Church of Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant Plans Lucia Fest

The Swedish tradition of Santa Lucia will be observed at Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant, 2437 Plainfield Road, Joliet, at approximately noon, Sunday, Dec. 11, following the 10:45 a.m. worship service.

The Queen of Light will be portrayed by Cyan Bradley, the daughter of Jake and Renae Bradley of Plainfield. Bradley is a sophomore honor student at Plainfield Central High School, where she competes in cross-country and track. She enjoys theater and has performed in various musicals, including "Seussical," "Willy Wonka" and "Beauty and the Beast."

As a member of Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant, Bradley participates in the high school youth group and serves as a volunteer in the nursery. Upon graduation from high school, she plans to attend college and will pursue a career in nursing.

As part of the traditional Lucia Fest, the Queen of Light, also known as Lucia, will be accompanied by attendants from Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant Sunday School. Faith Zosky will sing “Santa Lucia” and Abby Price, the 2021 Lucia Queen, will read the legend of Lucia.

The celebration will conclude with a Swedish fika, a time of refreshments featuring traditional Swedish pastries and coffee.

The celebration of Lucia Fest is a Swedish custom that ushers in the Christmas holiday. According to legend, Lucia was a godly girl who became engaged to a nobleman at the age of 17. Before the wedding, Lucia gave her dowry to the poor as a thank you to God for answered prayer. Her intended husband, suspicious that she was a Christian, ordered her put to death on Dec. 13, 304 A.D.

Hundreds of years later, Lucia reportedly appeared in western Sweden during a famine to distribute food among starving people. She wore a long white gown and was encircled by light.
Following Lucia’s visit, the days grew longer, leading people to believe she brought the end of winter and the return of light. Lucia became known as a symbol of light, faith, and Christian charity.

The traditional celebration of Lucia Fest recognizes the return of light after the dark of winter and heralds the approaching Christmas season with music and candlelight.