Religion notes: Joliet-area churches host Thanksgiving, Christmas events

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G. Richard Deal

Updated: December 25, 2011 8:02AM

Thanksgiving Mass

JOLIET — St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, 127 S. Briggs St., will offer a special Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9 a.m. Thursday.

For information, call 815-722-7653.

Special services set

JOLIET — Grace United Methodist Church, Larkin and Avalon avenues, will hold special services Sunday.

At the 8 and 10:30 a.m. worship, the sanctuary will be decorated for Christmas. Church members will assist in the Hanging of the Greens.

A free Advent Evening for Women will be from 6:45-9 p.m. Tuesday. The focus will be on keeping hearts and minds on God’s gift of love revealed in the birth of Jesus. Register by calling the church at 815-725-7632.

Christmas cantata

NEW LENOX — St. Jude’s Music Ministry will present their annual Christmas Cantata at 3 p.m. Sunday at the church, 241 W. Second Ave. Based on a Celtic theme, “Tapestry of Light” is free and open to the public.

St. Jude’s entire music ministry, including full orchestra will perform. The Lincoln-Way West Madrigals will open the program with holiday carols.

Plainfield creche lighting

PLAINFIELD — The 60th annual Plainfield Lions Club Creche Lighting program will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday at Plymouth Congregational Church at Lockport and Illinois streets in Plainfield.

In the evening, the community is invited to gather inside Plymouth. A sing-along of popular Christmas songs will start at 6:45 p.m. in the sanctuary of Plymouth. The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature the reading of the Christmas story from the Gospels and Christmas hymns.

Special musical guests include the Plainfield South High School Madrigals under the direction of Jeremy Landig, the Plainfield Community Chorus under the direction of Jason Dornick, the Midwest Crossroads Chorus under the direction of Tori Hicks and United 4 Him, a men’s gospel quartet.

Following the program, everyone gathers outside around the creche and sings “Silent Night.” Then the creche will be illuminated for the first time and remain so until after the New Year.

This is the kickoff to the holiday season in Plainfield and a beloved tradition. Plan to arrive early as seats will fill up fast.

Parking is available behind the former Baci’s Restaurant and in the municipal lots.

Inspirational concert

JOLIET — The public is invited to a concert of inspirational piano music. A Prelude to Christmas begins at 6 P.m. Sunday at Faith Bible Church, 1600 E. Schuster St. in Joliet.

G. Richard Deal, concert pianist and recording artist, will present a sacred piano concert.

Deal is from the Chicago area and has performed more than 2,500 sacred and classical piano concerts in Europe, Asia and North and South America. He has presented numerous solo concerts in the United States and has performed with symphony orchestras including an appearance at Chicago’s historic Orchestra Hall.

Deal is a graduate of the American Conservatory of Music, the Moody Bible Institute, and the Sherwood Conservatory of Music, all of Chicago. He was a faculty member of Moody Bible Institute’s Sacred Music Department.

Deal has been a participant in several international piano competitions including the prestigious Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, Russia.

Deal arranges his own sacred piano arrangements and has released six professional recordings. The most recent is “Majestic Piano Praise,” a collection of favorite hymns and praise music.

Admission is free. Donations will be accepted.