Pet Blessing, Data Center Meetings At Secaucus Episcopal Church

SECAUCUS, NJ — The Secaucus Church of our Saviour, the Episcopal church at 191 Flanagan Way, will hold three events this October, and the public is welcome to attend:

At 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, October 18, Captain Bill Sheehan, founder and longtime leader of Hackensack Riverkeeper, will speak at the church to share updates on the Sept. 11 diesel spill from Equinix data center, and discuss his organization's current environmental priorities. Sheehan is one of the region's best-known environmental advocates and has spent more than three decades working to protect and restore the Hackensack River and its watershed. His leadership has helped raise public awareness about water pollution, habitat protection and the importance of safeguarding the Meadowlands.

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On Oct. 25 you can bring your pet to get blessed at the church. The church service starts at 9:30 a.m. and pets will be blessed immediately after the service, at 10:30 a.m. Pets of all kinds — dogs (on leashes), cats and other small pets in cages, and lizards, hamsters, etc. — are welcome to come inside the church.

Then at 2 p.m. October 25, the church will host a community meeting organized by Climate Revolution Action Network and co-sponsored by GreenFaith, an international faith-based environmental organization. The meeting will provide updates on the Secaucus diesel spill, offer residents an opportunity to raise questions and concerns, and discuss plans for statewide engagement on the environmental and community impacts of data center development.

"There is supposed to be a relationship between what residents want for their communities and the decisions made by elected representatives. No single issue in America represents a departure from this dynamic more than data centers," said Chris Sotiro, deputy director of Climate Revolution Action Network. "Our message is loud and clear to Mayor Gonnelli and the town council: no more data centers in Secaucus."

"Communities deserve clear information about environmental risks and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their health and surroundings," said the Rev. Fletcher Harper of Church of Our Saviour. "These gatherings are opportunities to learn, ask questions, and work together to protect our community, the Meadowlands, and the climate."

The Church of Our Saviour in Secaucus is a Christian Episcopal church with a long history of supporting LGBTQ rights and protecting the environment. The current pastor there is Rev. Fletcher Harper, who is also executive director of GreenFaith.