Classes Begin This Tuesday, October 27
Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,
Thank you so much to those parents and guardians that were able to attend one of our parent meetings on Tuesday. I appreciate your time and the ideas you shared to make this year meaningful for our students yet considerate of the many stressors our Religious Ed community is facing during this pandemic.
I am also grateful for our catechists who attended, Ginevra Clark (first and second grades), Suzanne Stryczek (fifth and sixth grades), and Steve Monti (seven and eighth grades).
This Tuesday. October 27, the first of our Religious Ed classes will begin! This first week will be low-key and a chance for the teachers and students to introduce themselves and get to know one other. No prep work is assigned to any of our students. Zoom links for each session, which will remain the same throughout the school year, were in the email sent out this week. Contact me if you did not receive our Rel Ed newsletter.
Religious Ed Books are Coming Soon!
I'm expecting the books for this year to be delivered to the Rectory next week. I plan to share pick-up times after organizing them into family packets. Since there is no class on Tuesday, November 3, the first time students will need the books is just before our November 10 class. I'm hoping that will give parents enough time to make a trip to the Rectory or Church to grab their children's materials.
As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns! I'm looking forward to seeing your children on Tuesday,
~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral AssociateParent Packet, Catechist Needed, Fees, Sacramental Info
- The Religious Ed parent packet can be found HERE. (This online version of the packet does not have Zoom links.)
- We are looking for a volunteer to teach third and fourth-grade!. We have one person that is interested in teaching and cannot commit to weekly sessions. They are willing to co-teach and are looking for a partner. If you are interested, please email me!
- If you still need to reschedule your child's First Communion or Confirmation from spring 2020, please email me at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.
- Later in the school year, there will be parent meetings for those who have children making their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation in spring of 2021 and those parents of 7th graders who are in their first year of Sacramental prep for Confirmation,
- Fees for Religious Ed can be paid online via GiveCentral. Parishioners pay $185 for their entire household. The cost for non-parishioner families to attend classes is $205. Sacrament fees are $50.
Rel Ed Update-Oct 16
Parent Meeting This Tuesday/Religious Ed Parent Packet Available
Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,
This Tuesday, October 20, I will host two Zoom meetings for parents and guardians to review this year's Religious Ed plan. One will be held at 5:00 pm and another one will be held at 7:00 pm. Parents are welcome to attend the session that works best with their schedule. Links were sent out via email. (Please contact me if you need them resent, we will not be posting them on our website.)
These links will be the same for Religious Ed classes, which will officially begin on Tuesday, October 27.
Religious Ed Parent Packet
I'm also including a link to our Religious Ed parent packet. It outlines the calendar for the year, learning topics broken down by grade, and family resources.
As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns! I'm looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday,
~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate
October 15 Update
Time to Meet Finalized
After receiving feedback from Religious Ed families, the time for Religious Ed classes has been changed. Grades 1-4 will meet online on Tuesdays from 5:00-5:45 pm and grades 5-8 will have classes on Tuesdays from 7:00-7:45 pm.
There will be a parent meeting held on October 20 at 5:00 pm and repeated at 7:00 pm. The first class with children will be on Tuesday, October 27. (Zoom links will be emailed tomorrow in the Religious Ed newsletter.)
We will group the following grades together:
- Grades 1 and 2
- Grades 3 and 4
- Grades 5 and 6
- Grades 7 and 8
Students will use the OSV Alive in Christ series and lesson plans. All students will receive a grade-specific edition and will be asked to review a brief chapter before class. During our online lessons, the theme/subject will be explored further with discussions and activities.
Call for Catechists
We are still looking for a few more volunteers to be Religious Ed teachers, particularly someone willing to share the role and teach every other week. Please note, lesson plans and materials will be provided. Additionally, lessons will be much shorter than in the past - at most 30-40 minutes weekly. If you are interested, please email Kevin Chears at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
Weekly Religious Ed newsletters are sent on Friday afternoons. If you would like to receive them please email kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
Click the image to be taken to our Religious Ed page and scroll down for all recent updates.
October 4 Update-Start Time Reconsidered
Religious Ed Classes Start Time Reconsidered/Catechists Needed
Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,
Thank you to those families that have registered for this year's Religious Ed program! If you haven't signed up yet, please use this fillable PDF form, save it, and email it to me at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
Start Time Reconsidered
Scheduling is always a difficult thing to get right. After I sent out last week's email about a 7:00 pm start time, it was very thoughtfully pointed out to me that this was late for young children.
I want to meet the needs of our Religious Ed community and am reconsidering the start time for classes on Tuesday. I would appreciate your input on a start time that works for your children.
We would still hold classes via Zoom on Tuesdays, but one option is splitting the Religious Ed meetings into two different time blocks, specifically grades 1-4 and grades 5-8. The younger kids could meet as early as 4:00-4:45 pm and the older grades from 5 to 5:45 pm. Please email me to share your thoughts.
Call for Catechists
Would you be willing to be a Religious Ed teacher this year? I could really use your help and so could the children of our parish. This year's structure is to start as a group with a prayer, followed by me (as the Zoom host) sending teachers and students to the assigned breakout rooms. Each grade will have specific learning goals and lesson plans and materials will be provided. Additionally, lessons will be much short than in the past - at most 30-40 minutes weekly.
I'm also considering combining a few grades, specifically 3rd and 4th grades, and 5th and 6th grades. Please email me if you can help! A few final reminders:
- If you still need to reschedule your child's First Communion or Confirmation from spring 2020, please email me or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.
- Later in the school year, there will be parent meetings for those who have children making their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation in spring of 2021 and those parents of 7th graders who are in their first year of Sacramental prep for Confirmation,
- Fees for Religious Ed can be paid online via GiveCentral. Parishioners pay $185 for their entire household. The cost for non-parishioner families to attend classes is $205. Sacrament fees are $50.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate
Religious Ed News (September 25, 2020)
Registration for Religious Ed Classes is Open/Classes to be Held Online via Zoom on Tuesdays at 7:00
To say that this will be an unusual year is an understatement! But we are building a comprehensive Religious Education program that will continue to share our Catholic traditions and encourage a loving relationship with God.
Registration is now open for our Religious Ed program! Please use this fillable PDF form, save it, and email it to me at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
This school year, our classes will move to Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm. Lessons will be held on Zoom and will be no longer than 45 minutes per session. Our first session will be on Tuesday, October 20.
Each lesson will begin as a group with an opening prayer. Afterward, children will go into different "rooms" for their classes. Next week, we will outline each grades' learning goals.
Fees
We have moved to a flat fee structure for this year. Parishioners pay $185 for their entire household. The cost for non-parishioner families to attend classes is $205. Sacrament fees are $50. All fees can be paid online via GiveCentral.
Rescheduled Sacraments
We are back on track to begin the postponed celebrations of First Communions and Confirmations! Our first group of First Communion candidates will be at the 5:00 pm Mass next Saturday, October 3. The first group of Confirmation candidates will be at the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday, October 4.
If you still need to schedule your child's First Communion or Confirmation, please email me or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.
2021 Sacraments - Confirmation, First Communion, First Reconciliation
Sacramental preparation for 2021 will begin with a parent meeting for 7th-grade students in their first year of preparation for Confirmation. It will be held in October via Zoom at a date and time to be announced. When you register for Religious Education, please indicate that your child is due to start sacramental preparation on your registration form.
Meetings for the parents of 8th-grade Confirmation candidates in their second year of preparation for Confirmation will also be scheduled. We are waiting to hear about a date for Confirmation from the Archdiocese.
We will continue our tradition of celebrating First Communion on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, May 8. Parent meetings regarding First Reconciliation and First Communion will be held in January.
Of course, all sacramental celebrations are subject to guidance for gatherings from the archdiocese.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate
Our Goals This Year
The goal of our Religious Education program for this year is to nurture the development of a life-long faith by providing age-approach lessons that encourage a personal and communal relationship with God.
Religious Ed Update
A Letter from Fr. Rich
September 13, 2020
Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,
On Friday afternoon, Jim Potthast resigned as the Coordinator of Religious Education and Youth Minister at St. Gertrude Parish. While I was frustrated with the evasiveness and non-responsiveness on his part to questions from both staff and Religious Ed families about the coming year and the celebration of postponed sacraments, his sudden resignation still came as a surprise.
After reviewing documents that he left behind, I was alarmed and deeply concerned when the rectory staff and I discovered how little information has been shared with you.
We are working on figuring out Religious Education classes for this year and celebrating postponed sacramental celebrations from 2020. We hope to be able to share a plan about both within the next ten days.
- Religious Education Classes: Our aim is to begin a new year of classes in early October. It will likely be online.
- First Communions in 2020: Originally, the first of these celebrations were supposed to start this weekend, September 12-13. When we discovered Jim had not informed families of any schedule, it became clear that we had to move the starting dates. We hope we can get a new schedule done quickly and start the celebrations by the first weekend in October. (If you had indicated on forms sent out earlier that you preferred a celebration in September, we may be contacting you by phone to see about other possible dates.)
- Confirmations in 2020: Like First Communion, these first of several Confirmation celebrations was supposed to start this weekend. Because the Archdiocese has authorized pastors to confirm young adults who were scheduled to be confirmed in the spring, we will be able to plan a new schedule quickly. We hope the first round of Confirmation celebrations will be done the first weekend in October. (If you had indicated on forms sent out earlier that you preferred a celebration in September, we may be contacting you by phone to see about other possible dates.)
- Sacramental Preparation for First Communion & Confirmation in 2021: The plan for students preparing for First Communion and Confirmation (whether in their first or second year of preparation) will be announced soon.
Like you, I am disappointed in this development and the confusion this has caused, especially for the children and families preparing for First Communion and Confirmation. I am deeply sorry for the upset it has and will cause your families.
Thank you for your patience as we try to sort this all out and get back on track. Please feel free to contact me or our pastoral associate, Kevin Chears, at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org with any questions or concerns.
~ Fr. Rich Prendergast, Pastor
rprendergast@stgertrudechicago.org
Letter Sent on September 18
As you hopefully know by now, we are working to schedule the First Communions and Confirmations that were to be made in the spring. Small groups of six children/young adults and their families will make their First Communion or Confirmation every weekend from October 3 through November 15.
Rectory staff has been reaching out to these families via phone and email to schedule a date and time that works for them. We will continue to do so until everyone has been contacted and a date has been set for each of them to make their sacraments. Please look for emails or calls from us if you have not yet heard from rectory staff! You are also welcome to email me at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org with questions, concerns, or preferred dates.
Additionally, we expect to begin Religious Ed classes in mid-October. Classes will be primarily held online to ensure everyone’s safety and because we are following the guidelines from the Archdiocese of Chicago regarding parish-based Religious Education programs.
However, we are well aware that the vast majority of our Religious Ed families have CPS students who are using remote learning. In this challenging environment, we can only imagine how difficult it must be for both kids and families.
As we are planning for the upcoming year, we are looking for ways to lessen online learning burnout. Although students will in mid-October, we still will end classes in May. We are keenly interested in hearing your thoughts about how we can make online Religious Ed classes a success. If you have any ideas about how classes could work and be better and/or easier on families, please email me by Wednesday, September 23 at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
Again, we appreciate your patience as we reschedule First Communions and Confirmations and work to develop a comprehensive plan for online Religious Ed.
~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate
Religious Ed
An Update on Religious Education and First Communion and Confirmation Catch-Ups
On Friday, September 11, Jim Potthast, our Coordinator of Religious Education and Youth Ministry, resigned his position here at St. Gertrude. His unexpected and swift departure has left us in a bind. In fact, that weekend we had expected to begin celebrations of First Communion and Confirmation (postponed because of the pandemic), as well as the start of Religious Education classes.
We’re working hard to schedule the First Communions and Confirmations that were to be made in the spring. The new plan is that they will be celebrated each weekend beginning October 3 through November 15. Each celebration will be limited to six children/young adults and their families. Rectory staff will be reaching out to these families to schedule a date and time this week!
We are working out the details of the sacramental preparation programs for 2021 First Communion and Confirmation.
As for Religious Education classes, registration will begin September 26-27, with online classes beginning in mid-October.
If you have a question regarding rescheduled sacraments, date preferences, or suggestions about Religious Ed classes, please reach out to Kevin Chears at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
I am very sorry for all the families who have been adversely affected by this turn of events. Hopefully, in a few more weeks, things will be back to a regular schedule. Thank you to all of you for your patience and understanding!
~ Fr. Rich
