St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville, Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, March 19, 2023

Fourth Sunday in Lent

I love music, it’s a big part of my life, and I recently read about the author of one of my most favorite hymns, “Blessed Assurance”. I had the song sung at my first Mass of thanksgiving as a newly ordained priest and again at my 25th anniversary of priesthood. Fanny Crosby was the songwriter. When she was a six-week-old baby, she contracted an eye infection. A man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment and within a few days, she was blind. 

I cannot imagine my reaction if that was to happen to me. I assume that I would be bitter, angry to name a few feelings. Instead, Fanny Crosby used the gifts that she had and wrote poems and hymns, 8,000 to be exact, one being “Blessed Assurance”.

Like the man in today’s Gospel, his blindness was not caused by his parents or by any of his sins, but a way that God’s works could be shown. I pray that tragedy never comes into your life, but if it does, remember that everything can be used to praise and glorify God!

Church Building will be Closed —Weekday and Next Weekend’s Masses will be in the Social Hall

Starting this Monday, March 20th, weekday and next weekend's Sunday Vigil/Sunday Masses will be in the Social Hall. This is so that the asbestos abatement can take place. There are letters at the back of church explaining in more detail about this work. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and appreciate your accommodating this inconvenience! 

Volunteers Needed During Holy Week

We are looking for volunteers to help us at the Triduum. Please let me know if you are available! My email is mgabriel@stgertrudechicago.org.

Please remember to keep our candidates for the Easter sacraments in your prayers. 

United Power for Action and Justice: Mayoral Candidates Forum This Sunday, March 19 

Join United Power members this Sunday from 3:30 - 5:00 pm at Harmony Community Church, 1908 S. Millard Ave., for a public forum with the two mayoral runoff candidates--Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson--to seek their commitments to to rebuild the core neighborhoods of our city with 10,000 affordable homes for working people on the city's South and West sides. 

St. Gertrude's is a founding member of United Power for Action and Justice, an interfaith organization that builds people power for structural changes in greater Chicago. As our parish reflects on structural racism and how to dismantle it this Lent, one opportunity to do so is by standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters on the south and west sides of the city to build equity, wealth and safety. 

Contact Kate Davis at kate.hibbs.davis@gmail.com or 434.989.6976 for more info.

Ignatian Volunteer Corps Online Info Session with Fr. James Martin - Tuesday, March 21

Are you retired or finished raising your family? Do you want to give back, enrich your spiritual life, and build community with other mature adults? Through the Ignatian Volunteer Corps you can make a difference in your community while living out the values of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

As a member of the IVC, you’ll have the opportunity to serve those in need one or two days a week while also participating in spiritual formation in a community of peers who share a commitment to service. Join us March 21, 2023 at 3:00 pm CST for a free virtual information session hosted by IVC supporter and spiritual reflector Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Register to attend this online event at https://ivcusa.org/info/ and learn how you can deepen your faith and make a difference in the world.

Eucharistic Revival: Vicariate II Prayer Event - Wednesday, March 22

The Archdiocese of Chicago is at a pivotal moment of structural and spiritual renewal, and that is a cause for great hope. We take up this effort at a moment in which the United States bishops have launched a Eucharistic Revival.

This convergence reminds us that true renewal of the Church always involves recovering the importance of the Eucharistic celebration as the source and summit of our life as Catholics. From the Eucharistic celebration flows all the Church’s prayers, activities and ministries.

Please join us for the Vicariate II service on Wednesday, March 22 at 7:00 pm at Holy Child Jesus, 2324 W. Chase Ave. to unite in prayer for renewal and revival as we deepen the union with Christ and each other.

Care for Real Food Drive - Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26 in the Social Hall

Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are the three practices in Lent that help us to shift our gaze to Christ and his suffering.

Fasting is a meaningful way to reflect on our daily life and rebuild our focus outside of ourselves. Yet many individuals and families in Chicago do not have the privilege of intentional fasting during this time. With food shortage, families live every day in a constant fast. This month St. Gertrude will be answering the call to place the needs of others first during this Lent season.  

Next weekend, Saturday, March 25 (before and after the 5:00 pm Mass) and Sunday, March 26, is our monthly collection drive for Care for Real. It will take place in the Social Hall, as the Church building is under construction. 

Please consider bringing non-perishable goods and personal hygiene items to donate! Show more love and care, for real.

Parish Play, Three Cheers, Next Weekend, Friday, March 24 & Saturday, March 25

The St. Gertrude Parish Players are back! This year's original production: "Three Cheers!" will be performed on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 in the Gym. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show will start at 8:00 pm.

Join us to see what can happen when a community comes together to welcome back a hero and is rocked when they learn their home and gathering place will be torn down and replaced by a private commercial endeavor.

Admission is $10 per adult and $5 per child. All proceeds go to support your parish community. Parking is available in St. Gertrude's parking lot, located at Thome and Glenwood.

Prayer Walk Around Cook County Jail on Palm Sunday, April 2

The Kolbe House Jail Ministry, part of the Archdiocese of Chicago, is inviting Chicago-area Catholics and any other interested participants to gather outside the Cook County Jail on Palm Sunday, April 2 at 3:00 pm for a 2-mile prayer walk around the Cook County Jail complex. There will be 5 stations along this route.

This event offers us an opportunity to show solidarity with people affected by incarceration. The event will begin and end at Kolbe House, located at 2434 S. California Ave. in Chicago.

The prayers at each of the 5 stations include intentions for the victims of violence, for mercy toward those who have caused grave harm, and for the families of those who are incarcerated. We will pray intentions for healing from trauma, for breaking the bonds of addiction and mental illness, eradicating racism, shining a light on and recognizing the harm caused by the legal system and for “a reimagining of our church and our community, to be one where no one is excluded or deemed unworthy.”

If you have any questions, please contact Pat Sullivan by email at psullivan@stgertrudechicago.org.

Congratulations to our Confirmed Students!

Congratulations to the young adults of our parish who made their Confirmation on Tuesday, March 14! We are so proud of these teens, who have worked towards receiving this sacrament for two years!

Growing in Faith

Our readings this Sunday suggest truth will be discovered in unexpected places. In our first reading, God makes the unlikely choice to anoint young David. “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart,” says Samuel.

Our second reading invites us to live as, “children of light”. The Gospel reveals the miraculous power of Jesus to restore sight of an alleged sinner. Young David, children, a sinner? The mystery of salvation is somehow discovered where we would least expect it, our readings seem to suggest.

Perhaps this message is timely? How often do I seek light and truth through the easy and obvious: the emulated celebrity, the powerful politician, or the gold enshrouded cleric. And isn’t Lent and its disciplines of prayers, fasting, and almsgiving to bring us to the foot of the cross where a lowly carpenter born of a single teenage mother dies the disgraceful death of a criminal? Isn’t this the least expected place of all for the redemption of the world?

In a world literally dark and deep in the despair of violence, corruption, and death, it can be hard to find light. Really hard. Maybe I should stop looking for it on Facebook? Perhaps light lies beneath the dark places we think not to look: at the margins, where the poor and despised enjoy the special favor of our loving God.

~ Matt Couture

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, March 20: 7:30 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members
• Tuesday, March 21: 7:30 am - Peggy Sue Riordan †
• Wednesday, March 22: 7:30 am - Patrick Hamilton† 
• Thursday, March 23: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, March 24: 7:30 am - Purgatorial Society
• Saturday, March 25: 7:30 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members; 5:00 pm - Caprice Boylan † 
• Sunday, March 26: 8:00 am - Phyllis Mahoney †; 10:30 am - Mickey Resch †; 10:30 Gym Mass – Roy Lipscomb & Mary Grover † 



(† 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, March 20: 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16/Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22/Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a
• Tuesday, March 21: Ez 47:1-9, 12/Jn 5:1-16  
• Wednesday, March 22: Is 49:8-15/Jn 5:17-30
• Thursday, March 23: Ex 32:7-14/Jn 5:31-47
• Friday, March 24: Wis 2:1a, 12-22/Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
• Saturday, March 25: Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38
• Sunday, March 26: Ez 37:12-14/Rom 8:8-11/Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

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.