him from the start. But he was a latecomer to priesthood, ordained at the spry young age of 58. Before that, he led a colorful life, holding such varied roles as University of Michigan football scout, sports memorabilia store owner, Hollywood executive, and, my personal favorite, longtime friend of actor Chuck Norris.

One day, during his Hollywood years, he was invited to a Frank Sinatra concert, but only given fifth row seats. “Who do they think they are, putting me here!” he’d thought. And then: “What’s happened to me, that I care about this?” And so began the slow turn toward, in Ted’s words, “paying attention to the whispers” that had long been telling him maybe he was meant for something else.

God works through unexpected people: prostitutes, tax collectors, even Hollywood executives. He whispers in our ear, always offering the chance to be like the first son and change our minds. Will it be enough? Was it enough for Ted Schmitt? I like to think so. As today’s psalm says: “The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me…O Lord.”

Mary Kate Cahill

Upcoming Changes to Our Parish Bulletin

We are excited to announce some upcoming changes to the St. Gertrude parish bulletin. In the coming weeks, we will be transitioning to a new printing company, LPI.

As part of this transition, the back page of our bulletin will feature advertisements from local businesses. This will help offset the cost of printing and allow us to continue providing a quality weekly bulletin to our parish community.

If you own or operate a local business, we invite you to consider advertising in our bulletin. It’s a wonderful way to support St. Gertrude while connecting your business with members of our parish community.

Interested in learning more? Please email news@stgertrudechicago.org, and we will put you in contact with LPI for additional information.

We are grateful to our parishioners and local businesses for supporting St. Gertrude and helping make our bulletin possible each week.

Thank You, Gardening Team!

These are the final photos from our last harvest, and what a wonderful gardening season it has been! A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who worked so hard throughout the season to plant, tend, harvest, and share the fruits of your labor.

Care for Real has thanked us many times for the generous donations, and they are SO appreciative of everything our gardening team has provided. Your hard work has made a real difference in the lives of our neighbors. Thank you for a great season!

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, October 3 at 5:00 pm - Christine Lincoln, Millie Slane
• Sunday, October 4 at 8:00 am - Hallie Burhoe, Carol Ann Munro
• Sunday, October 4 at 10:30 am - Anthony Myers, Rose Karasti 

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, October 3 at 5:00 pm - Steven Monti
• Sunday, October 4 at 8:00 am - Peter Morin
• Sunday, October 4 at 10:30 am - Michael Kowalsky, Michelle Kuehlhorn, Patrick Robinson

Altar Servers

• Saturday, October 3 at 5:00 pm - cross bearer: Raiden Cruz
• Sunday, October 4 at 8:00 am - Bradley Phelps
• Sunday, October 4 at 10:30 am - cross bearer: Adaobi Okoli; acolytes: Daniel Cunningham, Kora Cunningham

Upcoming Mass Intentions


• Monday, October 5: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, October 6: 7:30 am
• Wednesday, October 7: 7:30 am - Sergio Romo Sr.+
• Thursday, October 8: 7:30 am - Florence & Marie Sebia+
• Friday, October 9: 7:30 am
• Saturday, October 10: 5:00 pm - Theresa Cenar+
• Sunday, October 11: 8:00 am; 10:30 am - Joseph & Michael Laczkowski+; Gym Mass

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.