St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, May 3, 2026

Fifth Sunday of Easter

News from St. Gertrude

In this Fifth Week of Easter, the words of Gospel of John (John 14:1–12) meet us in a moment of uncertainty. Jesus speaks to the disciples as their hearts are troubled, sensing that change and loss are near. Into that anxiety comes a gentle but firm invitation: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith.” These are not empty words meant to dismiss fear, but a call to trust that even in times of confusion, God is still at work, preparing a way forward that we may not yet see.

Jesus reveals a profound truth about relationship—“I am the way and the truth and the life.” Faith is not simply about knowing doctrines or following rules; it is about knowing a person and trusting in that relationship. To see Jesus is to see the Father, and to walk with Jesus is to be led into deeper communion with God. This reminds us that we do not navigate life alone. Even when the path feels unclear, we are accompanied, guided, and held in a love that does not abandon us.

Finally, Jesus offers a surprising promise: that those who believe will continue his work, and even do greater things. This is both a comfort and a challenge. The mission of love, healing, and service did not end with Jesus’ earthly life—it continues through each of us. In our daily lives, through small acts of kindness, moments of patience, and quiet faithfulness, we become signs of God’s presence in the world. As we move through this Easter season, we are invited not only to trust in Christ, but to live in such a way that others may come to know that same hope and peace.

Care for Real Collection is This Weekend

St. Gertrude will host a collection drive for Care for Real on May 2-3. Our Care for Real collections takes place on the first and fourth weekend of each month.

SNAP is one of the most effective ways to address food insecurity in the United States. However, as eligibility requirements change, many of our neighbors—especially seniors and others without exemptions—are at risk of losing their benefits. New requirements to work or volunteer 80 hours per month and report this to the state can be difficult to meet, increasing the risk of food insecurity.

As a result, Care for Real anticipates a growing need for their services. For more information, including current needs and ways to give, please visit https://linktr.ee/cfrchicago or follow their Facebook and Instagram pages.

We are grateful for your continued generosity in supporting Care for Real as they provide food and essential supplies to neighbors in need.

Join Us for the Rosary at St. Gerts 

Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) on Friday Evenings 

All are welcome to attend the bilingual weekly Rosary group held on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm in the dining room of the Ministry Center, located at 6214 North Glenwood Avenue.

Recitation of the Holy Rosary after 7:30 am Mass

Additionally, the Rosary is said every Monday through Friday in the church right after the 7:30 am mass. Please consider joining us in church—we would love to have you!

Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) Meeting Planned for Saturday, May 2; Northside Catholic Community Protection Training Postponed

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, May 2 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! 

Northside Catholic Community Protection Training Postponed

The Northside Catholic Community Protection Training, previously announced in last weekend’s bulletin and scheduled for May 16 to help community members better support immigrant neighbors, has been postponed. 

Parent Info: First Communion Is Saturday, May 9—Here's What You Need to Know

First Communion is approaching, and families with students celebrating this sacrament need to know/do several things before this important event takes place.

• Some parents have not sent in their child's Sacramental Request Form. Please fill it out and send it to me at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.
• If you have not paid the registration fee for the 2025-2026 catechetical year, this is the time to do it. Please note that there is a sacramental fee as well. All payments can be done by check or online. These forms and links can also be found on our website at stgertrudechicago.org/religious-education.
• On Friday, May 8, there will be a First Communion practice in church at 6:30 pm. Please be on time.
• Our parish's First Communion Mass is Saturday, May 9 at 10:00 am. No photos are allowed before and/or during mass, but rather after the service.

First Communion Attire

The attire for First Communion is simple, age-appropriate, and should not distract from the focus of receiving the Sacrament.

• Boys typically wear a suit of any color, or slacks and dress shirt.
• Girls usually wear white dresses, but any color can be worn. Veils are optional, but should not block the child's face. Gloves can be worn, but not while receiving Holy Communion.
• While sitting in the pew (and especially when going up for Communion) children should not hold bibles, rosaries, flowers, etc.

~ Eloy Escamilla

Catholic Charities Mother’s Day Appeal and Second Collection is Next Weekend, May 9-10

Over 60,000 moms in need come to us each year. At Catholic Charities we provide vital services like food, housing, and diapers for families throughout Cook and Lake counties. Offering support at a critical moment often changes the course of a mom’s life. Your gift this Mother’s Day gives hope to moms who need it most.

Read about Brianna,* a mother who found support through Catholic Charities- Brianna, a single mom, spent the first two years of her daughter’s life staying with friends, worrying every day they would be put out on the streets. Her two jobs could not cover all their expenses.

Within a month of connecting with Catholic Charities, Brianna and her daughter had an apartment of their own, with the program paying a portion of her rent so she could start saving money, earn her GED, and get a better-paying job. 



“It takes a strong individual to get through that. But I always had faith.”

Please support the Second Collection on Mother’s Day, May 10 or anytime by scanning the QR code or by donating at catholiccharities.net/mothers.

*Name changed to protect privacy

Book Club is Tuesday, May 12

Join us for a discussion of The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus 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).

Friendship Club is Thursday, Mary 14

The St. Gertrude Women's Friendship Club meets monthly on the second Thursday of every month in the Ministry Center, 6216 North Glenwood Avenue.

The gathering begins at 11:30 am, and attendees should bring their own (brown bag) lunch.

Parish Directory Update & Orders — Available Until May 31

We are finalizing our parish directory! If you did not have your photo taken, we invite you to update your household information to ensure your details are included.

Forms are available at the back of the church, or you may submit your information using the QR code or at https://bit.ly/StGertsDirectoryUpdateForm.

If you had your photo taken, a complimentary directory will be provided. For those who did not have a photo taken, you may still purchase a copy of the directory using the same form or online options.



Thank you for helping us create an accurate and complete parish directory!

Growing in Faith

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to his disciples:

“You know the way that leads to where I go.”

“Lord,” replies Thomas, “we do not know where

you are going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus responds: “I am the way, the truth, the life.”

The answer Jesus gives to Thomas seems more like an invitation to explore rather than a clear answer to his question. So let’s begin by asking ourselves:

• What does the “Way” of Jesus mean to me?
• What “Truth” does it reveal?
• Does it really give me “Life?”
• If we sit with these three words what meanings are revealed?

Perhaps watching what Jesus does can also help us find the Way. He gives sight to the blind, feeds the hungry, heals the sick, forgives sinners. All these actions and many more shed light upon his Way. What can I learn from watching Jesus in action?

Jesus acts and speaks his words and awaits our response. What do I really want from him? Can I be real and vulnerable with Jesus, trusting him to show me his Way, teach me his truth, give me his life? Do I trust that he will give me what I need?

We can also learn his Way by caring for those we meet in daily life—our neighbors, our children, the elderly, and the lonely. Could they be a “Way” to meet Jesus in all his beautiful and distressing disguises?

-- Jim Neafsey

Lending Closet Information: Please Make an Appointment!

St. Gertrude Parish’s Heart to Heart program 

continues to offer compassionate support through its Medical Lending Closet, available by 

appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This approach allows the team to provide thoughtful, individualized 

assistance to each person seeking or donating equipment.

Items available through the Lending Closet include standard walkers, rollators, crutches, wheelchairs, portable commodes, toilet safety rails, bed rails, shower seats, and a selection of medical supplies. These resources are offered to help ease the burden of obtaining necessary equipment and to ensure that members of our community have what they need to maintain comfort, safety, and dignity. 

To schedule an appointment or to learn more about available items or donations, please call 773.973.5464. If you or someone you know could benefit from this ministry—or if you have equipment to share—please consider reaching out.

In Need of Communion? Our Ministers of Care Can Help



For those who are unable to attend Mass regularly, our Ministers of Care offer a meaningful connection to parish life. These specially trained parishioners bring Holy Communion along with the prayers and presence of our community to those who are homebound or ill.

Through their visits, they share not only the Eucharist but also companionship and spiritual support, reminding each person that they remain a valued and connected member of our parish family.

If you or someone you know would like to receive Communion at home, please contact Sr. Susan at squaintance@stgertrudechicago.org.

Easter Flower Offering Envelopes

In Memory of The Strubbe & Galoney Families from Marie Galoney

In Honor and Memory of Sr. Maggie McGinn B.V.M. from Marilyn Klein

In Memory of Lilder and Albert Sherrod from Pamela Sherrod Anderson

In Memory of Jon Anderson from Pamela Sherrod Anderson

In Memory of Billy Tobin from Dorothea and Mike Tobin

In Memory of Ricardo Binalber

In Memory of Maria José Fereira de Souza from Ana Ward

In Memory of Mr. and Mrs. A. Escara

In Memory of Warren Meintz from Jacalyn Meier

In Memory of Jeanette Cordero from Cristina Cordero

We are offering an opportunity to celebrate someone in your life, living or deceased, during the Easter season. Please consider making an Easter Flower offering in their name.

Envelopes are available in the back of the Church and may be placed in the collection basket or sent to Rectory. The names of those honored will be published in the bulletin during the Easter season.

Come to NCA's Open House on Saturday, May 16



Discover Northside Catholic Academy at our upcoming Open House on Saturday, May 16 from 1:00–3:00 pm.

Families with children enrolling in PreK–8th grade for the 2026-27 school year are invited to tour our campus, meet teachers and current families, and see how NCA forms minds that think, hearts that love, and hands that serve. Children are welcome! Come see what makes our school community so special.

Register on our website: https://www.northsidecatholic.org/admissions/open-houses-play-dates.cfm

Summer Camp at NCA



Looking for an affordable, fun, and enriching summer for your child? Northside Catholic Academy’s Summer Camp offers engaging weekly themes, outdoor play, creative activities, and time with friends.

Open to children ages 3+, our camp is led by caring staff who help each child grow, explore, and have fun. You do not have to be an NCA student to attend! Flexible scheduling and sibling discounts are available.

Learn more and register at https://www.northsidecatholic.org/student-life/summer-camp.cfm.

Baptism

• Duke Norman Fenton, son of Nicholas and Jessica Fenton

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, May 2 at 8:00 pm - Joseph McMahon, Roman Reyes
• Sunday, May 3 at 8:00 am - Carol Ann Munro, Jennifer Kiedaisch
• Sunday, May 3 at 10:30 am - Troy McMillan, Patrick Robinson

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, May 2 at 8:00 pm - Tim Harrington
• Sunday, May 3 at 8:00 am - Anthony Myers
• Sunday, May 3 at 10:30 am - Ellen Pierce, Annie Hasselbeck, Stephen Hasselbeck

Altar Servers

• Saturday, May 2 at 8:00 pm - cross bearer: Angel Garcia; acolyte: Esteban Campuzano
• Sunday, May 3 at 10:30 am - cross bearer: Diarmuid McKeown; acolytes: Ethan Craft, Owen Craft 

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, May 4: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, May 5: 7:30 am - Deceased parents of St. Gertrude parishioners
• Wednesday, May 6: 7:30 am - For the sick, dying, suffering, poor, and those who care for them
• Thursday, May 7: 7:30 am - That everyone might have food
• Friday, May 8: 7:30 am - For injured CPD Officers
• Saturday, May 9: 5:00 pm - Virginia Regan+, James Regan+
• Sunday, May 10: 8:00 am - John Bartholemew, CPD+; 10:30 am - Laura Linke+; 10:30 am Gym Mass - People of St. Gertrude

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.