St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

[email protected]

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

The liturgies of the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil are connected intimately to one another. As one connected liturgy of the Triduum, we remember Jesus’ saving action: his passion, death, and resurrection.

If you have never attended any part of this three-day liturgy, we hope that you will consider joining us, in fact, we need you here to make it a full expression of the prayer of the community. So don’t miss the best part!

Here is a short description of what goes on during these days of Holy Week:

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We generally come into church one by one, but today, we enter the church together. We make a grand entrance; we enter with Christ into Jerusalem.

On Holy Thursday at 7:00 pm, we commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ when we do what Jesus instructed us to do in memory of him by celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion. This also commemorates our commitment to serve God and one another. There will be a collection for the Extension Society and all of the services they offer around the country. There is no 7:30 am mass on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, or Holy Saturday.

On Good Friday, the church will be open at noon. Living Stations, led by our parish youth group, will be at 3:00 pm. At 7:00 pm, we will have the veneration of the cross, with the reading of the Passion according to John. The collection for this evening goes to Shrines in the Holy Land.

On Holy Saturday, will have the Blessing of the Easter Baskets at 11:00 am.  At 7:00 pm, we will celebrate the Easter Vigil, the turning point of the Triduum, the Passover of the new covenant, which marks Christ’s passage from death to life. It is the night when we celebrate the sacraments of Initiation with our catechumens. 

On Easter Sunday, we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. We will have mass at in church at 8:00 am and10:30 am, and in the Gym at 10:30 am.

I look forward to celebrating with you all!

Friday, March 22

• 12:00-3:00 pm - Eucharistic Adoration in church
• 3:00 & 6:30 pm - Stations of the Cross in church
• 7:00 pm - Guadalupanos Rosary Group

Saturday, March 23 (Eve of Palm Sunday)

• 5:00 pm - Mass
• Care for Real Food and Supply Drive

Palm Sunday, March 24

• Care for Real food and supply Drive
• 8:00 am - Mass
• 10:30 am - Combined Mass in church (no Gym Mass)
• Second Collection for our Almoner’s Program/McDonald’s cards distributed to give to those in need

Monday, March 25

• 7:00 pm - Deanery's Reconciliation Service at Church of Mary Mother of God (St. Ita's campus)

Wednesday, March 27

• 6:00 pm - Simple Supper Hosted by the Gym Mass in the Ministry Center

Holy Thursday, March 28

• No morning Mass
• 7:00 pm - Mass of the Last Supper (live-streamed on Facebook)
• Collection for the Catholic Extension Society

Good Friday, March 29

• No morning Mass
• The Rectory office is closed. 
• 12:00 -3:00 pm - Eucharistic Adoration
• 3:00 pm - Living Stations of the Cross
• 7:00 pm - Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion and Veneration of the Cross (live-streamed on Facebook)
• Second collection for the Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land  

Holy Saturday, March 30

• No morning Mass
• 11:00 am - Blessing of Easter Baskets 
• 7:00 pm - Easter Vigil (live-streamed on Facebook)

Easter Sunday, March 31

• 8:00 am - Mass in church
• 10:30 am - Mass in church (live-streamed on Facebook)
• 10:30 am - Gym Mass

Easter Monday, April 1

• The rectory office is closed.

Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7

• Food and supply drive for Care for Real/Asylum seekers

Monday, April 8

• The 2025 Mass Intentions book opens
• 7:00 pm - Book Club in the Ministry Center

Sunday, April 14

• 12:30-3:30 pm - Paper shredding event in the parish parking lot
• 12:30-2:30 pm NETWORK Election workshop at St. Gertrude

Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20

• 8:00 pm - Lights, Camera, Action parish play (doors open at 7:30 pm)

Watch our Live-Streams

• Live-streamed services can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/ stgertrudechicago
• No Facebook account is needed to view live-streams.
• Live-streams typically begin a few minutes prior to the service and can be found by scrolling down our Facebook page.

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.

Our Monthly Care for Real Food and Supply Drive is This Weekend/Asylum Seeker's Food and Supply Drive is April 6-7

This weekend is our monthly Care for Real Food and Supply Drive. When we asked CFR staff what they needed this month, they shared, "We still cannot seem to catch up on the demand for diapers, baby wipes, and personal care. We would be immensely grateful for whatever baby care and personal care items we can collect!"

Below are some examples: 

Baby care:

• All size diapers
• Baby wipes

Personal care:

• Menstrual pads
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Individually wrapped toilet paper rolls
• Body wipes
• Soap
• Toothbrushes/toothpaste
• Etc.

Food items:

• Ramen or ready-to-eat noodles
• Peanut butter/jelly
• Protein bars

Asylum Seekers' Collection

On Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, we will host a food and supply drive for asylum seekers. Items needed for migrants include: 

• Protein bars
• Ramen or other instant noodles 
• Snack size chips and crackers
• Juice boxes
• Fruit cups
• Menstrual pads *most urgent
• Gloves (only, no scarves, other winter wear, etc.)
• New underwear (all genders and sizes) *most urgent
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Body wipes
• Bar soap

Thank you for helping our neighbors in need!

No Religious Ed This Sunday, March 24 or on Easter

Our Religious Ed program is on spring break! There are no classes this Sunday, March 24 or next weekend, Easter Sunday, March 31.

Please consider attending our Holy Week events, especially our 3:00 pm Good Friday Living Stations of the Cross, which will be performed by our parish youth group.

No Gym Mass This Weekend

There will be a 10:30 am combined Palm Sunday Mass in church. There is no Gym Mass.

There will be a short Palm Sunday procession beginning at the back of church at the Saturday 5:00 pm Mass and the Sunday 8:00 am Mass.  

The procession for the 10:30 am combined Mass will begin between the Ministry Center and Church if the weather is good.

Sacrament of Reconciliation This Monday, March 25 at St. Ita's

Parishioners from our deanery are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday, March 25 at 7:00 pm at the St. Ita campus of Mother of God Parish. Priests from the deanery will be there to hear confessions.

Lenten Simple Supper Planned for Wednesday, March 27

All are welcome to join us for our final Simple Supper on Wednesday, March 27.

The Gym Mass team will host it at 6:00 pm in the Ministry Center.

Second Collections on Holy Thursday and Good Friday

Catholic Extension Society Collection on Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday, we will have a second collection for the Chicago-based Catholic Extension Society. The group works in solidarity with people in America's poorest regions to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities by providing resources to develop leaders, ministries, and facilities, while inviting more people across our country to invest in this work.

Catholic Extension Society is a papal society that is answering Pope Francis' call to go out to America's "peripheries." Since their founding in 1905, they have helped with the construction and repair of over 13,000 churches, and today, through the generosity of donors and parish partners, they support the ministries and leaders in 87 dioceses of the United States and its territories. Information about the organization can be found at https://www.catholicextension.org/.

Pontifical Good Friday Collection

At the Good Friday service, we will have a second collection for the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, which helps Christians in the Holy Land. Your support helps the church minister in parishes, provide Catholic schools and offer religious education. The Pontifical Good Friday Collection also helps to preserve sacred shrines. For more information, visit www.myfranciscan.org/good-friday.

Living Stations of the Cross Held on Good Friday

On Good Friday, March 29, the parish youth group will perform Living Stations of the Cross at 3:00 pm.  

This is a powerful and prayerful experience and we encourage all parishioners to consider attending and witnessing scenes of what our Lord endured before He gave His life for us on the cross. 

Pictured: Living Stations done by youth group members in 2019. 

2025 Mass Intentions Book to Open

The Mass Intentions book for 2025 will open on Monday, April 8.  

If you would like a Mass Intention said for a person that needs prayers or in memory of someone who has died, please call the Rectory at 773.764.3621 or stop by the Rectory office at 1420 West Granville Avenue during office hours. We’ll help you find an available Mass and prepare a card for you to give to the person or family of the intention. 



A $20 donation is suggested.  

Book Club is Monday, April 8



Please join the book club in the Ministry Center on Monday, April 8 at 7:00 pm. The group will talk about The Man Who Broke out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freeland. The Chicago Public Library has multiple copies of the book. 

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

Workshop Planned for Sunday, April 14: Informed, Engaged, and Committed: Being a Catholic Multi-Issue Voter

Catholic social teachings and tradition provide us with a framework for living responsibly and building a just society.

This workshop will take a deeper look at how Catholics view the many issues that we're invited to consider as we head into election season. Workshop participants will then begin to explore and practice concrete tools to help have respectful conversations about hard topics and practice sharing about a vision of multi-racial inclusive society where all have what they need to thrive - no exceptions.

On Sunday, April 14, join trainers from NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and justice-seekers from around the Chicago area for a workshop. Lunch is provided between 12:00-12:30 pm, and the workshop will be held from 12:30-2:30 pm.

There is a suggested donation of $15. Please do not let cost prevent you from attending this workshop. Register at https://www.mobilize.us/network/event/613472/.

Community Shredding Event Planned for Sunday, April 14

Need a safe way to get rid of old papers and  documents? On Sunday, April 14 from 12:30-3:30 pm, 606 Real Estate is hosting a community shredding event in St. Gertrude’s parking lot, located at 6236 N.  Glenwood. 



There is a limit of two file boxes/bags per person, per trip. Only paper items can be securely disposed of, no cardboard, staples, or paper clips are allowed. 

Save the Date! Our Parish Play is April 19-20!

Every year, parish members write an original play that is complemented by a mix of songs ranging from showtunes and oldies to more contemporary hits.

Lights, Camera, Action is centered around a local theater trying to survive and hold onto its roots.

The event will be in the Social Hall, with the show beginning at 8:00 am, with doors opened at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Snacks and beverages (including beer and wine) will be available at our concession stand. This year, there will also be a 50/50 raffle, with $1 per ticket or $5 for six tickets.

Teens, Be a Part of St. Gertrude’s Youth Mission Experience This July!

Our Mission Experience for teens will take place July 22-26! Students in sixth grade through high school are invited to join. The group will volunteer with a different Chicagoland organization each day, earning service hours and having fun.

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 [email protected].

At the Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 30, our parish's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) group will become full members of the Catholic Church. We ask that you keep them in your prayers as they prepare to celebrate the Easter Sacraments.

Members (pictured above in alphabetical order) include Salwa Fadhil, Adrean Herrera, and Ilse Vielma. Additionally, Gabriel Santos Van Stedum (not pictured) from our Religious Ed program will receive the three sacraments of initiation.

Please consider attending and providing an atmosphere of love and support! 

Growing in Faith

We’re about to wade into The Passion with its terrible undertow of cruelty and injustice. What’s kept me buoyed this year are stories of the extraordinary goodness in ordinary people, the bit players in the drama.

The first is St. Veronica, whose story is part of our tradition but not part of the synoptic gospels. Veronica means “true image” and was not her name but her gift. Tradition holds that she was so moved by Jesus’ suffering on his way to Golgotha that, in full view of his tormentors, ran forward to wipe his face with her veil. Her veil retained a miraculous portrait of Jesus’ face and we remember her as Veronica, true image. I don’t believe that Jesus left this veil as an object of veneration but to remind us that, when we act kindly and bring goodness to one another, we reflect his image.

The second gospel story is one we know well: the woman with the alabaster jar who anointed Jesus. Her beautiful gesture was cruelly misunderstood. But Jesus turned the disciples’ eyes to the true image of her goodness. We remember her. This story also illustrates that goodness is not perfectible in us. We’re just people.

Like the critical disciples, we may not see the goodness around us clearly. We may fumble in the giving or receiving, be awkward, clumsy, suffer unintended consequences. We’ll need to forgive ourselves and have faith that when we offer goodness, we bring forth the genuine image of Jesus, maybe not a perfect photo-realistic image, but true.

~ KC Conway

Easter Flower Offering Envelopes

We are offering an opportunity to celebrate someone in your life, living or deceased, during the Easter season. Please consider making an Easter Flower offering in their name.

Envelopes are available in the back of the Church and may be placed in the collection basket or sent to Rectory. The names of those honored will be published in the bulletin during the Easter season.

St. Francis Catholic Worker House of Hospitality



St. Francis House is a home offering hospitality in the tradition of the Catholic Worker movement, located in the Uptown neighborhood at 4652 N. Kenmore.

All are welcome to come by for dinner any Monday at 6:00 pm! Curious about this tradition? Read about in the Chicago Catholic at https://rb.gy/10e7pw. 

Eucharistic Ministers

• Saturday, March 23 at 5:00 pm - Kathy Wall
• Sunday, March 24 at 8:00 am - Barb Daly
• Sunday, March 24 at 10:30 am - Maria Ugarte, Michael Kowalsky, Steven Monti

Cantors

• Saturday, March 23 at 5:00 pm - Paula Dempsey
• Sunday, March 24 at 8:00 am - Martin Downs
• Sunday, March 24 at 10:30 am - Matt Heimer

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Sunday, March 24: 8:00 am - Jenny and Austin Wyman+; 10:30 am in church - Mickey Resch+
• Monday, March 25: 7:30 am - Living and deceased parents of St. Gertrude parishioners
• Tuesday, March 26: 7:30 am - Mary Elizabeth Buttitta+
• Wednesday, March 27: 7:30 am - Mylene Velasquez+
• Thursday, March 28: 7:00 pm - Mass of the Last Supper
• Friday, March 29: 7:00 pm - Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion and Veneration of the Cross
• Saturday, March 30: 7:00 pm - Easter Vigil

New Parishioner

• Elizabeth Budzik

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.