Crosses

Oakland's religious population is mostly Catholic. Missionaries include Fr. Serra, whom the Pope recently made a saint: controversial since Native Americans say missionaries destroyed their culture. Many beautiful old Catholic churches remain in Oakland but most are now multi-purposed. Aside from mainly Hispanic congregants on Sunday, the buildings house twelve step groups, homeless services, dance classes, and food pantries. Some buildings have been totally given over to non religious interests, but like many of the Bay Area's institutions, they have a spiritual edge. Book stores, yoga classes, health food centers, even art classes advertise benefits to the spirit as well as the body and mind. A lot of these old churches still look a little like churches since the style in Oakland is to do make-overs rather than complete renovations. I see crosses all over the place. Sometimes it is just a telephone pole, but other times it is a hangover for when churches were the center of communities.