Update for April 18, 2021

This weekend and next, we begin implementing the tri-parish transition process as a result of the Renew My Church initiative. This Sunday, April 18, Fr. Noel Reyes from St. Jerome will preside at the Spanish language Mass at St. Ignatius at 11:00 am, followed by a gathering and Q & A opportunity for parishioners of St. Ignatius with parishioners and pastors from St. Jerome and St. Gertrude.

Next Sunday, April 25, I will preside at the 9:00 am English language Mass and all of us will again be available at a gathering for St. Ignatius parishioners after the Mass. 

In the next few weeks, we will share some dates when we have invited St. Ignatius parishioners to visit St. Jerome and/or St. Gertrude parishes to see if they are interested in joining either parish.

As we have been discussing since this initiative began, while we expect most of the Spanish-speaking parishioners to transition to St. Jerome and most of the English-speaking parishioners to transition to St. Gertrude, it is up to each parishioner to make their own determination. For parishioners with children, Religious Education may be a significant part of the decision-making process. Families may choose to join St. Jerome, where they have the option of a Spanish-language R.E. program and worshipping in Spanish. Or if they prefer an English-speaking R.E. program and worship in English, they may opt to join St. Gertrude.

Special thanks to the volunteers from the Parish Pastoral Council and Renew My Church groups who will be representing St. Gertrude at these initial gatherings and will be the coordinators of our hospitality for the St. Ignatius parishioners when they come to visit. This same group of volunteers will be part of a team composed of representatives from the other parishes, as well as representatives from Loyola University and the Jesuit Community at Loyola as we consider the possibility of a joint Mission Center involving the parishes and the university. 

~ Father Rich 

To the faith communities of St. Ignatius, St. Jerome, and St. Gertrude parishes

We, the three pastoral leaders of the Rogers Park-Edgewater Catholic community, want to share our thoughts to assist the transition of the three parishes into two parishes this summer. For St Ignatius parishioners, the loss of their parish weighs heavily on their minds and hearts. Working together with all the members of the three parishes, we hope to be able to develop strategies that can move us forward in creating a renewed parish life in Rogers Park and Edgewater.

We hope that your Lenten season has begun prayerfully and well, especially during this ongoing pandemic time. In the second reading of Ash Wednesday, St. Paul urges us to be “ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.” It reminds us that Lent is not only a time for personal renewal, but also for bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. In this time of transition, we all need to become ambassadors for Christ as we seek to build new relationships across “parish boundaries”. This is the hoped-for essence of the Renew My Church process.    

We three have begun to meet regularly to discuss the implementation of the decision, particularly the winding down of St. Ignatius as a parish and the welcoming of parishioners to the parishes of St. Jerome and St. Gertrude. The Renew My Church Organizational Transformation team will be assisting our parishes as part of that process. 

From now through Easter, we will be working together to plan activities to invite our sisters and brothers of St. Ignatius to join St. Jerome or St. Gertrude as their new parish homes. In the Easter season, we envision pastoral leaders and lay members of St. Gertrude and St. Jerome visiting St. Ignatius for worship and conversation on how we can support one another and welcome new members.

Representatives from all three parishes will begin discussions to explore potential opportunities for a Mission Center in the neighborhood. This planning will also engage Loyola University, the local Jesuit community, and possibly other community partners.  

Once we have walked with Jesus on his Pascal journey and celebrated his Resurrection, the level of our activities in these and other areas will expand. We encourage you to share your ideas or questions about this time of transition. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Our emails are noted below. We ask that you pray to determine how you can be an ambassador in the formation of a renewed church in Rogers Park-Edgewater.

~ Deacon Chris, cmurphy@archchicago.org, Fr. Rich Prendergast, rprendergast@stgertrudechicago.org, Fr. Noel Reyes, nreyes@archchicago.org 

On Friday, December 18, the decision for the Renew My Church for our grouping of St. Jerome, St. Ignatius, and St. Gertrude parishes was announced. St. Jerome and St. Gertrude will remain as parishes, with expanded boundaries. St. Ignatius will close within about a year.  And NCA’s primary campus will remain here at St. Gertrude.  

While I know this is good news for all of us here at St. Gertrude and for the parishioners of St. Jerome’s, I ask all of us to keep in our prayers and in our thoughts, at this time, the terrible loss the people of St. Ignatius will now go through.  

Both St. Gertrude and St. Jerome will retain their names. Once the closing of St. Ignatius is completed, its campus will be within the boundaries of St. Gertrude, which will be responsible for its day-to-day upkeep until the future of the campus is decided.

The devotional shrines at St. Ignatius will relocate in consultation with the pastors and leaders of the devotional groups. And we will also be working together with Loyola University and the Jesuit community on a potential Mission Center including determining what programs and ministries could best serve the Rogers Park/Edgewater community in that Center. 

I again want to thank our parish team for their outstanding work. In the coming weeks, there will be more information available through the newsletter and the parish web site.  You can access the document, which includes the rationale for the decision HERE.

~ Father Rich

This week, we hear the decision of Cardinal Cupich on the future make up of our grouping of parishes: St. Jerome, St. Ignatius, and St. Gertrude. Everyone is invited to be part of a virtual session at which Bishop Bartosic will announce and explain the decision. 

Everyone is invited to be part of a virtual session at which Bishop Bartosic will announce and explain the decision. This virtual meeting is this Friday, December 18 at 7:00 pm. 

Please go to https://www.renewmychurch.org/decisions/parish-announcements for details about how to access the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. After registering, you will be sent a calendar invite and link to access the broadcast. Please note, the email invite suggests that if you plan to watch the meeting on a computer, use a browser like Chrome, Edge, or Firefox (Safari is not currently supported), or download the Microsoft Teams app. If attending on a smartphone or tablet, use the Microsoft Teams app.  

On Sunday, November 29, there was a short meeting with parishioners and the RMC team to discuss the Renew My Church executive summary and answer questions about the next steps.  

It was live-streamed on our parish’s Facebook page HERE and can also be seen on our parish's YouTube channel HERE. 

The recommendations of the Renew My Church Team of St. Jerome, St. Ignatius, and St. Gertrude are linked HERE  (and below) in their executive summary report. 

The scenarios the report referenced can be found HERE.

After a meeting with our local bishop and his staff, this recommendation from the grouping will be sent downtown for consideration by the Archdiocesan Committee which reviews these recommendations and then passes it on with their own thoughts to Cardinal Cupich for a final decision.

The Renew My Church Team of St. Jerome, St. Ignatius, and St. Gertrude has completed their work. Their recommendations are linked HERE  (and below) in their executive summary report. The scenarios they reference can be found HERE.  

After a meeting with our local bishop and his staff, this recommendation from the grouping will be sent downtown for consideration by the Archdiocesan Committee which reviews these recommendations and then passes it on with their own thoughts to Cardinal Cupich for a final decision.  

Everyone is invited to a final presentation from our parish Renew My church team on Sunday, November 29, shortly after the 10:30 am Mass in church. It will be live-streamed on our parish’s Facebook page at approximately 11:30 am. This parish meeting will afford parishioners the opportunity to ask questions of the parish Renew My Church team about the final document and the process.  

The Renew My Church Team of St. Jerome, St. Ignatius, and St. Gertrude has completed their work. Their recommendations are linked HERE  (and below) in their executive summary report. The scenarios the report referenced can be found HERE and listed below:  

One parish scenarios: The three parishes would form one new (and newly named) parish with one pastor and pastoral team. If the Mission Center on St. Ignatius campus proceeds, the new parish would collaborate with Loyola U on ministry on the Mission Center. The three scenarios propose various ways the churches would be used within the new parish.

• Scenario 1: St. Gertrude and St. Jerome remain Sunday worship centers, and one of the two is designated the parish church where the sacramental records are kept for the parish. St. Ignatius ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass.
• Scenario 2: St. Gertrude and St. Ignatius remain Sunday worship centers, and St. Gertrude is designated the parish church where the sacramental records are kept for the parish. St. Jerome ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and moves toward formal closure.
• Scenario 3: St. Jerome and St. Ignatius remain Sunday worship centers, and St. Jerome is designated the parish church where the sacramental records are kept for the parish.  St. Gertrude ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and moves toward formal closure. [Note: An immediate concern with this scenario is the impact on NCA if St. Gertrude Church were to close.]

Two parish scenarios: 2 parishes (2 pastors, 2 pastoral teams) supported by one shared business / facility operations team. If the Mission Center on St. Ignatius campus proceeds, the two parishes resulting from each scenario would collaborate on ministry with each other and Loyola U at the Mission Center.

• Scenario 4: Parish 1: St. Ignatius and St. Jerome become one parish. St. Jerome is designated the parish church where the sacramental records are kept for the parish. St. Ignatius ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass. This parish union could take the form of either: St. Ignatius and St. Jerome form a new (and newly named) parish OR St. Ignatius becomes part of St. Jerome Parish. Parish 2: St. Gertrude Parish remains in its current canonical parish structure.
• Scenario 5: Parish 1: St. Ignatius and St. Jerome become one parish. Both churches continue to hold a regular Sunday Mass schedule. St. Jerome is designated the parish church where the sacramental records are kept for the parish. This parish union could take the form of either: St. Ignatius and St. Jerome form a new (and newly named) parish OR St. Ignatius Parish becomes part of St. Jerome Parish. Parish 2: St. Gertrude Parish remains in its current canonical parish structure.
• Scenario 6: St. Gertrude and St. Ignatius become one parish. St. Gertrude is designated the parish church where the sacramental records are kept for the parish. St. Ignatius ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass. This parish union could take the form of either: St. Gertrude and St. Ignatius form a new (and newly named) parish OR St. Ignatius Parish becomes part of St. Gertrude Parish. Parish 2: St. Jerome Parish remains in its current canonical parish structure.

One parish, one worship center alternative scenario:Scenario 7a-c:

• a) St. Gertrude, St. Ignatius, and St. Jerome become one parish and St. Ignatius serves as the parish church and Sunday worship center. St. Gertrude and St. Jerome cease to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and move toward formal closure. Northside Catholic Academy moves to the St. Ignatius school building. The Loyola Mission Center proposal’s viability in this scenario depends on space availability on the St. Ignatius campus.
• b) St. Gertrude, St. Ignatius, and St. Jerome become one parish and St. Jerome serves as the parish church and Sunday worship center. St. Gertrude and St. Ignatius cease to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and move toward formal closure. Northside Catholic Academy moves to the St. Jerome school building.
• c) St. Gertrude, St. Ignatius, and St. Jerome become one parish and St. Gertrude serves as the parish church and Sunday worship center. St. Ignatius and St. Jerome cease to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and move toward formal closure. The Loyola Mission Center proposal’s viability in this scenario depends on space availability on the St. Ignatius campus.

Additional scenarios without the Loyola Mission Center:These three additional scenarios assume the Loyola Mission Center does not move forward and the assets of the closed site’s parish would be split between the remaining parishes. Parishioners from the closed site can join either of the remaining parishes as they choose.

• Scenario 8: St. Jerome and St. Gertrude remain in their current canonical parish structures.St. Ignatius ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and moves toward formal closure.
• Scenario 9: St. Jerome and St. Ignatius remain in their current canonical parish structures. St. Gertrude ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and moves toward formal closure.
• Scenario 10: St. Ignatius and St. Gertrude remain in their current canonical parish structures. St. Jerome ceases to have regularly scheduled Sunday Mass and moves toward formal closure.

After a meeting with our local bishop and his staff, this recommendation from the grouping will be sent downtown for consideration by the Archdiocesan Committee which reviews these recommendations and then passes it on with their own thoughts to Cardinal Cupich for a final decision.  

Everyone is invited to a final presentation from our parish Renew My church team on Sunday, November 29, shortly after the 10:30 am Mass in church. It will be live-streamed on our parish’s Facebook page at approximately 11:30 am. This parish meeting will afford parishioners the opportunity to ask questions of the parish Renew My Church team about the final document and the process.  

Our grouping feedback & discernment team has been hard at work following the lead of the Holy Spirit to prayerfully respond to the different scenarios that hold the potential for our parish. To be sure, many of the conversations have been difficult requiring time, patience, prayer, and, above all, trust in our Lord Jesus Christ in whom all hope resides.

There is such great love for our Lord, our Church, and the parishes we call home amongst our grouping team members. I am thankful for the time and effort that has been contributed over the past few months.

Next Steps

In the coming weeks, the pastors of our grouping parishes and a few additional members of the team will present the Feedback Summary to the Renew My Church Commission’s Executive Committee: 

• Our local Vicar, Bishop Mark Bartosic
• Vicar General, Bishop Robert Casey 
• Fr. Jason Malave, Cardinal’s Liaison for RMC
• Betsy Bohlen, Chief Operating Officer for the Archdiocese
• Cliff Barber, Chief Strategy Officer for the Archdiocese
• Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese

This is an opportunity for members of our local faith communities to provide a voice to the Feedback Summary Report. There is only so much a document can tell someone about the local realities and possibilities, so having our team members spend time with the Executive Committee allows everyone to have a rich conversation about what’s unique in our grouping and amongst our parishes.

Please pray that everyone involved may allow the Holy Spirit to be the true author of our thoughts and words in these important conversations.

As always, for more information, email me at rprendergast@stgertrudechicago.org. 

From September 6-20, data was collected from 128 St. Gertrude parishioners about Renew My Church options through paper or electronic surveys, collecting both quantitative data on Renew My Church scenario rankings and qualitative data on supporting reasons for highest- and lowest-scenario rankings and related feedback. Based on this data, the major findings are:

Feedback Summary
• Two-parish scenarios were preferred among most, though not all, St.  Gertrude respondents; a single worship center approach was not generally preferred.
• While St. Gertrude respondents preferred scenarios that favored maintenance of their parish and church, these respondents also preferred scenarios that maintained St. Jerome as a parish and church.
• Northside Catholic Academy was a frequently-identified reason to sustain St. Gertrude with important costs and risks associated with its move.
• Respondents noted the tension among Renew My Church principles, emphasis on data used in the decision-making process, and foundational spiritual and community development, which face critical challenges from major forces within the Church itself.  

More detailed information from the data collected are reported below:

Most (75%) respondents had been parishioners for >10 years compared with respondents who had been parishioners for 10 years or less.

Among the top three ranking scenarios, there was no majority scenario identified:
• Scenario 4, 47%
• Scenario 5, 41%
• Scenario 1, 40%

Among the bottom 3 ranking scenarios, Scenario 9 was selected by most parishioners:
• Scenario 9, 52%
• Scenario 10, 41%
• Scenario 3, 38%

Results were generally consistent across parishioner groups, though Scenario 8 was among the bottom 3 scenarios among respondents who had been in the parish 10 years or less.

Extensive, wide-ranging comments were captured from parishioners and were analyzed and synthesized by the Renew My Church team.

1. Reasons supporting highest-ranking (n=104 respondents) and lowest-ranking (n=88  respondents) scenarios:
• Two parish scenarios were generally preferred, and single worship site scenarios were generally not preferred. A single parish scenario was noted to be “the defeatist option with little hope in the future” with challenges in pastoral care to provide “ministerial and spiritual needs” that are part of the Renew My Church objectives, including evangelization.
• Northside Catholic Academy was frequently mentioned in both highest-ranking and lowest-ranking scenarios as a central consideration and transition to another facility was thought to be “very costly”. The positive influence of Northside Catholic Academy among young families, including “bringing back” parents to the Catholic Church was also noted.
• Recent capital investments and projected costs at St. Gertrude, which was identified as “our beautiful church”, which long-term parishioners see as part of their own and their neighborhood’s identities.
• St. Jerome’s strong Mass attendance was frequently noted by respondents and as an important consideration.
• The Loyola Mission Center has the potential to be an important institution and was generally identified as a positive option, but the pandemic makes this option appear uncertain at best, and “pie in the sky” at worst. The Jesuit order’s charism on education, rather than parish ministry, was also noted.
• Concerns about cultural and liturgical differences across parishes, including  LGTBQ acceptance and inclusivity, and helping dispersed parishioners integrate into new faith homes.

2. Major implementation challenges (n=99 respondents) and additional feedback (n=60  respondents):
• Bridging the parish and neighborhood communities, including identifying a pastor and team with sufficient time, support, and language skills to provide leadership. Such demands may be “unrealistic” for clergy.
• Transportation, especially among older respondents, with greater difficulty expected based on closures at St. Gertrude and St. Jerome.
• The Covid-19 pandemic has made this process, which already felt rushed and difficult, even harder. The result of any decision will be painful for community members most closely affected.  
• There was skepticism in decisions already having been made by the Archdiocese but also appreciation for the outreach from the parish team. Some respondents disliked the number and complexity of scenarios presented, and others disliked the survey presentation.
• Tension among declining attendance numbers, other key data across parishes, and potential for growth through reimagining the Catholic Church in Rogers Park/Edgewater through the Renew My Church process.
• Length of scenario consideration differed among respondents and inherent uncertainty in projecting the future of the neighborhoods over the next 10-20  years.
• Allocation of funds received from any sale or leasing of buildings was not clear in scenarios that reduce the number of buildings yet seems important in decision making.
• Larger forces driving down participation in the Catholic Church are being neglected in this process, including related to vocations, and the “downsizing in responsive to massive funding losses due to clergy abuse” will lead to  “resentment”.
• “Spiritual formation and community” have been ignored over “numbers and dollars”, despite the importance of the former to influence the latter.
• RMC implementation planning with a “strong component of laity” was considered  “very wise” at the current stage. 

 Dear fellow St. Gertrude parishioners,

We are writing as members of the Renew My Church team. We have been working with our counterparts at St. Jerome and St. Ignatius to identify our strengths and challenges and to outline some scenarios by which we can ensure a vibrant and sustainable Catholic community for the northeast corner of Chicago for the foreseeable future. We encourage you to go to the St. Gertrude website where we have posted a wealth of material, including:

• RMC Edgewater Rogers Park Key Data Table
• RMC Parish Session 2 Powerpoint (images of scenarios begins on page 20)
• RMC Scenarios - images only
• RMC Scenarios (written out - no images)
• Feedback form (downloadable)
• Online feedback form

Now we need you.

Below, you will find a survey outlining the various scenario options. Basically, they come down to two issues: Will we combine into one or two parishes, and how will the worship spaces, the three church campuses, be used?  

This discernment process will be developed into a letter to the Archdiocese (to be delivered by the end of 2020), with the final decision made by Cardinal Cupich.

We hope that you will let us know your thoughts by completing the survey below digitally. Videos of both parish meetings are available on our Facebook page and our YouTube channel, and each of us is available for questions or concerns.

We request you provide your comments by September 14. Kindly evaluate the scenarios using the evaluation criteria established by the Archdiocese. Topics to consider include:

• Spiritual and Ministerial needs of the new parish to be formed
• Parishioner attendance and mass count
• Pastoral manageability
• [Future] Parish financial stability and facilities

May God grant each of us wisdom and the heart of Jesus in this process. James 1:2-8

Thank you and warm regards,

~ Lisa Erceg, Denise Goodman, Tim Harrington, Mark Huffman, Kim McInerney, Rob Sierzega, Fr Rich Prendergast  

Our second Renew My Church meeting was Sunday, August 30. A link to the live-stream is available on Facebook and on YouTube. (Please note, there were a few questions that were difficult to hear. They were repeated a bit later in the broadcast. )

 Here are documents from the meeting:

• Agenda
• RMC Edgewater Rogers Park Key Data Table
• RMC Parish Session 2 Powerpoint (images of scenarios begins on page 20)
• RMC Scenerios - images only
• RMC Scenarios (written out - no images)
• Feedback form (downloadable)
• Online feedback form

We would like your feedback! Please fill this form out and send your responses to stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org or drop it off at the Rectory office. Click HERE for guidelines for visiting the Rectory. Additionally, these questions will be mailed to registered parishioners.