Several families in the Chicago area reached out to our Heart to Heart Lending Closet to borrow items needed for relatives visiting over the holidays. St. Gertrude parishioner's support of this vital ministry helped families make some very happy holiday memories! THANK YOU!
We recently received a heartful thank you from one of these clients:
Thank you so much for the use of the transit chair during my mother's visit over the holidays! It allowed her to participate in family outing in a way she would not have been able to without it.
(pictured: The Baker Family at the Millennium Park Skating Rink)
We truly appreciate your support!
~ Laurie Hasbrook, Lending Closet Manager
We are so grateful to the many children and families who participated in our Christmas Eve pageant at the 5:00 pm Mass! The angels, shepherds, sheep, kings, donkey, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were so charming - we appreciate their time coming to the rehearsal and for making Christmas so special.
Thank you!
~ Eloy Escamilla, Pastoral Associate
We so appreciate members of the Heavenly Horns, who played after Mass last weekend. Their performance was lovely and put everyone in a holiday frame of mind!
Dear St. Gertrude Family,
I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks and gratitude to all of you (both parishioners and visitors) who took time out of your busy schedules to contribute your musical gifts and talents to the multitude of Christmas Masses this year.
This being my first year as Director of Music here at St. Gertrude parish, I have been swarmed in support and enthusiasm from all sides- from numerous volunteer musicians, to those I am fortunate enough to be able to hire on a professional spectrum. I love being able to build something musical, worship-worthy, and collaborate with some of Chicago’s finest, all in the tight-knit community of Edgewater, Chicago.
Thank you all for making my transition more personal and memorable (I won’t say easy!) during this busy time of year.
Planning has already started for Holy Week, 2024 - until then, I’ll see you from behind the Bechstein!
For those of you who weren’t able to join us this season or who are considering contributing some of your musical gifts and talents to the St. Gertrude parish community, never hesitate to reach out or email me! New choir members, cantors, and instrumentalists are always welcome, and always needed.
I look forward to meeting many more of you in 2024.
~ Kathryn Flynn
Thanks so much to those parishioners and neighbors that purchased trees, wreaths, and garland this holiday season! A total of $2,034.20 was raised after costs and will go to support St. Gertrude's ministries.
Special thanks to Robert Clark, who generously volunteered as our delivery driver.
~ Eduardo Soto, Business Manager
The Heart to Heart Lending Closet recently hosted a group of enthusiastic freshman year students and their sophomore guides from Loyola University for a Saturday of Service.
Sponsored by Loyola's Community Service and Action office, the students helped inventory, clean, and store donated durable medical equipment.
GO RAMBLERS!
~ Laurie Hasbrook, Lending Closet manager
A sweltering August day didn't keep volunteers Fr. Paul Adaja, Andrea and Guy Banicki, Hallie Burhoe, Barb Daly, Peter Morin, Carol Ann Munro, Tom Rogers, Greg Steigmeyer, and Tom Tentler, from loading a 15-foot U-Haul truck with surplus medical supplies from the Lending Closet.
Project C.U.R.E. warehouse volunteers in Woodridge, Illinois gratefully accepted everything.
Hallie Burhoe, Lending Closet volunteer extraordinaire, generously covered the costs of this project.
The St. Gertrude Social Hall was the recent site of clothing distribution for asylum seekers. FreeStyle Chicago and Edgewater Mutual Aid Network members, along with parishioners Nancy Kuhn, Nancy Bujnowski, and Ana Ward distributed clothing to 60 families who are currently staying at the Broadway Armory.
Thanks also to Cecie Murphy for toys, and Dorothea Tobin, Bridget Lowry, and Mary Jude Ramirez for popsicle deliveries!
Are you interested in joining St. Gertrude’s choir? We'd love to have you!
Rehearsals are held on Thursdays from 7:00-9:00 pm in church. The choir sings at the 10:30 am Mass in church.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Kathryn at kflynn@stgertrudechicago.org.
Summer has seen wonderful connections made at the Heart to Heart Lending Closet. Ahzea Makhubu, a volunteer for Agape Mobility Ethiopia contacted us in August to see if we had any extra mobility devices. Due to the ongoing support of parishioners and members of the broader community we were able to donate over a dozen walkers, canes and crutches to Agape Mobility Ethiopia.
Closer to home, the Lending Closet phone rings daily with requests from people in need throughout Chicago. Wheelchairs, transport chairs, and shower chairs remain in short supply.
If you have items to donate, contact me at lhasbrook@stgertrudechicago.org or at the Lending Closet office number, 773-973-5464.
Thank you in advance for your generous support and donations.
~ Laurie Hasbrook, Lending Closet Manager
Last weekend, Lori Dressel and Carol Ann Munro were in church to discuss the benefits of a spiritual director and companion.
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 and Lori 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.
On Sunday, October 16, St. Gertrude welcomed Bishop Bartosic and members of the Peruvian community in Chicagoland for a Feast Day celebration of El Señor de Los Milagros (Our Lord of the Miracles).
In Lima, Peru, homage to the Peruvian Shrine of El Señor de los Milagros is known as one of the largest Catholic processions in the world. It is venerated for three days every October and attended by thousands. Devotees pray to the Lord for miracles for health, relationships, jobs, or any life challenge.
This devotion began in 1687 after the original image of our Lord, painted by an African slave, remained unscathed after a high magnitude earthquake in 1655 destroyed everything. This was the first of many miracles.
In 1979, the Lord of Miracles Mass, procession, and the Hermandad of El Señor de los Milagros (Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles) was established by six founders at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Over the past 43 years, thousands have attended the Chicago annual Mass and procession. There are countless testimonials of miracles to this day.
El Señor de Los Milagros shrine is now permanently housed in our parish after St. Ignatius closed. The shrine will temporarily be located in back of church. Its permanent home will be on the south wall just outside the shrine of the Little Flower (St. Therese of Lisieux).
History of the Shrine and Our Lord of Miracle
In Lima, Peru, homage to the Peruvian Shrine of Our Lord of Miracles (El Señor de los Milagros) is known as one of the largest Catholic processions in the world. It is venerated for three days every October and attended by thousands. Devotees pray to the Lord for miracles for health, relationships, jobs, or any life challenge.
This devotion began in 1687 after the original image of our Lord, painted by an African slave, remained unscathed after a high magnitude earthquake in 1655 destroyed everything. This was the first miracle. Over the past 43 years, thousands have attended the Chicago annual Mass and procession. There are countless testimonials of miracles to this day.
In 1979, the Lord of Miracles Mass and procession was established by six founders at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Teresa Mazzarri, the visionary, dreamt of God telling her to establish the procession in Chicago. Teresa told her sister, Vicky Ugarte, husband Cesar Ugarte, Cesar’s sister, Mercedes Ugarte, and family friends Felix Galvez and Luis Galvez, Sr. The group established the Hermandad of El Señor de los Milagros (Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles) as a nonprofit in Illinois with a founding board of 19 members, who were their closest friends and who shared the common vision of strong faith in the Lord. In 1981, the Shrine moved from Our Lady of Lourdes to St. Ignatius Church where it has been housed for 41 years. Today, Mr. Luis Galvez Sr. is the only surviving founder.
There are many Lord of Miracles Brotherhoods throughout the U. S. and in the world. Maria Luisa Ugarte, niece of visionary Teresa Mazzarri, niece of Mercedes Ugarte and daughter of Cesar & Vicky Ugarte has been filming a documentary to record the Chicago history while Mr. Luis Galvez Sr., the only surviving founder, is writing the book of the Chicago history. These community leaders plan to assure continuity of this very important cultural tradition in the Peruvian community of Chicagoland.
Thank you to Fr. Rich and St. Gertrude Parish for welcoming us and for supporting the continuity of our mission of spirituality. We will honor the Lord through prayer groups and spiritual retreats in addition to the annual celebration. All are welcome to our ministry!
~ Maria Luisa Ugarte
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