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 31, 2026

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

The Mystery and Love of the Holy Trinity

This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, inviting us to reflect on one of the deepest mysteries of our faith: that God is one God in three divine Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Trinity is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be loved and contemplated. Even the greatest saints and theologians could never fully understand the inner life of God. Yet, God continually invites us to draw closer, to seek, to pray, and to grow in relationship with the One who created us.

At the heart of the Trinity is love. Sacred Scripture tells us simply and beautifully: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The Father eternally loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the perfect love shared between them. God’s very nature is an eternal communion of self-giving love.

Though we cannot fully comprehend the Trinity, we experience God’s presence every day. We are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We begin and end our prayers with the Sign of the Cross. At every Mass, we profess our faith in the Trinity through the Creed. The Trinity is not distant from us—it is the center of our Christian life.



The saints remind us that the path to understanding God is not only through study, but through prayer. As we deepen our relationship with God through prayer, worship, and love of neighbor, we slowly open our hearts to the mystery of God’s life within us.

This week, take a moment to pause and reflect on the incredible gift of our faith: that the God who is beyond all understanding also desires a personal relationship with each one of us. May we grow ever closer to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, and allow God’s perfect love to shape our lives each day.

Adapted from https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/first-sunday-after-pentecost-holy-trinity-solemnity/

Lending Closet Temporarily Closed

The Heart to Heart Lending Closet is temporarily closed and will reopen on Tuesday, June 2.

During this time, donations and equipment requests will be paused as volunteers complete organization, inventory, and maintenance of the ministry’s supplies.

We are grateful for the continued generosity and support of our parish and community, which help make this ministry possible for individuals and families in need throughout Chicagoland.

Upcoming Youth Group Activities: Car Wash This Saturday, May 30; Hot Dog Sale During the Edgewater Yard & Garden Sale Next Saturday, June 6

The parish youth group has two upcoming events: a car wash and a hot dog sale. All proceeds will go towards youth group activities.

The car wash is planned for Saturday, May 30. Teens will be available to wash cars from 10:00 am-1:00 pm in the parish parking lot at the northwest corner of Thome and Glenwood. The cost is $15 per vehicle.

The Edgewater Yard and Sidewalk Sale is Saturday, June 6 from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Our parish youth group will sell pop and hot dogs to attendees in the parish parking lot from 11:00 am-2:00 pm.

If your teen in grades six and up is interested in joining our youth group, please contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.

Brewed at St. Gertrude Planned for This Sunday, May 31 

Make plans to stay after the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday, May 31 for “Brewed at St. Gertrude,” our monthly gathering for coffee and community in the Social Hall. It’s a wonderful chance to slow down, connect, and enjoy some time together.

We’ll have a selection of pastries along with coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Everyone is welcome—whether you’ve been part of the parish for years or are just getting to know the community, we’d love to have you join us!

Contemplative Prayer Group Begins This Wednesday, June 3

Would you like to deepen your prayer life? Do you already have a regular prayer practice but would like to pray and reflect on spiritual readings and scripture in a group? A new contemplative prayer group at St. Gertrude will be forming soon.

Contemplative prayer is silent prayer that opens up us up to awareness of God’s presence by stilling our bodies and our minds. If you haven’t prayed contemplatively before (Centering Prayer, Christian meditation, etc.), we will offer guidance.

Starting Wednesday, June 3 at 9:00 am, we’ll meet weekly in the chapel of the Ministry Center. Come as you are and as you are able.

For more information, contact Karen Spear at kspear@marian.edu.

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) Annual Congress Planned for Saturday, June 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.

On Saturday, June 6, CSPL will host their Annual Congress. This day-long conference/retreat at Loyola University brings together people from across Chicagoland and the Midwest for theological formation, organizing workshops, leadership trainings, collective discernment, relationship building, strategic planning and collaboration in a direct action.

Please keep attendees, including the many St. Gertrude parishioners, in your prayers as they work together to plan for a better future.

Care for Real Collection is Next Weekend

St. Gertrude will host a collection drive for Care for Real on June 6-7. 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.

Gym Mass Update: No Gym Mass Next Sunday, June 7

Next weekend, there will be no Gym mass. All are invited to attend the 10:30 am mass in church.

Please note, the final Gym Mass of the school year will be held on Father's Day, Sunday, June 21.

Book Club is Tuesday, June 9

Join us for a discussion of The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida 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, June 11

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.

Second Collection on June 13-14 for Priests’ Health and Retirement

Priests have dedicated their lives to ministry, serving our needs as Catholics from the moment we are baptized until we receive last rites before entering eternal life. A second collection on June 13-14 will provide for the health and well-being of 365 active and 251 retired archdiocesan priests.

Your generosity to this special collection directly impacts both the many active and retired archdiocesan priests who we have come to rely on throughout our lives.

As we’re all aware, healthcare and retirement costs continue to rise, so there is an urgent need for your gifts to this fund. Your generosity will not only ensure the health and well-being of our priests, but also support their ability to continue meaningful work in our parishes and communities.

Save the Date! An Afternoon of Music featuring Piano and Saxophone Planned for June 14

Mark your calendars! On June 14 at 1:00 pm, shortly after the 10:30 am Mass, our Music Director, Jonathan Hannau, will present a concert of music for piano and saxophone alongside his longtime collaborator and friend, Richard Brasseale.

The program will feature original compositions by both Jonathan and Richard, a piece by legendary Chicago-based composer George Flynn, and a dazzling, virtuosic sonata by Japanese composer Takashi Yoshimatsu.

The concert is free, though donations to the artists are welcome! 

The Office is Closed on Friday, June 19 in Honor of Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans and is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865. The rectory office will be closed.

Mass will be held at 7:30 am.

News from our Composting Team

Thank you all for your contributions to the compost bin throughout the winter and for taking time to give it a few turns. We have been so pleased with the amount of soil that has been produced. The compost looks great and is currently pretty wet, so we would appreciate it if everyone would take a break from adding to the bin for a couple of weeks so we can get everything broken down and turned into rich soil to be used for the parish vegetable garden.

We appreciate your commitment to composting, which plays a crucial role in reducing our carbon footprint and promoting a more sustainable future.

We appreciate your participation in composting. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Thank you,

Guy and Andrea Banicki (gbanick@ilstu.edu) (anbanicki@gmail.com)

Growing in Faith

Today's Gospel reading is a doozie: John 3:16. It's so popular that it's been put on T-shirts, printed on signs at sporting events, and plastered on billboards. The problem, though, is that when the profound becomes routinized, it loses something. When the transcendent devolves into popular culture, it's stripped of its wonder and clothed in cliché. Sometimes I end up forgetting that wonder and think of the verse just as "John 3:16" rather than what it is: a proclamation of the Good News. The best news.

God so loved the world that he gave his only son. Imagine that. I surely can't fathom giving one of my children over for anything. Yet God did, and not because God cared for some elect group of the righteous. No, God did it for the world, for this messy welter we find ourselves in every day. For you and for me.

God knew the transcendent always finds a way to burst through the mundane. God's most magnanimous gift was given to us so we could find it anew this Sunday, where we can be reminded not of billboards and T-shirts, but of its wondrous, unfathomable beauty.

~ Ben Kesling

Parish Directory Update & Orders — Available Until This Sunday, 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!

Rest in Peace

• Aida Calvopina

New Parishioner

• Carl Rice

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, May 30 at 8:00 pm - Joe Tomasello, Patrick Reardon
• Sunday, May 31 at 8:00 am - Jennifer Kiedaisch, Kathryn Stimac
• Sunday, May 31 at 10:30 am - Sarah Millar, Edie Sheridan

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, May 30 at 8:00 pm - Roman Reyes
• Sunday, May 31 at 8:00 am - Hallie Burhoe
• Sunday, May 31 at 10:30 am - Maria Ugarte, Michael Kowalsky, Patrick Robinson

Altar Servers

• Saturday, May 30 at 8:00 pm - cross bearer: Wyatt Dant; acolyte: Carter Dant
• Sunday, May 31 at 10:30 am - cross bearer: Daniel Cunningham; acolytes: Kora Cunningham, Mathios Paulos

Upcoming Mass Intentions


• Monday, June 1: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Tuesday, June 2: 7:30 am - Woldeyesus Nor+
• Wednesday, June 3: 7:30 am - Bradley Andreas+
• Thursday, June 4: 7:30 am - Mary Jo Martin+
• Friday, June 5: 7:30 am - Dick, Eileen, and Rich Plotner+
• Saturday, June 6: 5:00 pm - Richard Kunkel+ and Joan Harrington+
• Sunday, June 7: 8:00 am - Birthday Blessings for Maria Concepcion Romero; 10:30 am - Paul Messbarger+

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.