Local Man Faces Arson Charge In Franklin Lakes Church Fire

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ - A 26-year-old borough man faces charges after he intentionally set a fire that destroyed a Franklin Lakes church early Wednesday morning, according to authorities.

James Mayers was arrested and charged with aggravated arson, as well as burglary, and is being held at the Bergen County Jail, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said.

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According to the prosecutor's office, Mayers entered the church early Wednesday and "purposely started the fire" using gasoline and a cigarette lighter. He was arrested at the scene and treated by first responders for thermal injuries he received while starting the blaze, authorities said.

Franklin Lakes police responded to the unoccupied church around 1:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a structure fire possibly at the Urban Farms Shopping Center, according to police Capt. John Bakelaar.

However, upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered that Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 787 Franklin Lake Road — across the street from the shopping center — was fully engulfed in flames, he said.

Firefighters from Franklin Lakes, along with the borough's ambulance corps, were dispatched to the scene, Bakelaar said.

An investigation into the fire was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Arson Unit in conjunction with the Franklin Lakes Police Department.

The church was formed in the early 1960s due to a growing need in the town, and its current building was constructed in the early 1980s, according to the church's website.

A parish center and Catholic school on the property were not damaged. However, classes were cancelled at the K-8 school, according to the Archdiocese of Newark.

On Wednesday afternoon, the archdiocese released a statement about the incident, saying it is saddened by the "devastating fire that completely destroyed the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament."

"We are thankful for the efforts of the police, firefighters and public safety workers who immediately responded to calls and battled the blaze during frigid conditions to try and save Most Blessed Sacrament Church," the archdiocese also said.

"We are moving forward to ensure parish life continues, and we are currently identifying alternative sites for Masses, liturgies and parish activities," it said. "We ask everyone to please pray for all who have been affected by this incident."