For thirty years, SAGRADA has been treasured as a haven of peace in our Oakland neighborhood, a heart-centered shop of contemplative beauty with a spirit of welcome to all.  It has provided a place for our community to gather and a center of purposeful work.

We are deeply saddened by its sudden closure. What began with great hope last year has ended in disappointment for all involved.

In some ways, it feels like the loss of a dream. How does one grieve the loss of a dream?

From the personal losses each of us feel, to the narrowing of the national vision, to the ache we have for those suffering in the violence of war and even to the ailing of our planetary home, loss seems the language of our day. So let there be grief, and sadness, and righteous anger, and then let hope re-emerge.

Perhaps weathering the loss of dreams, big and small, is the call of this moment.  May we be given the vision and strength to respond to that call, in solidarity with one another.

For what is also true is that each day we are all planting seeds. Seeds of hope, of lovingkindness, of possibility, of life. Take the seeds you may have received from SAGRADA and plant them, scatter them, fling them wildly as dreams.

The work of dreaming the world is ongoing. The work of advancing justice continues. We will each have a part to play: to pray, to listen, to speak, to care for one another, to serve, to make music, to carry on the good work.

With the ancestors and holy ones our companions and Spirit as our guide, daily we dream a new world into being.

With gratitude for the time we shared the SAGRADA dream with you.

Mary and Carlo
November 12, 2024