All Are Welcome
St. Gertrude Parish in Chicago
Our parish strives to be a community, growing in faith, that welcomes all and brings Christ’s love to others.
Here is the Latest News:
Mass Times/Rectory Hours
Upcoming Events & Activities
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
Upcoming Events & Activities
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
Upcoming Events & Activities
Upcoming Events & Activities
Upcoming Events & Activities
Our Mission & Values
Support our Parish & Ministries
Support our Parish & Ministries
Support our Parish & Ministries
Support our Parish & Ministries
Support our Parish & Ministries
Our Confirmation class of 2025!
Congratulations to Our Newly Confirmed Teens!
On Tuesday, March 18, teens from our Religious Education program and NCA made their Confirmation. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication!
Those who made their Confirmation and their families should note that there is a second Confirmation retreat on Thursday, May 1 from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Social Hall.
Brewed at St. Gertrude
Parish Hospitality Event on Sunday, March 23
Thanks so much to those who came out and joined us for our monthly Brewed at St. Gertrude parish hospitality gathering! It was so lovely to see visit and enjoy each other's company!
Lenten Events & Activities
Lent at St. Gert's
Parish Calendar of Lenten Activities & Events
Online Lenten Resources Available
Lenten Activities - Details about our Lenten Bible Study, Simple Suppers, Stations of the Cross, Almoner's Program, and Sacrament of Reconciliation Opportunities
Lent Made Easy - Answers to Common Questions about Lent
Commonweal Dialogue is Next Sunday, March 30
The next meeting of Commonweal Dialog will take place in Ministry Center, 6214 N. Glenwood Ave., on Sunday, March 30 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.
The topic will be: Christian Resistance against
Political Attacks on the Central Tenets of Christianity.
Many of the cuts made or proposed by the Trump administration hurt the most vulnerable among
us, including cuts to Medicaid and to USAID (which provides substantial funding for Catholic Relief
Services.) The Dean of Yale Divinity School, Gregory E. Sterling, argues in a recent op-ed that the cuts to USAID are “Anti-Christian at the Core.” How can Catholics across the political divide bear witness to the Christian values that are under attack? How can we join together as Catholic Christians to influence policy on these vital matters?
Light refreshments---afternoon tea/coffee--will be served. If you would like to bring a snack to share, it will be gratefully received. Please join us for a cordial and revitalizing
conversation on a difficult topic in good company. Feel free to invite your family and friends from St. Gertrude’s or from some other parish or from no parish. All are welcome.
Thank You for Helping Our Neighbors in Need!
St. Gertrude had its monthly food drive on March 22 and March 23!
Missed it? Donations can be dropped off between 12:00-3:00 pm every Monday-Saturday at the back entrance of 5339 N. Sheridan.
Our monthly collection for asylum seekers is April 5-6. Items will be donated to Care for Real who is working hard to help these newly-arrived neighbors.
Our collection drive for Care for Real is always the fourth calendar weekend every month, and our asylum seekers’ collection is the first weekend of each month.
We are so grateful for your help supporting Care for Real as they work to provide food and much-needed supplies to our neighbors who are struggling.
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.
"Brewed at St. Gertrude" Gathering This Sunday, March 23
Please join us this Sunday, March 23rd, for a parish hospitality event, "Brewed at St. Gertrude!" Following the 10:30 am church and gym masses, come to the Social Hall for pastries, coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.
All are welcome: new and long-time parishioners, families, and visitors! We would love for the entire parish to be there!
The Parish Pastoral Council is Looking for New Members!
The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is renewing its search for new members. If you are interested in learning more about the PPC or are interested in joining, please complete this INTEREST FORM.
Questions or comments for the PPC can be sent to stgertrudeparishcouncil@gmail.com.
Volunteers Needed!
Several months ago, we began the transition process of welcoming a new pastor. However, this transition involves much more than just one person—it represents a shift in the mission and direction of our parish.
As part of this process, we have been reflecting on who we are as the parish of St. Gertrude’s, what our mission is, and the role we play in our neighborhood and the broader world.
This transition also includes some very practical changes. The pastoral staff has been taking on increasing responsibilities, and they have been doing an excellent job. However, they cannot carry this weight alone—they need your help.
We need more volunteers to sustain the programs and ministries we currently offer and to continue moving forward, no matter who the pastor may be.
Here are a few immediate areas where your assistance is needed:
- Baptismal Preparation: We offer a monthly class for families having their babies baptized for the first time.
- Live Streaming: The 10:30 am Mass is live-streamed to bring the liturgy into the homes of those who cannot attend in person.
- Choir: The choir is looking for singers and musicians. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. All voices are welcome.
- Heart to Heart Ministry: This outreach program offers aid and support to older adults in need.
- Church Environment:/Decoration: As we approach Lent and Easter, there is need for assistance making the church look beautiful.
Please consider getting involved in one of these ministries. If you have any interest in any of these ministries, please reach out to Fr. Mike Gabriel at mgabriel@stgertrudechicago.org
Teens are Invited to Register for St. Gertrude’s Youth Mission Experience
Parish teens are invited to take part in St. Gertrude's Youth Mission experience this summer from June 23-27. Teens in seventh grade through high school will volunteer with a different Chicagoland organization each day.
This is an excellent opportunity to have fun and earn volunteer hours! 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 for more information, contact pastoral associate Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org.
Kids Word at 10:30 am Masses
On Sundays during the 10:30 am Mass in church, children aged 4-7 years-old are invited to attend Kids Word to hear an age-appropriate Gospel message and do fun, scripture-based activities such as coloring or crafts in the Rectory.
Children will be invited by the celebrant to come to the altar before the readings and will return to church before the petitions.
Email eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org for details.
Fr. Mike Bradley and Laurie Hasbrook are Recognized as 2024 Edgewater Treasures
On Saturday, November 2, Fr. Mike Bradley and Laurie Hasbrook, along Dr. Jamal Husain, were recognized as 2024 Living Treasures of Edgewater!
Edgewater Living Treasures are residents of Edgewater who have made a difference, some in a profound, fundamental way, and others in a small but significant action that has affected the well being of the Edgewater community. Their deeds were not driven by personal gain, but to help the people of the community – whether generating beauty, fostering harmony, helping the less fortunate or encouraging grass roots activity.
In addition to his work at the Archdiocese and St. Gertrude parish, especially the Heart to Heart ministry, Fr. Mike has raised funds for an AIDs clinic in Uganda, Catholic Charities in Chicago, Leukemia Society, and Northside Catholic Academy.
Laurie has worked diligently to improve the lives of others in Edgewater for more than 20 years. She has served as a support person for Iraqi refugee families and assisted migrants who gathered around the 24th District police station, sleeping on the ground without food or adequate clothing. Laurie has also worked with various mutual aid networks and WhatsApp groups to distribute goods and services to help these new neighbors. And her work at St. Gertrude, especially with the Lending Closet, has been a blessing to so many!
An Update from the Refugee & Immigration Ministry: (January 2025 Update)
You may recall that we supported a refugee family of four Venezuelans who came by way of Ecuador. I've received a wonderful update (shared below) from Refugee One that lets you know just how impactful you support can be. Refugee One is a spectacular partner with a wealth of services to ease the transition of these families!
Hard to believe, but it’s been nearly six months since the family of four we are sponsoring arrived in Chicago! Here are a few final updates as we conclude your financial co-sponsorship:
The father of the family is still working at the barber shop and doing well. If he ever has questions or concerns, he knows he can reach out to us for employment support for up to five years.
The mother passed her exam for our Level 1 English class in December with an impressive 97%! She has since advanced to our Level 2 class, which started earlier this month. She continues to stay home to care for their young son but is also interested in taking classes in our Sewing Studio soon. Her commitment to learning is evident, and we’re glad to see her in our office several days a week.
Their daughter is thriving in school, enjoying her time with peers, and making good progress in learning English. We’ll follow up on her specific academic progress at her next parent-teacher conference.
Lastly, we received wonderful news this week: the father’s cousin and his son will be joining them in Chicago next month! We’re thrilled that their family will soon be reunited. 😊
The resettlement process is never seamless, but this family has been proactive and dedicated since their arrival. We’re deeply grateful for your financial support and prayers for this family—your generosity has provided them with stability during their first few months here.
Thank you again for helping to make Chicago a more welcoming place by supporting this family. We look forward to continuing our partnership in this important work of welcome.
Additionally, if you are curious about joining the team, please reach out to Denise at dmg321@comcast.net.
Thank you for all you do, for your prayers and support.
On behalf of the Ministry,
~ Denise Goodman
Student Essay Contest Winner Jose Ramirez
Recently, students preparing for Confirmation were asked to take part in an essay contest about the importance of forgiving others
Jose Ramirez is one of our two winners. His thoughtful submission can be read below.
According to Google, forgiveness is "the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven." I certainly agree with Google's words. Now Google just gives us the tip of the iceberg about forgiveness. Forgiveness to me is a collection of emotions whether good or bad and all those emotions are taken out in the form of forgiving
Many times in my life people have hurt me. Both physically and mentally. For example, once in the 2nd grade, I was in P.E. playing soccer while others were playing catch with a football. While playing soccer I got struck with the football by the boys that were playing catch. The boy who threw the ball came up to me and he said "Are you okay?" I said yes and then he said " I'm so sorry I didn't mean to." The next words that came out of my mouth were "It's okay, I forgive you."
Now when I said those words it was much more than just saying it's okay. I was taking the emotions I had felt when I got hit and It was taking those emotions and turning them into something positive taking the situation from just strangers to having a special bond that could have never been made. Now if at that moment when the boy had said he was sorry and I would have said that I don't accept his apology things would have been very different.
Now the main reason I use this example is because in this situation I met my best friend of 6 years. After the situation, I talked to him more and we learned we had a lot in common. See if I had held a grudge like others sometimes do I would have never become best friends with him, I would have never gone to the waterpark with him, and none of the memories with him would have happened if I said "No I don't forgive you." But for forgiving him good things came out of it. So now that's the reason I want people to hear. When you don't forgive someone it's not just holding a grudge it's closing a door. Closing a door full of possible memories and opportunities and great things to come.
Let's take for example a made-up story. let's say a teenager named Jacob, He had a lifelong friend since elementary named Cesar, He goes to high school with Cesar and they both like a girl, Now Jacob told Cesar about how he likes her but Cesar never told Jacob. Cesar dates the girl they both like behind Jacob's back. Cesar then breaks the news to Jacob and he can't believe it he tells Cesar he never wants to talk to him again. Cesar begs for forgiveness but Jacob doesn't care.
Fast forward 10 years Jacob starts his own bakery. His bakery isn't doing very well. The pastries are delicious but he doesn't have the proper advertising he asks around for advertisers and finds out about one of the best in the country with low prices. He then contacts him, but to his surprise, it's his old friend who he never wanted to forgive. Now Jacob feels stuck, he doesn't want his business to fail but he doesn't want to talk to Cesar after what he did. He prefers to pay much more money for an advertiser with not the best work than to forgive his friend.
See I use this story to help you understand the extent people go and the grudges they hold do not always work. To sum up, everything I've stated so far nothing bad will happen out of forgiving someone even if you do not want to continue a relationship at least end things on good terms because you never know when it's gonna be your last time talking to them.
Student Essay Contest Winner Matteo Nafe
Here is another winning essay from our contest, which asked students preparing for Confirmation about the importance of forgiving others.
Forgiveness is accepting an apology from someone else for their past wrongdoings such as hurting someone you love or someone breaking your things. Forgiveness helps relieve guilt off your shoulders and helps your mood because you don't have to fight with that other person.
Forgiveness to me is accepting that we feel that something is wrong then we try to fix it or
find the common ground between the two different perspectives. It is not always easy to
forgive or be forgiven because some people hold grudges which can last a lifetime while
others forgive more easily.
Forgiveness is important because if you hold a grudge with someone it could affect the
relationship, and people are hesitant to continue to communicate feelings or thoughts with you. It is harder to be close to someone or build a relationship with them if they have hurt you and not apologized. By forgiving others it also helps you feel better and if the person is truly sorry you should forgive them.
You must really think why the hurt happened to begin with. Many different things like
misunderstanding, accident, bad circumstances or disagreements can be the reason. We
can begin to forgive by keeping ourselves calm and trying to see from the other person's
perspective. Asking to meet and discuss the problems and being a good listener so you
can understand the other person and what motivated them.
If you are truly sorry for something that you did wrong to someone such as harming them
are stealing from them, then it will be forgiven by God but in the end it is up to the person to decide if they want to forgive you or not. Some people are more hesitant to forgive because they have been hurt by people.
The bigger wrongdoing or misunderstanding the harder it is to forgive, because it affected you so much and some people think that if you forgive that it feels like it just didn't happen or that it is ok that they hurt you. It is also hard to ask for forgiveness because some believe it is showing weakness and is embarrassing so they just ignore it rather than deal with it.
When you forgive it strengthens bonds between the people you forgave and yourself as well as other people within the community that may have the same beliefs. When you forgive someone, it encourages others to forgive people as well and will lead to everyone being in an overall better mood. With forgiveness, our community becomes more understanding and thoughtful.
Growing up with many friends who were into sports while I preferred to read books always
led to a lot of conflict. Occasionally, they would get more aggressive and push or wrestle
with me, which was not the nicest and made me feel not welcome and not safe. As we
grew, they became more understanding of who I was, and I forgave them for not treating me well. The result is that our friendship is much better, and I no longer hold a grudge against him for doing that.
Heart to Heart Volunteer Spotlight: Michael Kowalsky
The Heart to Heart Lending Closet provides durable medical equipment to people throughout Chicagoland. Items donated to us for distribution are gently used and in good condition. But when we get a perfectly sturdy wheelchair, transport chair, or rollator with a flat tire or loose supports -- Michael Kowalsky comes to the rescue!
Michael is a Heart to Heart volunteer with a knack for diagnosing the most perplexing equipment issues. Thanks to Michael, along with the folks who donate to us, we're able to keep our mobility room well-stocked!
Items Needed for the Lending Closet
The Lending Closet is in dire need of rollator walkers (walkers with a seat.)
Please e-mail or call the Lending Closet manager Laurie Hasbrook at lhasbrook@stgertrudechicago.org or 773-973-5464 ext. 115 if have one to donate.
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Spiritual Directors/Companions Available
If you've been searching for a deeper relationship with God or wanted to seek God’s help in making you might consider meeting with a spiritual director/companion.
Carol Ann Munro and Lori Dressel offer confidential one-on-one sessions at St. Gertrude and the opportunity to slow down and take time to reflect on your experience of life, God’s action and grace in your daily routines and connect deeply to “the Spirit hidden in the depths of your soul.“ (T. Merton)
In meeting with a spiritual director, a person learns to pay attention to God’s personal communication, to respond to this personally communicating God, to be open to intimacy with God, and to live out the richness of the relationship that results from this intimacy.
If you are interested in this, contact Lori Dressel at lorijdressel@gmail.com or Carol Ann Munro at carolannmunro@comcast.net.
Rest in peace notices & funeral information
Abigail Phillips
Ezaristo Centeno
Fr. James Stoeger
former priest at St. Gerts
Geoffrey Penar
Estelle Ann Guardino
- mother of Sam Guardino (Laurie Hasbrook) ; info available here