5 /5 Donald Barrett: One of my classmates and fellow Eagle Scouts from San Marin High School class of 2010, Alex Madias, was mugged in Emeryville on 2/11/2018 and left with a serious gunshot wound to the head and as of writing is currently in critical but stable condition in one of the best gunshot hospitals in the country. His brother Theo organized a paraklesis service for him at this house of worship.
I hadnt spoken to either one of them in years; after I moved to Santa Rosa in 2011 I would occasionally see them at the fairgrounds in Bennett Valley, and while I did run into Alex at the Lagunitas Taproom back in 2015, it felt awkward attending the service, but it also felt absolutely necessary.
As someone who does not attend church I cannot deny I felt a sensation of comfort here. I dont know if it was the crowd of people, the familiar faces, or the location itself, but even a secular individual can find purpose and fulfillment in a house of worship like this.
