Religious Ed News

This week, we are sharing links to register for services on Palm Sunday Masses, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. HERE is a link to sign-up to attend those services in person. Click HERE for information about the Holy Week schedule, including live-streams for those Masses.  

Our parish Lenten Reconciliation Service will take place on Sunday, March 14 at 1:00 pm in church. Registration to attend in-person is available HERE. This service will not be live-streamed.  

I also encourage you to think about attending one of our weekly Stations of the Cross, held on Fridays at 3:00 pm. No registration is required. 

Confirmation Retreats  
Our next Confirmation retreats will take place soon. Group one (those making their confirmation on Saturday, May 22) will have their next retreat on Saturday, March 13  from 10:00-11:30 am. Students in group two, those making their Confirmation on Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass, will have their next retreat on Saturday, March 20. Zoom links and a second packet will be emailed to parents and to students later.

Just a reminder for both groups - there are a number of forms that need to be filled out during the Confirmation process. The due dates are: 

• February - Registration form, baptismal certificates, and sponsor information 
• March and April - Service project information
• April- Confirmation name 
• May - Letter to Fr. Rich  

Next Week: First Reconciliation Walk-Thru
Father Mike Gabriel will host a Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 pm where he will walk-thru what to expect at the First Reconciliation service with children and their parents. A link to the meeting will be sent the week of the meeting.

First Reconciliation is Monday, March 15 at 6:30 pm in the church. Please register for the service HERE.

Just a reminder that if you have not sent me a registration form and copy of your child's baptismal certificate, please do so as soon as possible.  

Spring Break Dates
Our spring break will take place over Holy Week and the Tuesday after Easter. So there are classes on Tuesday, March 23, with a break on March 30 and April 6. The schedule is below.

• March 23 - There is class
• March 30 - No class
• April 6 - No class
• April 13 - There is class

There will be no Religious Education newsletters sent on Friday, March 26 or Good Friday, April 2.  

 This Sunday is the beginning of the second week of Lent. It's not too late to start a Lenten activity or new family tradition! I found this article about children and Lenten practices to be really interesting. 

This Lent, our Almoner's Program will help clients of Care for Real and The Night Ministry. In the past many of you and your children would get the McDonald gift cards from me in the back of church. It was clear that as a family you had talked about the program and had someone in mind to give the cards to. I would enjoy hearing about how the encounters unfolded the following week.    

This year, while we have lost the personal interaction, we can still support two neighborhood groups as they help others. Continue the discussions about almsgiving that you have begun in previous Lents. You might consider encouraging your children to contribute to the family donation from their allowance or pocket money. It is never the amount that matters but the habit of giving from what we have that is important. There is a collection box in church if you come to Mass in person or you can use the link below.

Donate to our Almoner's Program 

I also encourage you to think about attending one of our weekly Stations of the Cross, held on Fridays at 3:00 pm, with no registration required. We also just announced our Holy Week schedule here.

Confirmation Retreats  
Our Confirmation retreats are going well! I was so appreciative of all of your young adults, their comments were insightful, thoughtful, and really showed me how far they have come in the development of their faith.

Our next Confirmation retreats will take place in March. Group one (those making their confirmation on Saturday, May 22) will have their next retreat on Saturday, March 13  from 10:00-11:30 am. Students in group two, those making their Confirmation on Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass, will have their next retreat on Saturday, March 20. Zoom links and a second packet will be emailed to parents and to students later.

Just a reminder for both groups - there are a number of forms that need to be filled out during the Confirmation process. The due dates are: 

• February - Registration form, baptismal certificates, and sponsor information 
• March and April - Service project information
• April- Confirmation name 
• May - Letter to Fr. Rich  

Date for First Reconciliation Set for Monday, March 15
This is a reminder to sign-up for First Reconciliation - Monday, March 15 at 6:30 pm in the church. Please register for the service HERE.

Father Mike Gabriel will host a Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 pm where he will walk-thru what to expect at the First Reconciliation service with children and their parents. A link to the meeting will be sent the week of the meeting.

Just a reminder that if you have not sent me a registration form and copy of your child's baptismal certificate, please do so as soon as possible.  

I hope you and your family are doing well during this ice age!

Lent 2021
During Lent, the three penitential practices we follow are Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. These three help us to let go of our control over everything we think we have control over in order to place our trust in God. This letting go allows God to help us be transformed. 

I invite you to read more about ways to incorporate the above practices in your daily lives, as well as learn how our Almoner's Program will help clients of Care for Real and The Night Ministry, and details of our Friday Stations of the Cross here:

• The Three Lenten Disciplines: Prayer, Fasting & Almsgiving
• Our Lenten Almoner’s Program Begins Next Sunday
• Weekly Stations of the Cross Begin This Friday

Parish Fundraiser: Auction 2021
Our week-long Silent Auction ends in a live auction event this Sunday, February 21. What's available? Check out our items HERE!

We have gift cards to area restaurants, exquisitely made scarves, shawls, bowls, quilts, and cards, baskets of books, signed books, kitchen tools, one-of-a-kind experiences, expert consultations, and much more. 

The Live Auction event will begin at 7:00 pm on Sunday, February 21. There are some amazing items that will be auctioned off during the live event, including a Costa Rican vacation, some terrific dinners specially prepared for winners, and unique tours, and more. 

To access the live auction: 

• Go to https://stgertrudeparish.schoolauction.net/auction2021/virtual
• Follow the directions on the screen
• Or you can watch this video on our parish website!

REMINDER: Confirmation Retreat Held This Saturday (for Group Two Students Making Their Confirmation on Sunday, May 23) 
There is a retreat scheduled for this Saturday, February 20 from 10:00-11:30 am for the students in group two, those making their Confirmation on Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass. A Zoom link was emailed to parents and to students. Please let me know if you didn't receive it!

Pre-work packets have also been sent out. Let me know if you did not receive one. 

Just a reminder for both groups - there are a number of forms that need to be filled out during the Confirmation process. The due dates are: 

• February - Registration form, baptismal certificates, and sponsor information 
• March and April - Service project information
• April- Confirmation name 
• May - Letter to Fr. Rich  

Date for First Reconciliation Set for Monday, March 15
This is a reminder to sign-up for First Reconciliation - Monday, March 15 at 6:30 pm in the church. Please register for the service HERE.

Father Mike Gabriel will host a Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 pm where he will walk-thru what to expect at the First Reconciliation service with children and their parents.  

Per our Religious Ed schedule, there are no classes planned for this Tuesday, February 16. 

Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is next week - February 17. Masses on Ash Wednesday are at 7:30 am, 8:40 am (NCA live-streamed, all are welcome), and 7:00 pm (live-streamed on the parish Facebook page.) 

As with all things this year, it will look a bit different. Registration is required to attend in person, two Masses (the 8:40 am NCA Mass and the 7:00 pm Mass in church) will be live-streamed, distribution of ashes will be done with a Q-tip, and there will be no ashes distributed prior to Mass or if you stop by the Rectory. Click HERE for all the details. 

Stations of the Cross
I also invite your family to attend one (or more!) of our weekly Stations of the Cross. They are held Fridays at 3:00 pm in church during Lent, beginning February 19. No registration is required. Participants will remain in their pews so we can observe social-distancing guidelines.  

Parish Fundraiser: Auction 2021
On Friday, bidding for items in our silent auction begins. Please consider checking out what is available and participating in our Live Auction event next Sunday, February 21. A flyer explaining the Auction can be found HERE. 

REMINDER: First Confirmation Retreats Held This Saturday (for Students Making Their Confirmation on Saturday, May 22) 
There is a retreat scheduled for this Saturday, February 13 from 10:00-11:30 am for the students in Group one, those making their Confirmation on Saturday, May 22 at the 5:00 pm Mass. A Zoom link was emailed to parents and to students. Please let me know if you didn't receive it!

Group two references students making their Confirmation on Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass. They will have their first retreat next Saturday, February 20 from 10:00-11:30 am. 

Pre-work packets have been sent out. Let me know if you did not receive one. 

Just a reminder for both groups - there are a number of forms that need to be filled out during the Confirmation process. The due dates are: 

• February - Registration form, baptismal certificates, and sponsor information 
• March and April - Service project information
• April- Confirmation name 
• May - Letter to Fr. Rich  

Date for First Reconciliation Set for Monday, March 15
We have finally set a date for First Reconciliation - Monday, March 15 at 6:30 pm in the church. Please register for the service HERE.

Father Mike Gabriel will host a Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 pm where he will walk-thru what to expect at the First Reconciliation service with children and their parents.  

We've made great headway for planning sacraments. Dates have been scheduled for First Communion and Confirmation, with parent meetings either held or planned. 

First Communion News

Please join Fr. Mike Gabriel and me for a meeting about First Communion and First Reconciliation next Thursday, February 11 at 7:00 pm via Zoom. A link to that meeting was emailed to parents this past Tuesday.

While we know First Communion will be held Saturday, May 8 at 10:00 am in church, the Archdiocese of Chicago has not yet set guidance on safe procedures for First Reconciliation, so that is still unscheduled.

In preparation for the above sacraments, I will need a completed sacramental registration form and a copy of the baptismal certificate for your child.

If your child was baptized at St. Gertrude, call the rectory office at 773.764.3621 and arrange for a copy of the baptismal certificate to be placed in my mailbox. Please have the date of the baptism available when you call. I will need a copy of the baptismal record before I can register your child for the sacrament.

8th-Grade Confirmation Info
I appreciate those families who have emailed me their preference for their young adult making their Confirmation on Saturday, May 22 at 5:00 pm or Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass. Saturday’s date is now full. 

As discussed during the Confirmation parent meeting in January, we still intend to have our young adults gather for retreats, held online via Zoom. There will be four retreats, one each month, leading up to the May Confirmation Masses. Each retreat will be roughly 90 minutes long and held on Saturday mornings from 10:00-11:30 am. 

We will cluster our young adults into two groups according to the Confirmation date chosen – Saturday or Sunday. By having the same groups gather each month, we hope it will help the students get familiar with each other and be more comfortable openly discussing topics of faith. 

Group one is comprised of students making their Confirmation on Saturday, May 22 at the 5:00 pm Mass. Group two references students making their Confirmation on Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass.  

Our retreat dates are:
Group one:

• Saturday, February 13
• Saturday, March 13
• Saturday, April 17
• Saturday, May 1

Group two:

• Saturday, February 20
• Saturday, March 20
• Saturday, April 24
• Saturday,  May 15

Zoom invites will be emailed to parents next week.

There are a number of forms that need to be filled out during the Confirmation process. The due dates are: 

• February - Registration form, baptismal certificates, and sponsor information 
• March and April - Service project information
• April- Confirmation name 
• May - Letter to Fr. Rich  

Happy Friday! Can you believe that we are officially halfway through the school year?

First Communion News
Father Mike Gabriel, teacher Ginvera Clark, and I met this week to plan the Sacrament of First Communion. We will continue our tradition of celebrating First Communion on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, Saturday, May 8.

At this time, we are planning to have Father Mike G preside over one Mass for all the children and their families. I'll have more news about First Communion parent meetings and retreats (held via Zoom) in February. 

Grades 3-4 Update
In my class, we are continuing to learn about sacraments, currently focusing on baptism. Earlier this week, I emailed parents a PDF of a baptism packet to be used as a template for their children to learn about the details of their baptism. HERE is a link to a Google doc of the PDF to download if that is easier for you.   

8th-Grade Confirmation Info
Parents of 8th-graders can find all necessary Confirmation forms on our website HERE. Parents of Confirmation candidates have been asked to email me with their choice of a Confirmation date - either Saturday, May 22 at the 5:00 pm Mass or Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass. 

Recap of 7th & 8th-Grade Classes
Steve Monti, the class teacher, provided an update: "Last night, we discussed why God allows people to harm one another and this led to a discussion of free will. In the remaining time, we read the parable of the Prodigal Son. We'll follow up the story next class." 

He also asks parents to pick up their bibles from the Rectory. The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory. Please call before you come! 

Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,

Happy Friday! I hope this weekend provides some rest and relaxation for your family!

The third and fourth grade is moving forward with a discussion about the seven sacraments, what they are, and what they mean.  The children have been asked to interview their parents about their baptism and share what they learned about where it was, who came, their godparents, who they were chosen, if any family traditions were practiced, etc.

Our first presentation was this past Tuesday and it was interesting and fun to hear their stories!  

Our fifth and sixth-grade class reviewed the different kinds of psalms, how and why rules are set by parents and God, and the differences between choices made as a kid versus those decisions made by adults.   

8th-Grade Confirmation Info
Parents of 8th-graders met yesterday, Thursday, January 21. Parents heard about our plan for Confirmation and have been asked to notify me which is better for their family - either Saturday, May 22 at the 5:00 pm Mass or Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass. We also talked about service hours, retreats, and paperwork required. 

Three Reminders: Correction to the Calendar/Parents of 7-8th Graders Need to Pick up Their Bibles/Cameras On

• There is a correction to the Religious Ed school calendar. Our spring break will take place over Holy Week and the Tuesday after Easter. So there are classes on Tuesday, March 23, with a break on March 30 and April 6. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 13. Our Religious Ed Parent Packet has been updated here. 
• Families of our seventh and eighth-grade students are asked to stop by the Rectory in the near future to pick up the bibles we ordered for them. The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory. Please call before you come!
• Please ask your children to keep their cameras on so everyone can see each other in order to foster a more open and inviting learning environment.

I hope you and your families are doing well during this unsettling time. In our parish bulletin last week, we included a prayer for our nation, adapted from a reflection written by Sister Joan Chittister. It's linked here for your family if you'd like to read it and share it with your loved ones. 

3rd & 4th Grade Update
As promised this school year, we are regularly sharing what is being taught in each class. Below is an update on what I'm teaching in our 3rd and 4th-grade class:

This week, we eased back into class with a discussion about how we celebrated Christmas and winter break. We started to learn about the seven sacraments, what they are, and what they mean.  

I was so impressed with how the kids tackled new vocabulary, carefully sounding out the words as they read to the group. I'm also grateful for their enthusiastic participation and how they share little stories about their home life that is so charming and funny. 

In the coming weeks, we will go into more detail about baptism and our Catholic identity. The children will be asked to interview their parents about their baptism and share what they learned about where it was, who came, their godparents, who they were chosen, if any family traditions were practiced, etc. 

We'll do a similar project for First Communion too. For those who have not made their First Communion yet, we will talk about possible family plans for this celebration. 

8th-Grade Confirmation Info
Earlier this week, parents of 8th-graders were notified of the date for Confirmation - either Saturday, May 22 at the 5:00 pm Mass or Sunday, May 23 at the 10:30 am Mass. Parents have been invited to attend a Zoom meeting at 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 21 to hear information about service hours, retreats, and paperwork required.

Reminder - Correction/Update to the Religious Ed Class Calendar
There is a correction to the Religious Ed school calendar. Our spring break will take place over Holy Week and the Tuesday after Easter. So there are classes on Tuesday, March 23, with a break on March 30 and April 6. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 13. Our Religious Ed Parent Packet has been updated here. 

Reminder: 7th & 8th Grade Families Need to Pick-up Bibles from the Rectory
Families of our seventh and eighth-grade students are asked to stop by the Rectory in the near future to pick up the bibles we ordered for them. The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday.Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory. 

Please call before you come! 

This Tuesday, January 12, we will welcome back our Religious Ed students after a much-needed break. I hope your family's time off was restful.

The start of the new year is also an ideal time to check in with families about the Religious Education program. Are things going well with classes? If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, I'm happy to hear from you. Please reach out to me via email at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org  or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621. 

Correction/Update to the Religious Ed Class Calendar
There is a correction to the Religious Ed school calendar. Our spring break will take place over Holy Week and the Tuesday after Easter.  

So there are classes on Tuesday, March 23, with a break on March 30 and April 6. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 13. Our Religious Ed Parent Packet has been updated here. 

Reminder: 7th & 8th Grade Families Need to Pick-up Bibles from the Rectory
Families of our seventh and eighth-grade students are asked to stop by the Rectory in the near future to pick up the bibles we ordered for them. The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday.Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory. Please call before you come! 

There is a correction to the Religious Ed school calendar. Our spring break will take place over Holy Week and the Tuesday after Easter. 

So there are classes on Tuesday, March 23, with a break on March 30 and April 6. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 13. Our Religious Ed Parent Packet has been updated here.  

Christmas Mass Schedule/No Classes Until January 12

Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,

Merry Christmas to you and your families! I hope your Christmas break is filled with peace and joy and is a true break from the rigors of online learning. 

Ginevra (grades 1-2), Suzanne (grades 5-6), Steve (grades 7-8), and I are so grateful for the incredible support of our Religious Ed families. We recognize this school year has been exceptionally rough on our entire parish community, particularly so for our Religious Ed students and their parents. We are so appreciative of the opportunity to interact with your children.

We are off for the next few weeks, with classes resuming on January 12, 2021. 

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass Schedule
Do you want to attend Christmas Eve or Day Mass in Church? Registration is required! We've just added a 6:30 pm Christmas Eve Mass, as our 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass is at maximum capacity. Spots for the 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Mass may open up as people switch to the 6:30 pm Mass. 

Our full schedule is below: 

Thursday, December 24 ~ Christmas Eve

• 5:00 pm ~ Christmas Eve Family Mass in Church and live-streamed (Musical prelude at 4:50 pm.)  Limited availability - click HERE for reservations to attend Mass in person.   
• 6:30 pm ~ Mass in Church (Musical prelude at 6:20 pm.) (This Mass is not live-streamed.) Click HERE for reservations to attend Mass in person. 

Friday, December 25 ~ Christmas Day

• 8:00 am ~ Mass in Church (Musical prelude at 7:50 am.) (This Mass is not live-streamed.) Click HERE for reservations to attend Mass in person. 
• 10:30 am ~ Mass in Church and live-streamed (Musical prelude at 10:20 am.) Click HERE for reservations to attend Mass in person. 

Staying Home This Christmas? Watch Services via Facebook Live or on our YouTube Channel!

We will live-stream the 5:00 pm Mass on Christmas Eve and the 10:30 am Mass on Christmas Day on our parish Facebook page. After these services are over, they will be posted on our parish's YouTube channel. Please note, when you go to our Facebook page, we will go live about 15 minutes before the service and you will need to scroll down the page to look for the LIVE icon on the video, which will also be labeled with the day and time (e.g. Thursday, December 24 - Christmas Eve 5:00 pm Family Mass.

Live Christmas Music Played Before Masses
If you plan to attend Christmas services in person or watch the live-stream, please consider coming/tuning in ten minutes early as there will be instrumental arrangements of popular Christmas carols.

Again, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate 

This weekend, we celebrate the third Sunday in Advent, which focuses on joy. We are all invited to read, pray, and reflect on the joy that comes from God's love, the birth of Jesus, and the light of Christ.

As promised this school year, we are regularly updating families about what is being taught in each class.

5th & 6th Grade Update
Suzanne Stryczak, our fifth and sixth-grade teacher, has been teaching that Jesus is the incarnate, long-awaited Messiah as foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament.

Students have been asked to read about the details of Jesus’ birth in the gospels of Matthew (1:18 – 25, 2:1-23) and Luke (2:1-21) and complete an Advent assignment by December 15.

7th & 8th Grade Update
Steve Monti, our seventh and eighth-grade teacher, reported that his class has been reviewing the different sacraments and going over the different seasons in the liturgical year. 

Additionally, families of our seventh and eighth-grade students are asked to stop by the Rectory in the near future to pick up the bibles we ordered for them. The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory. Please call before you come!

Christmas Eve Family Mass/Christmas Day Masses and Musical Prelude/Masses for the New Year
If you are interested in attending the Christmas Eve Family Mass and our Christmas Day Masses in person, please sign up! If you are unable to attend in person, I invite you to watch the live-stream of the 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve or the 10:30 am Mass on Christmas Day on our parish Facebook page. After these services are over, they will be posted on our parish's YouTube channel. 

Please consider coming/viewing ten minutes early as there will be instrumental arrangements of popular Christmas carols. We will have professional trumpeter, Scott Baker, at all three Masses (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) and fellow parishioners, Jim Szmurlo (trumpet) and Nicholas Bussey (trombone) will join him at the 5:00 pm and 10:30 am, respectively.

Registration is also available to attend Masses in-person on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The 10:30 am Mass on New Year's Day will be live-streamed on our parish Facebook page. 

Giving Tree
We also ask you to consider taking part in our parish's Giving Tree. This program supports people in need in our community this Christmas season, specifically, those people helped by Care of Real and the families sponsored by our Refugee Ministry. Due to the pandemic, our entire collection of gifts will consist of gift cards. You can read more about it HERE. Gift cards can be dropped off at the Rectory or even mailed to the Church by Wednesday, December 16. 

We are officially in Advent! This past Tuesday, most of our Religious Ed classes talked about Christmas and the true meaning of this holy time. Most classes will continue to discuss Advent on December 8 and also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated that day. 

Christmas Eve Family Mass/Christmas Day Masses/Masses for the New Year
If you are interested in attending the Christmas Eve Family Mass and our Christmas Day Masses in person, please sign up! If you are unable to attend in person, I invite you to watch the live-stream of the 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve or the 10:30 am Mass on Christmas Day on our parish Facebook page.  After these services are over, they will be posted on our parish's YouTube channel. Registration is also available for Masses on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Giving Tree
We also ask you to consider taking part in our parish's Giving Tree. This program supports people in need in our community this Christmas season, specifically, those people helped by Care of Real and the families sponsored by our Refugee Ministry. Due to the pandemic, our entire collection of gifts will consist of gift cards. You can read more about it HERE. Gift cards can be dropped off at the Rectory or even mailed to the Church.

7th & 8th Grade Parents - Please Pick Up Your Child's Bible at the Rectory
The bibles we ordered for our seventh and eighth-grade students have arrived. Please stop by the Rectory soon to pick them up. The office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory. Please call before you come! 

Happy Advent! We look forward to classes this month during this special time of year. Please note there will not be a Religious Ed newsletter sent out this Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. 

Our next break will be over Christmas vacation. There will be no classes on December 22, December 29, and January 5.

If you still need to pick up your child's books for the school year, please note that the St. Gertrude parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Here are our Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory.  Please call before you come! 

Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week! I am so grateful for our Religious Ed community's strong support this school year. Weekly attendance has been excellent and the children have been friendly and engaged. Thank you so much for helping make Religious Education classes meaningful! 

I hope your family's Thanksgiving is safe and happy. I'm attaching a prayer below to share with your family. St. Gertrude is celebrating Mass at 10:00 am on November 26 that will be live-streamed on our parish Facebook page. 

I also want to remind you that we WILL have classes on Tuesday, November 24! But there will not be a Religious Ed newsletter sent next Friday.

Prayer for Thanksgiving Day
Thank you, God, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow, and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health, and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.

— From The Catholic Prayer Book, compiled by Msgr. Michael Buckley 

Reminder: Cameras On
Usually, students usually get to know their classmates as the year progresses by interacting with each other in class. With distance learning, however, building a sense of community within the class is difficult, especially when students see a grid of blank squares instead of the faces of their classmates. Please ask your children to keep their cameras on so everyone can see each other in order to foster a more open and inviting learning environment.

Please Pick Up Your Child's Books
If you have yet to pick up your child's books for the school year at the Rectory, please stop by during the parish's office hours -  Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Please review the Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory and call before you come!

Zoom Links
Please email me if you need the Zoom links for each session which will remain the same throughout the school year.  (We cannot post them on the website.)

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns! Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate 

Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,

Thank you so much for helping to make the start of the Religious Ed school year successful! Classes have been going smoothly and attendance has been good. I appreciate all of our families getting their students logged on and ready to participate.

Usually, students usually get to know their classmates as the year progresses by interacting with each other in class. With distance learning, however, building a sense of community within the class is difficult, especially when students see a grid of blank squares instead of the faces of their classmates. In order to create a more open and inviting learning environment, I ask that students turn their cameras on so everyone can see each other. 

Grades 1 & 2 Lesson Content

This school year, we'll regularly keep families updated on what is being taught in each class. Below is an update from Ginevra Clark, our first and second-grade teacher: 

Each week, the first and second-grade will read a little from each text and sing songs/watch videos to connect the lessons. You may want to go through some of the other exercises in the book with your child or do the "Family + Faith" exercises at the end.  

This week, we explored God's Creation and being a good shepherd. We read the story of David and talked about what it means to be a good shepherd. We also watched the first few minutes of this video and talked about modern-day shepherds. We saw how God's blessings are appreciated!

The students each came up with one thing that they will do this week to be a good shepherd. Ideas ranged from planting seeds, building insect homes, washing out the recycling, picking up litter, and taking care of pets. Next week, they will be asked to share what they did.  They may wish to write it down or draw a picture of what they did. 

This Tuesday, we will continue to talk about God's creation and making good choices.  We will link the ideas by talking about the honorable harvest. The students will choose one step in the honorable harvest to incorporate into their faith and practice.  We will watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEm7gbIax0o. 

Please Pick Up Child's Books
If you have yet to pick up your child's books for the school year at the Rectory, please stop by during the parish's office hours -  Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Please review the Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory and call before you come! 

Zoom Links
Please email me if you need the Zoom links for each session which will remain the same throughout the school year. 

 As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns! 

~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate  

Dear St. Gertrude Religious Education Families,

I'm looking forward to seeing your children this Tuesday, November 10! Please remember to pick up your child's books for the school year at the Rectory before then, the students will need them for their classes. 

The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from  9:00 am-2:30 pm and 8:30-11:30 am on Sunday. Please review the Parishioner Guidelines for Visiting the Rectory and call before you come! 

Class Assignments
For grades 5 and 6, Ms. Stryczek has asked the children to complete this worksheet and bring it to class. 

Zoom Links
Please email me if you need the Zoom links for each session which will remain the same throughout the school year. 

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns! 

~ Kevin Chears, Pastoral Associate