St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville, Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

[email protected]

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, February 12, 2023

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thanks to the pastoral staff and the help of other priests, I am going to take this coming week off to recharge and get ready for Lent.

Here are some things to know.

• Next weekend, we will have a Lenten resource table. On the table will be a couple of resources to help make this Lent a prayerful and holy one. These resources, along with the many Lenten programs we have in place (listed below in this bulletin), will make this a well-spent Lent.
• The sign-up continues for our Lenten discussion group using the book, The Crucible of Racism. They are on sale this weekend and next weekend.
• As you heard last weekend at Mass and in a letter from Bishop Bartosic in this bulletin, a search committee is being formed to help interview candidates for the school administrator. The bishop is asking each parish that is a part of the NCA family to have one person be part of this team. If interested, let me know.
• Speaking of search committees, as most of you know, Mary Clare Barker, our Director of Music will be retiring at the end of June. A search committee is being formed to search for a new director. I have asked the choir and cantors to pick one or two representatives and I am requesting that one or two parishioners also be part of the committee. If interested, please let me know by March 5^th.
• Ash Wednesday is February 22. The Mass times are 7:30 am, 8:30 am, and 6:30 pm. From12:00-1:00 pm, there will be distribution of ashes (only).

Lenten Activities



With Lent just around the corner, the Peace and Justice Ministry has planned a few activities to assist us in our Lenten practices.

Lenten Study: The Crucible of Racism by Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ

The Lenten book study this year will continue the work begun last year on racism, which Pope Francis has likened to “a virus that lurks in waiting…only to emerge and show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as people think.” 

We will be reading The Crucible of Racism, the second book by Patrick Saint-Jean, author of the book we shared together last year, The Spiritual Work of Racial Justice. In this book, Saint-Jean shows how Ignatian Spirituality and faithful hope can, in fact, change us, the Church, our nation, and the world. 

We have 50 copies of the book available for $20. Study groups will meet in the Ministry Center on Thursday mornings at 9:00 am and Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm beginning February 23 and ending March 30. Each meeting is about one hour. Sign-up sheets are on the tables in the back of the church. For further information, contact me at [email protected].

Almoners Lenten Ministry

Alms are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is one of the three disciplines of Lent, along with fasting and prayer. Almoners are those who distribute alms on behalf of the Church community.  

This year, we will have a weekly second collection for the Almoner’s Program. The funds raised from that collection will be used to purchase $10.00 McDonald gift cards which parishioners can then pick up at the weekend Masses and distribute to the poor and homeless encountered on the streets of our city.  

At the end of each Mass, those who wish to be Almoners will step forward to receive the gift cards and be commissioned with a special blessing to go forward and give them to those less fortunate.  

Remember that all of us are Almoners, charged with taking care of our brothers and sisters in need. If you cannot go out and distribute cards, please consider donating to the second collection each week. Perhaps you can do both - providing the alms and taking them out to those on the streets.

Stations of the Cross: Starting on February 24th

Every Friday during Lent, we will take time from our busy schedules to reflect on the suffering journey of Christ and others in the world. On Friday afternoons at 3:00 pm, we offer the traditional way of the Cross. At 6:30 pm, we will also have stations of the Cross joining Jesus’ journey recognizing the present struggles and crosses that challenge modern world.

Mystic Path in Song

On Wednesday, March 15th, we will be have a special evening in the Church. Titled

"The Mystic Path in Song", the evening will feature Gerry Digman. It will be a time of reflection on the spiritual journey of the great saints and the up and downs they faced in their own life.

Gerry will provide brief commentary for each of the eight stages of the Path, followed by songs that bring us to prayerful contemplation, deepening our understanding of the presence of God in the lives of the saints as well as in our own life.

The presentation will last about an hour.

Annual Catholic Appeal: Walking the Road with Jesus

This weekend is the commitment weekend for the Catholic Appeal. This appeal supports the work of our parish, our diocese, and the Catholic Church around the world. 93 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to the critical work of the schools, parishes, agencies and ministries of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

The Annual Catholic Appeal is an invitation for every Catholic family to respond with a generous heart. Your gift will provide inspiration, education, and services to the less fortunate in our Archdiocese and throughout the world.

Envelopes are available in church. You can also take a picture of the QR code in the above image or on the in-pew envelope to make a donation online, or use this form to make a credit card one-time gift, a recurring sustaining gift, or pledge to the Annual Catholic Appeal.

Checks can be mailed to the Annual Catholic Appeal: 835 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2030. Gifts made through stock, Donor Advised Funds, and IRA distributions can also be made by calling 312.534.7959.

Thank you for your generosity!

St. Gertrude Super Bowl Tamale Benefit for Midwest Workers Association: Pick-Up Your Orders This Weekend

This weekend, Midwest Workers Association (MWA) will deliver 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 to see if there are extras, or call their office at 773.285.0485 before Sunday. 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.

Parish Pastoral Council Meeting on Thursday, February 16

The next PPC meeting is on Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 pm in the Ministry Center. All meetings are open to the public.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

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

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! 

OUR ONLINE AUCTION ENDS THIS SUNDAY! The online auction takes place until 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 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.



Thank you for your continued support of NCA!!

Care for Real Food Drive in Church on Saturday, February 25 and Sunday, February 26

If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one. ~ Mother Teresa

Welcome to the season of love. Love of God, love of your own goodness (a child of God), and love of your neighbor (all children of God, without exception).

As we celebrate our blessings given in love, perhaps consider sharing your gifts and donating to the St. Gertrude monthly food donation benefiting Care for Real. The first donation opportunity will be Saturday, February 25 and Sunday, February 26 in the back of the Church.

Care for Real currently serves more than 1,300 families per week (almost double the need from one year ago), while its share of food donations from the Chicago Food Depository has declined dramatically (from 7,500 lbs. per week to 5,200 lbs. per week).

Please see the list of requested items in the above image. Show some love and care, for real.

A Note From Bishop Bartosic About NCA

Last week, Northside Catholic Academy learned of the need for leadership change at the end of this academic year. Parents, teachers and clergy were invited to a meeting on Thursday night to discern a new path forward. The goal is to grow a robust, diverse, urban Catholic school serving the North side of Chicago. The wellbeing of children, the stability of the school, and a shared vision for a bright, sustainable future are of paramount importance as this community embarks on the journey of change.

Our first step is to assemble a collaborative team of people to serve on a committee to select a leader. I will be looking for volunteers representative of these groups:

• NCA teachers
• School administrators
• Parents of current NCA students
• Board of Specified Jurisdiction members
• Clergy from sponsoring parishes
• Members of sponsoring parishes
• Community partners (business, education, government)

If you are interested in serving on this committee, please speak to your pastor, who has a tool that will help me learn more about you. I will keep you informed of our progress.

With humility, I ask that you pray for the process, trust in it, and offer suggestions aimed at a bright future for Catholic education in our neighborhood.

Thank You for Supporting the Refugee Ministry! 

A big thank you to those who attended the Refugee Ministry Luncheon on Sunday, February 5! We are also appreciative of our speakers, Emily Parker, Catholic Charities Case Management Supervisor, and Sr. Wendy Cotter, who has worked directly with migrants in El Paso.

We truly appreciate the financial support from the parish. The second collections last weekend for the Refugee Ministry totaled $2,982.49! All funds will go towards helping refugees and immigrants build new lives in Chicago.

Growing in Faith

An old Christian tradition, “Candlemas”, celebrated on February 2, is the last feast of the Christmas season. In that spirit, that’s the day I took down my last remaining Christmas decorations.

Not far off, around the bend, before the end of this month - we’ll arrive at Ash Wednesday, Lenten season. In the meantime, in between time, here we are in “ordinary time“.  

This Sunday’s readings suggest a good use of this time might be seeking reconciliation with any estranged brothers or sisters. It doesn’t seem to matter much who’s at fault. Jesus seems more concerned with forgiveness than fixing blame. (Pope Francis strikes a similar note.) 

In the Gospel, Jesus is calling us to a radical way of life: to see one another through God’s loving eyes. But anger or resentment or bitterness can block our ability to be the love of Christ in the world. We need to step up to the hard work of loving one another (and not hide behind ‘loving God’). Sometimes we’ll fail. Aren’t we glad Jesus is more concerned with forgiveness than finding fault?

In my own experience, reconciliation is not necessarily a “one-and-done“ act. On the other hand, you can travel far with that first step. “It’s a doozy.”

- Madeleine Philbin

Upcoming Mass Intentions

Monday, February 13: 7:30 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members

Tuesday, February 14: 7:30 am - –Sheila McGuire † 

Wednesday, February 15: 7:30 am - Purgatorial Society

Thursday, February 16: 7:30 am - Communion Service

Friday, February 17: 7:30 am - Living and deceased parents of St. Gertrude parishioners

Saturday, February 18: 7:30 am - St. Gertrude parishioners; 5:00 pm - Isabelle Laczkowski, Ed DeWolf † 

Sunday, February 19: 8:00 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members; 10:30 am - Jacqueline Elwood †; 10:30 am Gym Mass - Johnny O’Brien †



(† 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, February 13: Gn 4:1-15, 25/Mk 8:11-13
• Tuesday, February 14: Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10/Mk 8:14-21
• Wednesday, February 15: Gn 8:6-13, 20-22/Mk 8:22-26
• Thursday, February 16: Gn 9:1-13/Mk 8:27-33
• Friday, February 17: Gn 11:1-9/Mk 8:34—9:1
• Saturday, February 18: Heb 11:1-7/Mk 9:2-13
• Sunday, February 19: Lv 19:1-2, 17-18/1 Cor 3:16-23/Mt 5:38-48

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.