Welcome to St. Gertrude Parish

The St. Gertrude Refugee and Immigration Ministry thanks you for your loving support as we celebrate our fourth anniversary! 

Our events to date have been truly wonderful. Our presentation on the immigrant experience on Thursday, September 12, with speakers Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director of Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center, and Sr. Maureen Jerkowski, who works with immigrant children at Maryville, was incredibly insightful. About 30 people came out to hear about their work and their thoughts on refugees. 

Last weekend’s second collection went to the Refugee Ministry, with a total of $6,437.88 raised! The funds collected will allow us to continue our mission of sponsoring families and individuals in transition. And we were delighted so many enjoyed the Refugee Ministry’s hospitality after the 10:30 am Mass in Church. 

We’ll continue to celebrate the Refugee Ministry’s anniversary this weekend by hosting another postcard writing event today, Sunday, September 22 after the 10:30 am Masses in the Ministry Center. Please join us we write to our political officials and urge them to be more open and accepting of refugees into our nation. We will provide all the materials needed as well as examples of how to word things, and snacks.  

Thank you again for all of your support this month and over the years! We truly could not do it without you!

~ Denise Goodman on behalf of the Refugee Ministry

Have you been thinking of a way to give back or make connections at St. Gertrude? Consider becoming a catechist! Catechists teach Religious 

Education classes, which at St. Gertrude are offered to children in grades 1-8. 

Classes are taught on Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:15 am. Other 

catechists teach brief lessons of faith based on the Sunday readings in our Kids Word program. This takes place during the 10:30 am Masses in Church and is for children in grades K-4.

The goal of catechists is to share their faith and the lessons of God and Jesus by creating age-appropriate lessons, teach the traditions of the church, and build community with the families of their students. 

Catechists are usually not professional teachers, just willing parents and parishioners who enjoy kids and want to help them grow in a personal relationship with God, participate in the sacraments, and develop a mature conscience and integrate faith in all areas of their lives.

Candidates must either be Virtus-certified or willing to take training that educates participants on the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders commit abuse, how to prevent it, and submit to a background check. 

Classes begin on Sunday, September 8. We are still in need of parents to serve as catechists and Kids Word leaders. Please consider offering your time and talents to help our young people learn about and grow in their faith. If you have any questions, please reach out to Family Minister Jim Potthast at jpotthast@stgertrudechicago.org.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process by which adults learn more about the Catholic Church. This free program's first meeting was on Sunday, September 8 but all are welcome to join the next meeting! Contact Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate, at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621 for the meeting time this weekend.

Many people who begin RCIA are non-Catholics seeking to become Catholic or at least to explore whether Catholicism might be a good home. Those who complete the process and decide to become Catholic are initiated into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Others who take RCIA are already Catholic but want a deeper understanding of their faith foundation.

The RCIA process does not ask those who have been baptized in another faith to give up their denominational experiences. Rather, the RCIA process seeks to  add new colors and designs to their existing faith life tapestry. In addition to attending Mass, the RCIA process includes weekly gatherings of breaking open the Word of God, sharing our stories, and learning about our faith traditions.

For information about the RCIA process at St. Gertrude or to register for the program, contact Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate, at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.

A brochure is available here and a registration form is available here.