Source: Palo Alto Weekly
http://paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2004/2004_08_25.church25ja.shtml
On August 25, 2004 Palo Alto Weekly reported, "the run-down, two-story building next to Albertsons on Palo Alto's Alma Street seems unremarkable at first glance. An abandoned first-floor storefront displays the corny cartoon of an enthusiastic man selling donuts. Inside, the smell of incense is the first clue that something is unusual. On the second floor is the Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum , one of the few Gnostic churches in the country... The intricately decorated sanctuary, where Sunday services are held, is to the right. It has low ceilings, soft lighting, two stained-glass windows and crystal lamps. Flowers, candles and chalices adorn the altar. Like much of the church, the weekly service -- known as The Gnostic Mystery of the Eucharist -- is a bit of a paradox. On one hand, it's as ritualistic as any Catholic mass. On the other, there is no dogma for the congregants, no hard-and-fast rules that need to be followed... For church regulars, the Gnostic rituals and beliefs (or non-beliefs) become a way to find grace."