Ecumenical and Interreligious Activities (ECRA)

St. Gertrude parish is a proud member of the Edgewater Community Religious Association (ECRA), an interfaith association of religious organizations who work toward fostering friendships and understanding of other faiths, and to nurture a thriving and just neighborhood. For decades, ECRA has linked religiously diverse neighbors to create solutions to local problems, including the Edgewater Community Council and creating Edgewater’s food pantry, Care for Real.

ECRA hosts several events annually that bring together Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, as well our friends from the Jewish, Muslim, and Hindi faith. In November, an interfaith Thanksgiving service and celebration is held, benefiting Care for Real. Additionally, Sacred Seed talks are given twice a year, where Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Catholic viewpoints are shared on a chosen topic and discussed in order to learn from each other. All gatherings are guided by a spirit of mutual respect and a desire for harmonious co-existence and community progress, with special attention paid to the most vulnerable neighbors.      

St. Gertrude parish also occasionally takes parts in ecumenical (members of Christian denominations) activities, typically during Advent or Lent.