It's SAGRADA's 27th anniversary!
It's SAGRADA's 27th anniversary!
Born in 1994 in a former horse stable on 49th street in Oakland, we were the first retailer in what years later would be called "Temescal Alley". Some of you may remember our small, rustic beginnings in the 20'X20' barn-like atmosphere, the dried flower bouquets hanging from the rafters, and the old school bell you would ring to enter the gate. After three years we moved up to the Avenue to join other shops and restaurants that had been serving the neighborhood for many years.
For the signing of our business license, we chose the date of August 11, the "Feast of Santa Chiara".
We become what we love.
Fresco from the Cappella delle Rose, Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi
Who is Chiara?
Chiara di Assis (Clare of Assisi) was a 13th century Italian mystic and visionary. You've heard of Saint Francis? Well, Clare is the other half of the story. She inspired the first recognized women's monastic community following in the footsteps of Francis. They dedicated their lives to simplicity, contemplation and service. And Clare outlived Francis by 30 years, stoking the charism and life and vision of the community, but of course he gets all the attention! We chose Clare as our patron, to honor her among the great women spiritual leaders in the world, and to invoke her as a model and guide.
There are many remarkable stories about Clare, her miracles and visions, and even of how she saved the town of Assisi from an army of invaders.
"We become what we love
and who we love shapes
what we become.....
We are to become vessels
of God's compassionate love
for others."
"Place your mind
before the mirror of eternity!
Place your soul
in the brilliance of glory!
Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance!
And transform your entire being into the image of the Divine through contemplation."
Clare of Assisi, from the Early Documents
SAGRADA means "sacred".
Over these many years, Sagrada has been - in a quiet way - a little beacon of spirituality in the midst of the marketplace. We hope to continue to affirm the work of sacred service and compassion carried out in the community by so many of our customers, who we prefer to call our friends. We are emboldened by the selfless and humble service many of you give so freely: students and teachers of all kinds, therapists, dishwashers, caretakers, gardeners, artists, healers, musicians, ministers, guardians of children, social workers, nurses, doctors, writers, activists, dreamers, and on and on. It is a joy and a privilege to meet you and to serve all of you. Thank you for making Sagrada what it is today!
St Clare, by California artist Sue Ellen Parkinson. Used with kind permission of the artist.
Prints of this icon and others available at Sagrada.
