In Oakland, as in many parts of the country, winter brings gloomy days, chilly temperatures and the beginning of tamale season, which kicks off unofficially on Thanksgiving. In Mexico the dish is popularly served during the month of December at holiday parties known as “Las Posadas.” In homes across Oakland, steam permeates out of big stainless steel pots this time of year, converting kitchens into saunas. Dew on walls will drip around depictions of “The Last Supper” overlooking dinner tables….
In a nook between the parish offices and the sanctuary, with its pearly white walls and stained glass windows, a line of worshippers has come to St. Elizabeth church in Fruitvale looking for answers to the unexpected and unexplainable. A woman, her son by her side, is weeping, hyperventilating, her head tilted down as she stands before the still figure of La Virgen de Guadalupe, or the Virgin Mary. Behind her, another woman waits patiently for her turn to feel…