St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, January 4, 2026

The Epiphany of the Lord

Thank You From St. Gert's Staff

As the Christmas season continues and a new year unfolds, we hope you have found moments of grace, rest, and renewal in the days just passed. May the mystery of the Incarnation—God choosing to dwell among us—continue to shape our lives with compassion, hope, and trust in the days ahead.

This weekend we mark the Feast of the Epiphany, a celebration of Christ made known to the world. In the visit of the Magi, we are reminded that God’s saving love is not limited or exclusive, but offered freely to all. Epiphany calls us to be attentive to those around us who may feel overlooked or disconnected, and to extend an invitation—through a word, a gesture, or a welcome—back into community and relationship.

We are deeply grateful to the many volunteers and ministers whose time, talent, and quiet dedication made Advent and Christmas so prayerful and beautiful. From those who worked on our Advent events and greenery sale, to those who sang in the choir, played instruments, starred in our Christmas Eve Family Mass, and decorated the church, as well as our Eucharistic Ministers, Ministers of the Word, and altar servers who served so faithfully at the liturgy, your generosity made a meaningful difference. Because of you, our parish celebrations were welcoming, reverent, and filled with joy.

As we continue to celebrate Christmas through next Sunday's Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, may we remain attentive to God’s presence among us and committed to living the Gospel in concrete ways. We pray that the year ahead brings growth in faith, generosity of spirit, and a renewed desire to serve others in love.

Care for Real Collection is This Weekend

Our next Care for Real collection drive is January 3-4 before and after masses. 



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.

For our January 24 and 25 collection, 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.  

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, January 8

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.

Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) Meeting Planned for Saturday, January 10

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, January 10, 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! 

Midwest Workers Association Super Bowl Tamale Benefit - Order Tamales Next Weekend!

On Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11, volunteers from the Midwest Workers Association (MWA) will be taking tamale orders after Mass for their annual Super Bowl Tamale Benefit.

Tamales will be delivered on Sunday, February 8, after the 8:00 am and 10:30 am Masses. Those who attend Saturday Mass are asked to come on Sunday to pick up their tamales.

This tamale benefit supports MWA’s Winter Survival Campaign, which provides critical assistance to families during the cold months. The campaign includes door-to-door membership canvassing, utility-bill advocacy to prevent shutoffs and restore service, winter-watch phone calls, warm-clothing distribution, emergency food support so families don’t have to choose between heating and eating, and use of MWA’s office as a warming station throughout the season.

To place an order, visit the MWA table at the main church entrance or call their office at (773) 285-0485. Tamales are available by the half dozen in:

• Chicken in green sauce
• Cheese and jalapeño (vegetarian)
• Black bean and cactus (vegan)

There is a suggested donation of$10 per half dozen or $20 per dozen.

MWA also urgently needs volunteers to help make tamales from February 2–7, as well as to assist with membership canvassing and utility-benefit advocacy. Speak with an MWA volunteer at the above number to learn how you can be part of the Winter Survival Campaign.

OCIA Rite of Welcoming and Acceptance is Sunday, January 11

On Sunday, January 11 at the 10:30 am Mass, our church will celebrate the Rite of Welcoming and Acceptance for OCIA members (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults):

• Antony Moyalan 
• Montserrat Villasenor
• Luis Felipe Adan
• Ashley Faye Minning Kirby
• David Martinez
• Antonio Knudsen
• Santiago Quintana

Through the Rite, the church welcomes those who have been baptized in another faith or baptized Catholic as a child but never catechized in the Catholic faith, into the process of full communion with the Church.

The Rite of Acceptance recognizes the Catechumen's decision to begin the process of becoming a member of the Catholic Church through Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation.

New Parish Photo Directory Date Added: Slots Available on January 14



A brand new parish photo directory date has been added. The remaining available session date is Wednesday, January 14. Photos sessions take place in the Social Hall, located on the lower/basement level of 1401 W. Granville.

Appointments can be made online at schedule.ucdir.com (Church code: IL457, Password: photos).

Parishioners for whom this date is not suitable or having issues booking a session are invited to email Jen Reyes at stgertrudeparishcouncil@gmail.com.  

"Brewed at St. Gertrude" is January 18

Please join us on Sunday, January 18 for another "Brewed at St. Gertrude", our monthly parish hospitality event! 

These gatherings are held following the 10:30 am church and gym masses in the Social Hall and feature pastries, coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.

All are welcome: new and long-time parishioners, families, and visitors! We would love for the entire parish to be there! 

Commonweal Action Healthcare Forum Planned for Sunday, February 1

Healthcare was one of the top concerns expressed by parishioners who responded to the Commonweal Action Survey last spring. In response, Commonweal Action will host a Healthcare Forum at noon on Sunday, February 1, following the 10:30 am Mass. The event will be held in the Social Hall, located on the lower/basement level of 1401 W. Granville.

Speakers will include a representative from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s office and a local medical practitioner. They will discuss recent changes to Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and vaccination policies.

Coffee and snacks will be served in the Social Hall before the forum begins. The program will last approximately one hour and will include time for questions and discussion.

Please feel free to invite friends. All are welcome.

Growing in Faith

Matthew’s account of the three wise men arriving at the stable to worship the baby Jesus is one of the most touching scenes in the Bible and one of the most important. 

That’s because these travelers — these migrants, if you will — are stand-ins for all of us. Jesus was a Jewish boy born of Jewish parents, but he was born for everyone. As Paul notes in his letter to the Ephesians, the Gentiles are “coheirs” in faith of Jesus.

The wise men, also called kings, are searchers, as we are all called to be — searchers for what is right and true and beautiful in life. As James Taylor advises in “Home by Another Way,” his song about the magi, “Keep a weather eye to the chart on high,” a reference to the star the wise men followed, just as we follow the star of Jesus’s own life and teachings. 

The title echoes Matthew: “Then warned in a dream of King Herod's scheme, they went home by another way.” There is a beautiful depiction of this in the Cathedral of Saint Lazare at Autun, France, sculpted by the 12th-century artist Gislebertus.

It shows the three men, each wearing a crown, in bed together under a richly evoked bedspread. An angel has appeared and, reaching out a right index finger, has gently touched the hand of one king, whose eyes are now wide open, alerted to wake the other two. 

Think of this angel as the Holy Spirit who not only warns the magi but also alerts each of us with the gentlest of touches to signal the right road to follow. As Taylor sings: “Maybe me and you can be wise guys too.”

~ Patrick T. Reardon

Thank You for Attending our Advent Faith Sessions!

Thank you to all who participated in our Advent faith formation sessions, and to our facilitators—Karen Spear, Pat Sullivan, Fr. Sergio, and Jim Neafsey—for generously sharing their time and gifts.

We would love to hear your feedback on these sessions. Even if you were unable to attend, we welcome your suggestions for future adult spirituality and formation offerings. Please send your feedback or ideas to Bob Backis at rjbackis@gmail.com.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas season and a joyful New Year!

~ The Adult Spirituality and Formation Committee

Thank You for Supporting our Greenery Sale!

Thanks so much to those parishioners and neighbors that purchased trees, wreaths, and garland this holiday season. All proceeds went to support St. Gertrude's ministries.

Special thanks to Robert Clark and our other amazing volunteers who generously gave of their time. I am so thankful for their hard work!

~ Eduardo Soto, Business Manager

Saturday Morning Mass Schedule Change 



Please note that there are no longer Saturday morning Masses. 



We thank you for your understanding and invite you to join us at our other regularly scheduled Mass times.

Year-End Giving

As you consider your year-end charitable donations, please think about making an additional contribution to St. Gertrude. Your generosity has helped support us during these past trying years. We hope that you will continue to support us now and into the coming year as we carry out our service and our ministries to our parish and our community.

Information about making a donation can be found at https://stgertrudechicago.org/donate.

Thank you so much for all you have done and are doing!

Volunteers Needed to Help with Live-Streaming Sunday Masses

We are looking for assistance with live-streaming our 10:30 am Sunday masses. The process is simple, you do not have to have a technical background, a special camera or phone, just a willingness to help. 

Contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for more information.

Northside Catholic Academy Open House Next Weekend

NCA will host an Open House on Saturday, January 10 from 11:00 am-1:00 pm at 6216 N. Glenwood Avenue. Take a tour of the school, meet parents and students, and learn more about our community!

Register at https://forms.gle/2RwfKx23LzacVoWW6. All are welcome to attend! 

Walk with the Ignatian Spirituality Project - Chicago Winter Walk Planned for February 8

Join the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) at the Chicago Winter Walk on Sunday, February 8 at Humboldt Park at 9:15 am — a citywide event raising awareness and funds to end homelessness.

ISP walks alongside people rebuilding their lives after homelessness and addiction. Through retreats and spiritual companionship, participants encounter God’s love, find supportive community, and discover that their stories are sacred and their lives have purpose.

Together, we help provide the spiritual and relational foundation that makes lasting recovery possible.

Please register for the event at qrco.de/ww26-isp. Once registered, please go to your dashboard and click “Join, Create or Claim a Team,” then choose “Join a team.” Search for “Jesuit Friends and Family” and click “Join.”

Walk with us — in hope, in community, in God’s love.

New Parishioners

• Bonita Driscoll
• The Reppen family
• Lori Sifuentes and family

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, January 3 at 5:00 pm - Joseph McMahon, Christine Lincoln
• Sunday, January 4 at 8:00 am - Jay Cook
• Sunday, January 4 at 10:30 am - Patrick Robinson, Ellen Pierce

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, January 3 at 5:00 pm - Tim Harrington
• Sunday, January 4 at 8:00 am - Hallie Burhoe
• Sunday, January 4 at 10:30 am - Lisa Schneider, Annie Hasselbeck, Stephen Hasselbeck

Altar Servers

• Saturday, January 3 at 5:00 pm - cross bearer: Esteban Campuzano; acolyte: Angel Garcia
• Sunday, January 4 at 10:30 am - cross bearer: Javier ; acolytes: Oscar Lassus, Diarmuid McKeown

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, January 5: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, January 6: 7:30 am - Pete Ballard+
• Wednesday, January 7: 7:30 am - Manuel Cruz+
• Thursday, January 8: 7:30 am - Randy Cruz+
• Friday, January 9: 7:30 am - Sheila McGuire+
• Saturday, January 10: 5:00 pm - Arlene Kaspik+
• Sunday, January 11: 8:00 am - Mary Amelse+; 10:30 am - Pat Veccie+; 10:30 am Gym - Cheryl Stanton+

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.