Sanctuary in Hudson

Last week, Christ Church Episcopal made the following announcement: "At a meeting of the vestry on July 12, 2025, the rector, churchwardens, and vestry adopted a formal resolution declaring Christ Church to be a Sanctuary Parish."

The resolution adopted by the church reads in part:

Whereas Christ Church Episcopal in the City of Hudson has a long history of dedication to being a welcoming, loving, affirming, and safe place for all people;

Whereas the churchwardens and vestry of this parish adopted a policy on September 9, 2006, expressing the parish's "unwavering determination to provide a welcoming spiritual home to all persons of good will, regardless of race, gender, age, health status, or sexual orientation" in the proud tradition of the Episcopal Church;

Whereas we are moved by the current social and political environment to expand that statement to explicitly include members of our wider community who find their very presence in our community, their livelihoods, and indeed their lives now under threat;…

Be it further resolved that we, the rector, churchwardens, and vestry of Christ Church Episcopal in the City of Hudson, as canonical stewards of all parochial lands and property:

1. Do not consent to entry of that property by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or any officials conducting immigration enforcement actions; and
2. Require that all immigration enforcement officers shall present to the rector or his designated representative a signed judicial warrant before entering that property; and
3. Require that this resolution shall be posted in full in the church, parish hall and educational wing, and in a simpler, multi-lingual format at the primary entrances to that property.

Christ Church is the second Sanctuary Parish in the Diocese of Albany after St. Eustace Episcopal Church in Lake Placid.