ST.COLUMBA CHURCH....my favorite church in the whole wide world. Only five minutes away by foot from my house. I have in my latter years proclaimed that I am a church-going atheist always battling between Dawkins and the Divine.

 This church and it's parishioner's are of a very special nature. Actively involved in " i.e. closing the "School of the Americas", candlelight vigils for our Victims of Violence and the out reach and help for our challenges with prostitution. We are the church who gives the violence in Oakland a name and a face. 

We place white crosses for everyone who lost their lives through homicide. In 2008 by this date today we already had 23 crosses. As you see in my photo from today there are six crosses. Our community mourns everyone of them. Hopefully the drop in numbers will be steadfast throughout the year.