St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville, Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

[email protected]

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, January 29, 2023

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are blessed with excellent schools and faithful families here at NCA School. We want to do all that we can to keep our school strong for the generations to come and to encourage the faith lives of those who will follow us. And thank you to the faculty and staff at NCA for their hard work and loving guidance! 

This Sunday, NCA will host their annual Catholic School Week Open House at both campus locations. The Open House will take place next door at the NCA Primary School Campus at 6216 N. Glenwood Ave. from 11:30 am -1:00 pm. An Open House will also be held at the Middle School Campus at 7318 N. Oakley Ave. from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm.



All parishioners are welcome to attend!

Refugee & Immigrant Ministry Weekend

Next weekend, we will celebrate and acknowledge the Refugee and Immigrant Ministry. Since 2015, thanks to the support of the parish and donors, the St. Gertrude Refugee and Immigrant Ministry has assisted families from all over the world with rental cost, apartment furnishings, and basic family expenses, while family members seek employment. In addition, ministry members has also helped them find employment and served as friends and mentors. 

The second collection on February 4 and 5 will go to help this ministry. And after the 10:30 am Mass, there will be a program with a free simple soup lunch and two speakers. More information about this is available further down in the bulletin!

Annual Catholic Appeal

Next week also begin the discernment process for pledges to the Catholic Appeal. This appeal supports the work our parish, our diocese, and the Catholic Church around the world. The weekend of February 11-12 will be the pledge drive.

Student Essay Winners

Congratulations to the three winners of our student essay contest - Gus Berlinghof, Evan Dumstorff, and Dominic Millar! 



The essay prompt challenged students to write about the most important contribution that Christians can make to society. The contest was open to all seventh and eight-grade students. 

Gus, Evan, and Dominic will receive gift cards as a prize. All three impressive and insightful essays can be read on our parish website. 

Thank you to all who participated and to our judges!  

Growing in Faith

Two words that call out to me in Sunday’s readings are “boast” and “blessed.” I can boast about myself as a Christian, a member of St. Gertrude Parish, a person involved in its ministries. Perhaps I regard myself, if only secretly, as a person who is spiritual because of my prayerful habits, the people with whom I hang out, or the good that I do.

Saint Paul warns us about our tendencies to measure ourselves with pride on such things as these. Spiritual boasting can be insidious. I hear echoes of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Publican who went to the Temple to pray in Paul’s admonition.

Or perhaps I do the opposite of boasting, and in my false humility, do not enter more fully in the life of our parish community. Do I judge myself inadequate and afraid to find myself in over my head, not spiritual enough to serve?

Paul tells us, if you want to boast, boast in the Lord! And if you think you have little to offer, well, that's the condition of those called to serve!

Jesus, with his great understanding of the human condition, tells us that in every circumstance WE ARE BLESSED when we stand in true humility with our eyes focused on the kingdom of  God!

The Beatitudes give us everything we need to know about being followers of Jesus. Blessed are the poor in spirit!

~ Nancy Bujnowski

The NCA Soiree 2023

Northside Catholic Academy’s annual fundraising gala, the 2023 NCA Soirée, will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at the Ravenswood Event Center. This is NCA’s largest fundraising event, and helps to raise funds to support academic enhancements, facility improvements, and our Guardian Angel Scholarship program. There are a number of ways you can help support NCA in bringing quality Catholic education to students in our community.

TICKETS FOR THE NCA SOIRÉE ARE NOW ON SALE! All tickets (event, raffle, Choose Your Own Adventure, and Sponsor-a-Staff) can be purchased at ncasoiree.com. 

• Enter the Grand Raffle for a chance to win $3,000, $2,000, or $1,000! Raffle tickets are $20 or 6/$100, and you don’t need to be present to win.
• Enter the Choose Your Own Adventure Raffle for a chance to win your choice of one of 6 fabulous trips, including an Alaskan Cruise, Barcelona, Napa Valley, Mexico, and more. Tickets are $100—only 100 tickets will be sold.
• Save $50 by purchasing the “All In For 2!” Deal: includes 2 event tickets, 6 raffle tickets and 1 Choose Your Own Adventure ticket.
• Can’t attend the event? Consider sponsoring a ticket for one of NCA’s amazing faculty and staff! 

JOIN US FOR OUR ONLINE AUCTION BEGINS THIS SUNDAY! The online auction takes place from January 29th-February 12th. We have lots of great items to bid on—theater and sports tickets, gift cards to local restaurants and businesses, museum passes, and more! Visit ncasoiree.com starting January 29th to view items and place your bids.

LOOKING FOR SPONSORS! Do you know of an individual or business interested in sponsoring this year’s NCA Soirée? We have sponsor levels ranging from $150-$2500+. Contact Jackie Blake, [email protected], or Leigh Holzman, [email protected] for more information.

THIS WEEK - ANGELS AMONG US: During Catholic Schools Week (January 29-February 5), you’re invited to participate in our Angels Among Us program. In the back of the church, you’ll find a board with envelopes numbered $1-$100. The idea is simple: you choose an envelope, fill it with the dollar amount written on the front, and return the envelope to the board. All proceeds go to NCA.

Thank you for your continued support of NCA!!

Reconciliation for First Communion Candidates - Monday, January 30

Please keep the young students of our parish in your prayers as they prepare for their First Reconciliation on Monday, January 30 at 6:30 pm in church.

Contact Eloy Escamilla, our Pastoral Associate for Religious Education and Youth Ministry, at [email protected] if you have questions.

Refugee Ministry Weekend is Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5: Second Collection, Information Table, Free Lunch and Speaker Program Planned

Eight years ago, the humanitarian crisis of mass displacement of refugees was brought to the world’s consciousness with the Syrian civil war.

In response, the St. Gertrude faith community came together and stepped up! We established this ministry to work in partnership with Catholic Charities to support new arrivals. And still our work goes on.

We are witness to the continued inhumanity that displaces people in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Latin America, Syria, Africa, and Bangladesh where Rohingya live in large camps. On the Doctors Without Borders website, an article dated June 15, 2022 noted that there are now more than 100 million forcibly displaced persons around the world. You wonder what we can do in the face of such suffering. The answer…A LOT!!

Working with Catholic Charities, our role as a parish is three-fold: (1) we provide tangible support for the initial settling in, with a contribution of $5,000 to cover security deposit and rent for about three months; (2) we provide a Welcome Pack of all the household goods needed to start off in the apartment, including kitchen stuff and linens; and (3) when a parishioner feels that call we provide accompaniment, regular visits, and support for the initial few months. The goal, though not always reachable, is for families to be settled and self-sufficient within six months of arrival.

And what a difference you’ve made! We first came together in Fall of 2015. Since then we’ve sponsored a family roughly every six months, officially sponsoring 11 families so far and offering additional support to four others. We have seen kids grow up and thrive in school, parents get jobs and buy a home, and in some cases have seen deep friendships develop.

We have sponsored several Rohinya families, as well as families from Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Syria, and Guatemala. All of this is thanks to your prayers and generosity. You are the light of the world, bringing the kingdom of heaven to Edgewater.

We will be celebrating our ministry on February 4-5. There will be a second collection at all of the Masses, with information in the back of church, special prayers, and a very special program on Sunday, February 5.

We’ll have a free simple soup lunch in the Social Hall starting around 11:45 am and a program from 12:15-1:15 pm featuring two speakers: Emily Parker, the case management supervisor at Catholic Charities, and Sr. Wendy Cotter, who has been spending time at the southern border working directly with migrants.

Please join us, and, as always – thank you!

~ Denise Goodman

St. Gertrude Super Bowl Tamale Benefit for Midwest Workers Association: Place Your Orders Next Weekend

On Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5, Midwest Workers Association (MWA) will be taking orders of tamales after Mass for their annual Super Bowl Tamale Benefit.

The tamale benefit generates critical support for MWA’s Winter Survival Campaign, which includes door-to-door membership canvasses, utility bill advocacy to avert utility shutoffs and restore service, winter-watch phoning and warm clothing distributions.

If you are interested in ordering tamales, please stop by their table at the main church entrance, or call their office at 773.285.0485. Supporters can place orders by the half dozen, for chicken in green sauce, cheese & jalapeno (vegetarian), or black bean & cactus (vegan). The homemade tamales are available for a suggested donation of $10 for a half dozen or $20 for a dozen.

Groups of volunteers are urgently needed to play a role in making tamales from February 6 through February 11, as well as participating on MWA’s membership canvasses and benefit advocacy sessions. Speak with an MWA volunteer about how you can play an ongoing role in MWA’s Winter Survival Campaign.

Hello from the Parish Pastoral Council: Upcoming Meeting on Thursday, February 16

As we embark on the new year, we realize there have been a number of transitions recently. The PPC thanks those who completed the listening surveys and attended listening sessions in the fall. Your input has been helpful and appreciated as we work with Fr. Mike and the Pastoral Staff moving forward.

A reminder that PPC meetings are open to the community. Our next meeting is on Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 pm in the Ministry Center. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

We wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to growing in faith together,

Bob Backis, Michelle Nickerson, Jen Reyes, Ellen Buttitta, Denise Goodman, Tim Lacy, Tim Love, and Sean Williams

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, January 30: 7:30 am - Michael Connolly +
• Tuesday, January 31: 7:30 am - Living and deceased parents of St. Gertrude parishioners
• Wednesday, February 1: 7:30 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members
• Thursday, February 2: 7:30 am - Mary Shepeck + (Communion Service)
• Friday, February 3: 7:30 am - Sheila McGuire
• Saturday, February 4: 7:30 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members; 5:00 pm - Alfredo Lukinskas † 
• Sunday, February 5: 8:00 am - St. Gertrude parishioners; 10:30 am - Peon Family †; 10:30 am Gym - Quinn Bringas †



(† indicates the person is deceased) 

Click HERE for the daily readings for Masses. Here is the list of readings for this week for parishioners that prefer to look them up:

• Monday, January 30: Heb 11:32-40/Mk 5:1-20
• Tuesday, January 314: Heb 12:1-4/Mk 5:21-43
• Wednesday, February 1: Heb 12:4-7, 11-15/Mk 6:1-6
• Thursday, February 2: Mal 3:1-4/Heb 2:14-18/Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32
• Friday, February 3: Heb 13:1-8/Mk 6:14-29
• Saturday, February 4: Heb 13:15-17, 20-21/Mk 6:30-34
• Sunday, February 5: Is 58:7-10/1 Cor 2:1-5/Mt 5:13-16 

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, please contact the Rectory at 773.764.3621 or email [email protected]. Names will remain on the list for three weeks. After that time, please renew the name using same contact information.