Story and photos by Canon Stephanie Martin Taylor
Our Saviour’s banner received a special blessing at the beginning of the service. It survived the 2023 arson attack on the church’s building in Oakland.
Members of the Church of Our Saviour, Oakland, gathered in a Methodist chapel in San Leandro on Sunday, November 10, for their first in-person worship service in more than a year and a half.
The congregation has been displaced since April 2023, when an arson attack at their building in Oakland’s Chinatown caused extensive smoke and water damage. In subsequent months, the building was also broken into and vandalized multiple times, creating additional stress for the congregation.
Sunday’s Eucharist service, offered in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, began with the Rev. Merry Chan Ong, Our Saviour’s rector, blessing various parts of the chapel. She sprinkled holy water toward the chapel doors, the altar, the electronic keyboard—which the congregation purchased with help from the Episcopal Impact Fund—and the Our Saviour banner.
“We want to bless the banner because, during the fire, the banner was really close to the narthex,” Ong explained to the congregation. “I’m surprised it’s not burned,” she added.
Although the congregation became accustomed to worshiping online during the pandemic, Ong wanted to find space to resume in-person worship on Sunday mornings. She contacted more than 50 area churches but had no luck. Finally, she connected with Formosan United Methodist Church, a Taiwanese congregation in San Leandro. The church agreed to let Our Saviour rent its chapel on Sunday mornings and for special events, including a Thanksgiving Day service on Thursday, November 28, at 11 a.m.; a Christmas concert on Sunday, December 8, at 1:30 p.m.; and a Christmas Eve service on Tuesday, December 24, at 11 p.m.
After reviewing some of the photos from Sunday’s service, Ong wrote, “Did you notice the light shining behind my back? One of my leaders noticed it.” She said the arc of white light assured them that the light of Christ was in their midst, along with the unifying presence of the Holy Spirit.
The chapel is located at 788 Lewelling Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94579. For more information about upcoming events and worship services, please contact the Rev. Merry Chan Ong at [email protected].
The front doors of Church of Our Saviour, Oakland, shortly after the arson in April 2023. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Merry Chan Ong
The Our Saviour congregation poses for a group photo following Sunday’s services. Photo courtesy of Our Saviour, Oakland.
The Rev. Merry Chan Ong preaching on Sunday, November 10.
