Oakland church ceremony serves as annual reminder of gun violence victims
OAKLAND — As the year draws to a close, people often reflect on what went right and what went wrong.
Gun violence in Oakland stirred a lot of debate in 2024 and, statistically, the numbers were encouraging. However, at one church in North Oakland, an annual ceremony serves as a reminder that there are people behind those statistics.
On Monday, city and county leaders joined a group of anti-violence activists to tout year-end crime numbers that show a significant reduction in bloodshed in 2024.
"The reduction of violent crime — homicides and shootings — of more than 30%, a five-year low? That is worth investing in," said interim Mayor Nikki Fortunado Bas.
"Oakland will finish this year, in 2024, as the safest since the start of the COVID pandemic," said Alameda County Probation Deputy Annette Jointer.
But while they were celebrating a statistical victory, on the other side of town the crosses in front of St. Columba's church gave a more sobering view of "safety" in Oakland.
For 25 years, the church has placed the crosses front and center for all to see, a challenge to those who may want to look away from the tragic realities of the streets.
"The traffic travels pretty fast up and down San Pablo. People would see it and hopefully pause, reflect, think about it," said St. Columba's pastor, Father Aidan McAleenan.
He has been presenting the display for the last 17 years. At one time, St Columba's was in a low-income neighborhood, but the area has since been gentrified with more affluent residents. The pastor said he thinks it's important for those driving by to witness the crosses to know what's going on in other parts of the city.
Father McAleenan is an avid supporter of Oakland's Ceasefire program, which is being credited with reducing this year's death toll. But he said he knows there are some who will find little solace in the data.
"We need to celebrate that moment, that we're only 75 crosses this year as opposed to...one year it was 154 or something. So, it's half. We need to celebrate that, but at the other side, that doesn't really make any difference to the person who has suffered that loss, to the mother that has to bury that child," he said.
Out front, Rich Laufenberg, who tends to the crosses, was busier than he wanted to be after receiving a call from the police.
"One of the names they gave me this morning died yesterday, and the other died this morning. So this last cross here is dated Dec. 31," he said, pointing to a cross with the name "Willie" written on it. "This is the first time I've had a homicide occur on the day that we remove the crosses, Dec. 31. We have one this year."
Two more young men were shot and killed in the overnight hours, their crosses bringing the year-end total to 77. But for Rich, who makes and places each cross during the year, the count starts to lose its meaning.
"I certainly hope there are fewer," he said. "But that's beyond my control, so I just keep up with the numbers."
In the afternoon, a group of people arrived for a brief ceremony, most never having met any of the victims. To commemorate their passing, one by one, their names were read and their crosses removed from the garden and carried into the church for a final prayer.
Father McAleenan said it's possible to celebrate fewer deaths, while also mourning the tragic loss, all the while knowing that the cycle will repeat itself.
"On the New Year's Day, there's something jarring about that empty space. It's just rose bushes and, you know, within a short period of time, that's not going to remain that way. That's the sad part," he said.
It seems odd that "only" 77 funeral crosses would be seen as an achievement, but Father McAleenan said St. Columba's will continue the tradition with the dream of it someday being none.
