St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, September 8, 2024

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

This is the time of the year for new beginnings! Northside Catholic Academy and Chicago Public schools began last week and the parish's Religious Ed classes resume this weekend. St. Gert's youth group is planning new activities, our RCIA classes are starting up, and the Gym Mass is returning.

Additionally, we have several other special events in September, with more details about each event available further down in the bulletin!

• On Thursday, September 12 at 6:30 pm, all are invited to meet our new music director, Scott Williams!
• Sr. Wendy Cotter, a tenured Professor of Scripture in the Theology Department of Loyola, is hosting a night of reflection on Jesus and women in the gospels on Thursday, September 19 at 7:00 pm.
• Author and parishioner Michelle Nickerson will discuss her new book on Wednesday, September 25 at 7:00 pm, which outlines the true story of Catholics who burglarized draft boards to oppose the Vietnam War.

Thank you to all our leaders, catechists, and all those who cooperate and collaborate to enable all of our parishioners to grow in “wisdom, knowledge, and grace.”

We are so blessed, and our greatest blessing is good people like you who strive to give their best, especially for the good of others.

September is such a beautiful month. Autumn is in the air. The days are getting shorter and soon the leaves will be changing colors and falling to the earth. In a sense, the earth is dying to itself so that it can be born again with new life in the Spring. Isn’t it beautiful how the changing seasons speak to us of the pattern of life we are called to live as followers of Jesus?

Take an honest look at your life and ask yourself how you are denying yourself and how God is calling you to take up your cross and follow in the Lord’s footsteps. At times, the life that we are called to is often difficult and not always popular. However, Spring will come in many ways, and it is important that we never lose sight of that great hope. When we give of ourselves in any way, God will surely fill us with His abundant life and many blessings.

Thank you again for being such generous givers. Whether it be your time, your talent, or your treasure, every act of giving bears great fruit in the Kingdom of God.

May God bless all our labors and may God bless you and continue to build His Kingdom through our united and continuous efforts. Peace be with you.

In God’s love,

~ Fr. Mike

Beacons of Hope: The pope has declared this a Holy Year. I am asking the staff, Parish Council, and ministry leaders to keep the theme, Beacons of Hope, in mind as they plan their year out.

One of the traditional ways of celebrating the Holy Year is by taking a pilgrimage, a journey to a Holy Place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.

If anyone in the parish is interested in making a pilgrimage to Rome, there is an information meeting on Monday, September 16 at 7:00 pm in the rectory front room, located at 1420 W. Granville Ave. This 100 kilometer walking pilgrimage would start in Viterbo, Italy and end in the city of Rome and be done during the month of March.

Wildcat Street Fest is This Saturday, September 7

Join us for a day filled with fun activities for delicious food, exciting games, and music. This family-friendly event welcomes all neighbors, alumnus, friends, NCA students and families to spent an afternoon celebrating Northside Catholic Academy and our community.

The festival entrance is at Thome and Glenwood Avenues and will be held from 11:00 am-3:00 pm.

Tickets for adults, children, the whole family or event t-shirts can be purchased online using the QR code in the image or at https://bit.ly/wildcatstreetfest2024.

A ticket includes a hotdog, chips, watermelon, and a non-alcoholic beverage. Alcohol tickets will be sold on site.

We can't wait to see you there!

Monthly Collection for Asylum Seekers is This Weekend

Our monthly collection for asylum seekers is September 7 & September 8 before and after masses. 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 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. 

Religious Ed Begins This Sunday, September 8

Our 2024-2025 Religious Education classes begin on Sunday, September 8! In-person instruction is held from 9:15-10:15 am.  

Registration forms, the Religious Ed handbook, and service options for students preparing for confirmation, can be found at stgertrudechicago.org/religious-education-forms. Forms in Spanish are also available on our website. Please note that students must receive two years of preparation in order to make these sacraments. 

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 are accepted here.

An additional sacramental fee of $65 is required for children making their First Communion and First Reconciliation, or their Confirmation. That fee can be paid here.

Completed forms and any questions about the program should be emailed to Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org. Please register before the start date.

Interested in becoming a substitute catechist teacher? Contact Eloy Escamilla at the above email address.

Kids Word Returns at 10:30 am Masses Beginning THIS Sunday, September 8

On Sundays during the 10:30 am Mass in church, children aged 4-7 years-old are invited to attend Kids Word to hear an age-appropriate Gospel message and do fun, scripture-based activities such as coloring or crafts in the Rectory.

Children will be invited by the celebrant to come to the altar before the readings and will return to church before the petitions.

Email eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for details.

Misericordia Family Fest—Sunday, September 8

Family Fest, Misericordia’s largest fundraising event of the year brings our families, friends and neighbors together for a day of celebration. The festivities include food and drink, live entertainment, a cash raffle, children's games, games of chance, in-crowd entertainers, a car raffle, Misericordia art, a live & silent auction, bingo, a quilt raffle, and more.

The annual Family Fest will take place from 11:00 am-6:00 pm at 6300 N. Ridge Blvd. Proceeds support Misericordia’s programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities. 

Tickets are available online at https://www.misericordia.com/store/fest-tickets/ and at the door.

Misericordia is looking for volunteers at the event as well as in the days leading up to the Fest. This one-day event takes approximately 2,000 volunteers to pull it off and your help would be greatly appreciated. Shifts are generally broken down into 2 ½ -3 hours. Sign up online at https://www.misericordia.com/events/family-fest-2024/.

Next Book Club Gathering is Monday, September 9

Next Monday, September 9, the book club will discuss Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead: A Novel by Olga Tokarczuk. 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.

Women's Friendship Club Gathering is September 12

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!

Free Bibles and Religious Books Giveaways on September 14 & September 15

There will be a table with free Bible and other religious books at the back of church after the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, September 14 and after the 8:00 am and 10:30 am Masses on Sunday, September 15.  

A few parishioners have identified that they have more reading resources than they can use. It is a delight to share this inspirational writing with those who may be looking for options on ways to help nurture their spiritual growth. Books will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis.  

For questions or additional information, please contact Allen Stryczek at astryczek@sbcglobal.net.

The Gym Mass Returns on Sunday, September 15

On Sunday, September 15, the Gym Mass will return at its regular 10:30 am time! This more casual Mass is held at 1401 West Granville Avenue. 

The 2024 Gym Mass schedule will be posted on our parish website in the near future at https://stgertrudechicago.org.

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. 

"Jesus and the Women of the Gospels" Discussion on Thursday, September 19

The gospel stories and parables offer us details of Jesus’ encounters with women, sometimes as petitioners, but also as friends and disciples.

In each of these, something of the soul of Jesus is revealed to us, his disciples, today.

Please join me on Thursday, September 19 in the Social Hall, 1401 W. Granville, from 7:00-9:00 pm.

~ Sister Wendy Cotter CSJ, Ph.D

Youth Group Architectural Boat Cruise Outing on Saturday, September 21

Students in grades 7 and up are welcome to attend an architecture cruise on September 21 to hear about the history and architectural heritage of Chicago on this tour, which highlights landmarks such as the Chicago Riverwalk, Michigan Avenue Bridge, Wrigley Building, and Willis Tower. 

The group will meet at St. Gertrude at 10:00 am and then take the train downtown. Please RSVP by September 14th.

Reach out to Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for additional information and to RSVP.

Commonweal Dialogue to Host Book Discussion with Author and Parishioner Michelle Nickerson on Wednesday, September 25  

Recently, longtime parishioner, co-chair of the parish council, Loyola professor, Fulbright Scholar, and historian Michelle Nickerson released a book titled, Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial, published by the University of Chicago.

The book relates the harrowing real-life story of Catholics who burglarized draft boards to oppose the Vietnam War. Guided by the church’s social teachings, they broke the law to revive non-violence as an activist strategy for advancing peace at the end of the 1960s. In the process, these activists exposed illegal activity by the FBI, forcing a new era of Congressional and judicial oversight of government surveillance in the United States.

On September 25, the parish group, Commonweal Dialogue will host a discussion with Michelle from 7:00-9:00 pm. We hope to have books on sale in the back of the church in the near future. 

Celebrating 50 Years of St. Francis House

Since 1974, St. Francis House, located in the Uptown neighborhood at 4652 N Kenmore Ave., has been a home of hospitality in the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement.

To mark their 50th anniversary, they are hosting a Catholic Worker National Gathering and Celebration at St. Gertrude parish from October 4-6, 2024!

For more information, please visit francishousechicago.org or email sfh.chicagocw@gmail.com, or just come by for dinner any Monday at 6:00 pm.

Heart to Heart Volunteer Spotlight: Michael Kowalsky

The Heart to Heart Lending Closet provides durable medical equipment to people throughout Chicagoland. Items donated to us for distribution are gently used and in good condition. But when we get a perfectly sturdy wheelchair, transport chair, or rollator with a flat tire or loose supports -- Michael Kowalsky comes to the rescue!

Michael is a Heart to Heart volunteer with a knack for diagnosing the most perplexing equipment issues. Thanks to Michael, along with the folks who donate to us, we're able to keep our mobility room well-stocked! 

Growing in Faith: "Show No Partiality" James 2:1

One of the most important themes we have heard in speeches as our nation prepares for the November election is, “Show no partiality.” 

In Jesus’ day, if someone was prominent in the city, for example, built the city stadium, his son would be treated with special privileges by the court, in contrast to a poor man’s son. “Show no partiality!” This is where Christian teachings, the teachings of Jesus, were shocking, and even for the first new converts, as we can see from James’ very clear example! Every person was to be considered equal in dignity, for everyone is a child of God, our Father, and we are God’s family. 

Our country also holds this dear, “One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Yet isn’t it true that we can be influenced by persons of wealth, fame, and/or social prominence in the media, so that they have the voice, and we listen, over those who may be far more wise, but are humble and largely unknown before the world? James’ counsel comes at a good time for us, doesn’t it?

Lord, we reject partiality on any basis, and promise you a heart vigilant to try to treat all with fairness and your love.

~ Sister Wendy Cotter CSJ, Ph.D

Two Marriage Programs Available

Retrouvaille

If your marriage has become troubled or stressed, unloving or uncaring, or if your relationship has grown cold or distant, if you are thinking of separation or divorce, or if you are already separated or divorced, but you want to try again, then the Retrouvaille program can help you.

For more upcoming dates, information, or to

register, call 1.800.470.2230, 224-534-9235 or go to helpourmarriage.org. 

Marriage Encounter

As Pope Francis states, living together is an art and can be a beautiful journey. Marriage can be challenging with family, work, finances, kids, busy schedules and al that life offers. Losing focus on what is important in life is easy.

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend experience focuses on what's important in your marriage and provides the tools to live a beautiful journey together. It's for any married couple that desires a richer, fuller life together.

For more info, visit www.wwme.org.

Rest in Peace

• Ben Keefe

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, September 7 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, September 8 at 8:00 am - Barb Daly
• Sunday, September 8 at 10:30 am - Steven Monti, Annie Hasselbeck, Stephen Hasselbeck

Upcoming Mass Intentions



• Monday, September 9: 7:30 am - Judith Patterson+
• Tuesday, September 10: 7:30 am - Nancy Kelly Kohl+
• Wednesday, September 11: 7:30 am - Ben Keefe+
• Thursday, September 12: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, September 13: 7:30 am - Victor Reyes+
• Saturday, September 14: 7:30 am - Sheila McGuire+; 5:00 pm - Hal Mann+
• Sunday, September 15: 8:00 am - Billy Tobin+; 10:30 am - Betty Taylor+ Jack Taylor+; 10:30 am Gym Mass - 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.