Fox Valley religion events

Gaelic Mass: The 13th annual Fox Valley Irish Festival is a celebration of Irish heritage characterized by music and dancing, eating, shopping, entertainment and fellowship with friends and family. But while festival vendors will provide attendees with food for their bodies, Sunday's main attraction will provide nourishment for the soul. On Sept. 7, the Rev. Karl Langsdorf of the St. Patrick Fathers will preside over a Gaelic Mass under the tent at 11:30 a.m. at the St. Catherine of Siena Church, routes 31 and 72 in West Dundee. Doors will open at 10:45 a.m. Admission to the Fox Valley Irish Fest area before Mass is free with a donation to the FISH Food Pantry in Carpentersville. Come rewind from the weekend's merry festivities by taking the time to experience yet another cherished Irish tradition. Irish Fest will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Sept. 6 and noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 7. A spirited line up of musical entertainers, a children's "Wee Folk" play area, and three fun runs are just a few of the other attractions to be hosted at this year's event. For information, visit www.foxvalleyirishfest.com or call (847) 426-2217.

Handbell choirs: All four handbell choir of the First Congregational Church, 11628 E. Main St. in Huntley, will begin fall practices in September and welcome new members. It is not necessary to read music to become a ringer. The Crusader Bells for fourth to sixth grade will have their first practice at 7 p.m. Sept. 10 and will discuss future practice dates and times. The Sunday AM's for seventh to 12th grades will begin practicing at 9 a.m. Sept. 7. The Genesis Bells (beginning adults) will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4 followed by the Whitechapel Bells (advanced adults) at 7 p.m. Each choir plays once a month on a Sunday morning. All choirs practice at the church in the bell choir room. Equipment and music is provided. For information, call the church at (847) 669-3691.

Go Green September: On Sept. 7, First Presbyterian Church, 240 Standish St. in Elgin, is kicking off this worship year with a "Go Green September" starting with an outdoor worship service. The service will be held at Tyler Creek Upper Pavilion at 10:30 a.m. Music will be led by local folk musician, Peg Lehman. After the service, there will be a potluck lunch and "Ice Cream Sunday." Double Ddps will be awarded to newcomers and members who bring a friend. Multiple games and activities are planned for all age groups. The church will continue their "Go Green" emphasis by collecting recyclable electronics during the entire month of September. Also a Harvest Table, sharing produce from members' gardens and kitchens will be available after each worship service. Church school classes will resume at 9:15 a.m. Sept. 14. This will be a month to recognize the congregation's stewardship of God's creation. Join them for worship at 10:30 a.m. For information, call (847) 742-6365 or visit www.fpce.org.

Blood drive: First Congregational Church of Dundee, in conjunction with Heartland Blood Centers, will sponsor a blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 6 in the lower level common area, 900 S. Eighth St. (Route 31 and Angle Tarn), West Dundee. In celebration of the grand opening of the new St. Charles Center, every Heartland blood donor will be entered into a raffle. Two lucky winners will receive a Vespa Scooter, one will receive a Wii system and the other will receive an iPod Nano. For details, call (800) 7-TO-GIVE or visit www.heartlandbc.org. To be a blood donor, individuals must be at least 17 years old or 16 with written parental permission; weigh at least 110 pounds; be symptom free of cold, flu and allergies and be in general good health. Donors who have traveled outside the United States within the past 12 months should call Heartland to determine eligibility. Donors are required to bring a photo ID with them to the blood drive. Call Londa Krueger at (847) 428-8211 for details or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

Good Shepherd fundraiser: Nick's Pizza & Pub in Elgin is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Elgin. On Sept. 10, 15 percent of the sales generated from the fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. will go to Good Shepherd School. The only requirement is to bring the flyer that is being distributed and is posted on the Good Shepherd Web site at www.goodshepherd-elgin.org. For information, call Good Shepherd Lutheran School at (847) 741-7795, or Nick's Pizza at (847) 531-5550.

Pig roast: Carpenter's House Community Church, 201 N. Kennedy Drive in Carpentersville, will hold its second annual pig roast from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 13. There will be live music and a motorcycle show, as wel as a petting zoo and pony rides. Carpentersville Fire Department will have one of their trucks on site. Admission is free, though donations are accepted. For details, call the church at (847) 428-0999.

Westminster fundraiser: Westminster Christian School in Elgin invites you to participate in the ninth annual Phil Sokody Golf Classic on Sept. 15 at Royal Hawk Country Club in St. Charles. The format is four-man scramble with a shotgun start at 1 p.m., and dinner and auction to follow. This event is a fundraiser for Westminster Christian School athletic programs. For information, call Rick Palmer at (847) 695-0310, ext. 231 or register online at www.golfinvite.com/westminster.

Join Catholic church: The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program at St. Mary Catholic Church of Elgin provides an opportunity for adults to learn more about the Catholic faith. Many in the program, through prayer and discernment, choose to become a fully initiated member of the Roman Catholic church at Easter. St. Mary's RCIA program begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 28 in the upper level of St. Mary's parish office, 400 Fulton St., Elgin. The classes continue each Sunday morning through next Easter, with time off for holidays. Study materials are provided and there is no fee to attend the classes. If you would like to learn more about the Catholic faith, you are invited to attend the introductory meeting on Sept. 28. Call the St. Mary Religious Education Office at (847) 888-2718 or e-mail deaconhank@stmaryelgin.com if you want to register or get details.

Truth Project: Elgin Bible Church, 1580 E. Chicago St., offers "Be A Truth Champion," the Truth Project live simulcast event with Del Tackett on Sept. 27. The event will run 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with registration at 8 a.m. From Oprah's newfound spirituality to the debate over intelligent design, the battle of worldviews continues to rage across popular culture. Whether you believe it's absolute or relative, one thing is certain: The world will never stop searching for truth. In the midst of the confusion, the worldview of many Christians has shifted. According to a 2003 Barna study, only 9 percent of Christians now possess a Biblical world view. In response, The Truth Project, a new initiative of Focus on the Family, created by senior vice president Del Tackett, offers a systematic and comprehensive way to bring Biblical truth to church communities across North America. At 8:30 a.m. Sept. 27, Focus on the Family will partner with Church Communication Network to launch The Truth Project via live satellite. Tackett's topics include: understanding and living the Christian world view, the nature and character of God, God's design for life (work, science, family, government, art, ethics and more), and marrying actions to core beliefs. E-mail pleman@fvi.net, call (847) 683-7986, or visit www.elginbiblechurch.org for details.

Gala auction: St Paul's Episcopal Church in McHenry has begun planning its 12th annual gala auction to be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 30. It is one of the largest standing parish auctions in McHenry County. All proceeds will benefit the outreach ministries of the church. The theme this year is " Let the Gavel Fall at St Paul." In addition to a silent auction, there will be a live auction with Gene Warrington of Four Square Auctions as the auctioneer. There will be a 50/50 raffle drawing with seven cash prizes; the top prize being $2,500. There are only 200 tickets available for the 50/50 raffle at $50 each. Admission tickets for the auction are $15 each and include a free ticket for door prize drawings, an array of appetizers, and fun for all ages. Currently, there are donations of hot air balloon rides for two or four people, numerous authentic autographed sports memorabilia items, tickets for the Raue Center and the Chicago Symphony, and a once-a-month delivery of a loaf of just baked homemade bread. They are looking for donations of anything from gift baskets and art to an airplane ride. They will accept donations of the arcane as well as the traditional. The auction catalog will be published by Sept. 15. All items and donations received by Sept. 15 will be listed and described. The catalog also provides ads from local businesses and other auction supporters. To donate an item or service or to buy tickets for the auction or raffle, call Norma Schmidt at (815) 603-0028 or the Rev. Jim Swarthout at (815) 385-0390. To advertise or be a patron supporter in the catalog ($10) contact the pastor. For details, visit www.stpaulsmchenry.org

CROP Walk rally: Join your neighbors in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Cardunal CROP Walk Against Hunger on Oct. 19. And what better way to celebrate than by making this year's walk the best ever. People in Carpentersville, Algonquin, Dundee Township, and Lake in the Hills have been participating in the walk together since 1984. Over the years, they have raised over $221,900 to fight hunger around the world and here at home. One-quarter of the money collected supports FISH Food Pantry and Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Interfaith Pantry. And the rest of the money goes to the global humanitarian agency Church World Service, which uses the funds for both domestic and international poverty-reducing efforts. The 2008 CROP walk will step off at 1:30 p.m. starting from Joy Community Presbyterian Church, 108 S. Lakewood Road, Lake in the Hills. Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. For details, call (847) 515-8800. If you can't participate, consider sponsoring those who can.

Music from South India: On Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m., Prema Bhat will present a concert of classical music from South India at the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake, 461 Pierson St. Known for her clear, expressive voice and elegant improvisation techniques, Bhat is an accomplished Indian classical vocalist and one of the world's leading Carnatic singers. Carnatic music is a form of Hindu chant and prayer, and an exquisite experience for listeners. Accompanied by Ravishankar on the mridangam (percussion) and Manjula Rao, violin (Indian style), Ms. Bhat's recital will include 15th- through 18th-century compositions by Purandara Dasa, Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and others. A free will offering will be collected. Bhat was born in Karnataka, South India, where she began performing music at the early age of 6. She started to give full concerts in the Carnatic style of classical music by age 11. She initially received training from Kanchana Narayana Bhat and later completed advanced training from Srinath Marate and Srimathi Neela Ramgopal, an acclaimed vocalist in Carnatic music. For nearly four years, Bhat hosted the Princeton-based radio program, "Sangeet," an Indian classical music program. She was a member Emory University music faculty from1997-2006 where she taught courses in Indian classical music and directed the Carnatic Music Program. She promotes Indian classical music through concerts and lecture demonstrations by well-known musicians from India. Her clear, expressive voice, her mastery of the technical aspects of Indian classical music and her ability to convey its deeply spiritual quality make her one of the top vocalists of her generation. For information, call the church at (815) 459-6010.