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 19, 2024

Pentecost Sunday

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

The first and second readings and the Gospel on this great Feast of Pentecost speak of the Spirit as a gift. Jesus tells his disciples, “Receive the Spirit.” Like God’s love, the Holy Spirit is offered to us freely; we do not have to deserve it or even ask for it. We need only receive it into our hearts.

Of course, we believe that at Baptism, the Holy Spirit is planted in us and that at our Confirmation these gifts are set alight in us; but like all gifts, we must first accept what we have been given and then we need to unwrap it

to discover what it holds for us.

On this wonderful feast of Pentecost, pray to the Holy Spirit; ask with a heart which is not fearful or reserved, but with a heart open and ready to receive these gifts. Each of us has our own special gifts with which our loving Father has blessed us. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to use us in the best possible way to help make our homes and our parish a place where people can truly experience the living Jesus and who can then, with hearts full of joy, share that experience with everyone around them.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and kindle in them the fire of your love.

With a Grateful Heart

This Sunday is Fr. Jim Flaherty S.J.'s last weekend here as he goes to become the new Director of the Jesuit retreat house in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Fr. Jim has been such a blessing here for the last two years. He has always been willing to pitch in on many different pastoral needs of St. Gertrude. We wish him all the best.

Congratulations!

With so many graduations happening, grammar school, high school, and college, I would like to extend our congratulations and prayers to all of the new graduates.

With graduation now comes bigger challenges in life. May you face every challenge with faith and sincere efforts as you have always done before.

Come, Holy Spirit!

Pentecost Celebration This Sunday

This weekend is the Feast of Pentecost! We have been planning for some months to make this a special day for our parish. After the combined 10:30 am mass, we will then gather outside with everyone.

The Misericordia's Bakery on Wheels truck will be parked in front of the church giving away sweets, coffee, and juice. 

Friday, May 17

• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Saturday, May 18

• 10:00 am-1:00 pm - Youth group car wash

Sunday, May 19

• Pentecost
• Combined 10:30 am mass in church (no Gym mass)
• Misericordia’s Sweets on Wheels outside of church after the 10:30 am mass

Friday, May 24

• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26

• Care for Real Food & Supply drive (donations accepted after masses only)

Friday, June 7

• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Saturday, June 8

• Deadline to register for our Youth Mission Experience

Friday, June 14

• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) in the Ministry Center

Sunday, June 16

• Father's Day
• Last Gym Mass until September

Monday, June 17

• Wildcat Summer Camp begins

Monday, July 10

• Youth group Mission Experience starts
• 7:00 pm ~ Book group in the Ministry Center

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

All are welcome to attend the weekly Rosary group held on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm.

The bilingual gathering is held in the dining room of the Ministry Center, located at 6214 North Glenwood Avenue.

This Saturday: Car Wash Hosted by our Parish Youth Group

A car wash is planned for Saturday, May 18! Teens will be available to wash cars from 10:00 am-1:00 pm in the parish parking lot. The cost is $15 per vehicle.

All parishioners and neighbors are encouraged to support our teens! Proceeds will go towards youth group activities. 

Care for Real Food and Supply Drive in Church, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26

St. Gertrude will conduct its monthly food drive before and after Masses on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26.

The timing is important; with summer approaching many school meal programs are suspended, putting local children at increased risk of food insecurity.

We encourage you to leave a sturdy bag (or bags) containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, rice or cereal as well as feminine products and deodorant (both male and female). The donations stay in the community to help local individuals, seniors, and families facing hunger. 

Thank you for your help!

Register for the Catholic Writers Guild Conference

The Catholic Writers Guild will hold its annual live conference Tuesday, May 28 - Thursday, May 30, 2024, in conjunction with the Association of Catholic Publishers meeting at the Holiday Inn O'Hare, 5615 N. Cumberland Ave, Chicago, IL 60631.

This three-day event for beginning and published writers features keynote speakers, panelists, and opportunities for mentorship, podcast appearances, and critiques of your work in progress.

For the full schedule and to sign up, visit CatholicWritersGuild.org/live-conference.

Going to the Edgewater Yard and Sidewalk Sale? Visit our Youth Group's Hot Dog Stand!

The Edgewater Yard and Sidewalk Sale is Saturday, June 1 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 10:00 am-2:00 pm.

Funds raised will go towards youth group activities. Please come out and support our parish teens! 

Deadline for our Summertime Teen Mission Experience is June 8

The deadline for this summer's Mission Experience is fast approaching! Registration is due by Saturday, June 8.

Our youth mission experience is planned for the week of July 22-26. Teens in our parish youth group, in sixth grade through high school, are invited to volunteer with a different Chicagoland organization each day. 

There is a $100 fee for the week. A $50 deposit is required at the time of registration. Please note that there are scholarships available!

All participants will receive a t-shirt, water bottle, and a sports drawstring backpack. To reserve a spot or to get more information, contact Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.

Book Club is Monday, June 10

Please join the book club in the Ministry Center on Monday, June 10 at 7:00 pm. We will discuss Deacon King Kong by James McBride.

There are many copies of the book available at the Chicago Public Library.

Contact Lea Cloninger at 773.973.2465 or Sue Benjamin at 773.551.8401 with questions.

Commonweal Dialogue Returns June 14: Reading Info Below

After a two-year hiatus, Commonweal Dialogue is returning to St. Gertrude’s Parish this June!

Commonweal Dialogue provides opportunities for civil and cordial conversation about topics of contemporary concern at the intersection of faith and politics.

We plan to meet several times a year and to alternate Sunday afternoon tea parties with Friday evening wine and pizza events in the hope that as many people as possible will be able to participate. The readings we have selected we believe will encourage meaningful and enlightening conversation.

Topic: Please read Ursula K. LeGuin’s very short sci fi story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (available online). This story symbolically raises questions about inequality, individual human suffering, and the common good in many areas of our contemporary social and political life. (Even if you don’t have time to read the story, join us anyway, and we’ll get you up to speed so you can join in the discussion.)

The first meeting will be held on the evening of Friday, June 14 at 6:30 pm in the backyard of John Williams, 1305 West Glenlake in Chicago. Details on the topic to follow.

Please RSVP so we know how much pizza to buy! Email Denise DeBelle at ddebelle@gmail.com, John Williams at joolikar@gmail.com, or Verna Foster at vfoster@luc.edu.

Wildcat Summer Camp Begins June 17th

Have you made summer plans yet for your kids? Register them for Wildcat Camp! Camp begins June 19 and will provide a safe, engaging experience with a variety of recreational, educational, athletic, and fine arts programs at an affordable price!

For more information on dates and pricing, visit www.northsidecatholic.org or call 773.743.6277. The 2024 Wildcat Summer Camp Flyer is be seen here.

We look forward to seeing you this summer!

First Communion - Class of 2024

Congrats to all of the children from our Religious Ed program and NCA communities (Holy Child Jesus, St. Jerome, Mary Mother of God, and St. Gertrude) who made their First Communion on Saturday, May 11!

They worked so hard and we are blessed to have their loving presence at our parish. 

We are especially thankful for all of our teachers from NCA and our Religious Education Program for their kind and patient instruction.  

And we thank those who attended our 10:30 am combined Mass and annual May

Crowning last Sunday! The service was made even more special thanks to the First

Communicants who attended in their First Communion outfits.

Items Needed for the Lending Closet

The Lending Closet is in dire need of rollator walkers (walkers with a seat) and tub transfer benches. 

Please e-mail or call the Lending Closet manager Laurie Hasbrook at lhasbrook@stgertrudechicago.org or 773-973-5464 ext. 115 if you have one to donate.

Thank You to our Religious Ed and Kids Word Volunteers

The end of the catechetical year has arrived, with Religious Education, RCIA, and Kids Word coming to an end on Sunday, May 5th. 

This year was indeed a successful year, with 24 teens confirmed in March and 24 children celebrating their First Communion this weekend. Kids Word has kept an average of 15 kids per Sunday, and RCIA is closing with one neophyte and two newly confirmed. 

We are so grateful to all our volunteer catechists who generously gave their time and talents to our children. They include:

Kids Word:

• Rosalie Sullivan 
• Alex Campuzano
• Gisela Rosales 

Catechists:

• Melinda Banahene
• Dorothea Tobin 
• Sandra Francis 
• Matilda Adeboye
• Suzanne Stryczek 
• Hoang Do
• Steven Patzke 
• Steven Monti

We also are saying goodbye to three catechists who won't be with us next year. Sandra Francis (3rd Grade) is graduating from medical school and she is moving out of the state; Sister Matilda (4th Grade) is moving back to her country after graduation as well; and Mr. Hoang (6th grade) is completing his Ministry Practicum and moving to Spain. We thank them for their ministry and for being part of our team. 

Registration for the 2024-25 school year opens in mid-July.

Thank you all for supporting our Religious Education Program!

~ Eloy Escamilla

Growing in Faith

This weekend for Pentecost, one of the choices for a second reading is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, and its high point, for me, is this sentence near the end:

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

In other words, if I am filled with the Holy Spirit, if I am living as Jesus taught, I will love and be joyful, peaceful and patient, kind and generous, faithful and gentle and exert self-control.

I mention those virtues twice because the story of Pentecost can come across as something of an otherworldly movie, big on special effects. Suddenly, there’s a noise like the wind that fills the house where the disciples are hiding, and there appear to them tongues as of fire, which part and come to rest on each of them. And, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” they run out into Jerusalem and begin preaching.

You’re not likely to see a tongue of flame over anyone’s forehead nowadays, but, if the worker at McDonald’s does something kind, that’s the Holy Spirit in her. We live in an age when many people seem to enjoy being angry and bitter. Yet, there are others, maybe the crossing guard near the school, maybe the guy walking his dog, who are joyful and peaceful and are a delight to those around them.

Like the song says, they’ll know we are Christians by our love and joy and gentleness and kindness…..

~ Patrick T. Reardon 

Flower Offering Remembrances

In Memory of/Individual who Honored Them

• Caskie Family
• Peter Steenveld by Joanne Steenveld
• John and Elizabeth by Pat O’Neal
• Groleau Karasti by Rose Karasti
• Slane and Quinn families by Millie Slane
• Mary Ellen Mellon & JoAnne Joyce by Bernard Joyce
• The deceased of the Strubbe-Galoney family by Marie Galoney
• Gonzalo, Sabrina, and Celi Frias by Maria Frias
• Larry McCauley by Marilyn Klein
• Billy Tobin by Mike and Dorothea Tobin

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, May 18 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, May 19 at 8:00 am - Barb Daly
• Sunday, May 19 at 10:30 am - Tim Love, Bob Backis, Troy McMillan

Upcoming Mass Intentions



• Monday, May 20: 7:30 am - Patricia Meade+
• Tuesday, May 21: 7:30 am - Dolores Murray+
• Wednesday, May 22: 7:30 am - John Somer+
• Thursday, May 23: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, May 24: 7:30 am - Kathryn Jean Winslow
• Saturday, May 25: 7:30 am - People of God; 5:00 pm - Bart McKee+
• Sunday, May 26: 8:00 am - Fernando Galang, Jr.+ and Felipe Sabater+; 10:30 am - Herminio Santos+; 10:30 am Gym - Therese Goode+

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.