23: Father Mychal

Father Mychal Judge

Father Mychal Judge was born Robert Emmett Judge on May 11, 1933 in Brooklyn the Son of Irish Immigrants. He has a Twin Sister, Dympna.

When he was 6 his Father died and he shined shoes at Penn Station to help his Mother and Family out.

He went to St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon, New York, the Minor Seminary of the Holy Name Province of the Order.

After Graduation, he enrolled at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York.

In 1955 he received the Religious Habit and professed his first Vows as a Member of Franciscan Friars.

He was given the Religious Name of Fallon Michael. He later dropped 'Fallon' and changed 'Michael' to Mychal (to differentiate himself from all the other Father Michaels.)

He professed his Solemn Vows as a Full Member of the Order in 1958.

 Following this, he did his Theological Studies at Holy Name College Seminary in Washington, D.C. Upon completing these studies in 1961, he was ordained a Priest.

After his Ordination, he was sent to various Parishes in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

For three years he served as Assistant to the President of Siena College, operated by the Franciscans in Loudonville, New York.

 In 1986 he was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manhattan, where he had first come to know the Friars.

In 1992, He was appointed a Chaplain to the New York City Fire Department.

As Chaplain, he offered encouragement and prayers at fires, rescues, and hospitals, and counseled Firemen and their Families, often working 16-hour days.

He was also well known in the City for ministering to the Homeless, the Hungry, Recovering Alcoholics, People with AIDS, the Sick, Injured, and Grieving, Immigrants, Gays and Lesbians, and those alienated by society.

On September 11, 2001 Father Mychal went to the North Tower of the World Trade Center where a Command Center was established.

There he continued offering aid and prayers for the Rescuers, the Injured, and the Dead.

When the South Tower collapsed debris flew into the North Tower and killed Father Mychal.

Shortly after his death, Father Mychal’s body was found and carried out of the North Tower by five People (Firefighters Christian Waugh and Zachary Vause, NYPD Lt. William Cosgrove, civilian John Maguire and FDNY EMT Kevin Allen) shortly before it collapsed at 10:28 a.m.

Father Mychal was designated as "Victim 0001" and thereby recognized as the first Official Victim of the attacks.

Although others had been killed before him, including the Crews, Passengers, and Hijackers of the first three planes, and Occupants of the Towers and the Pentagon, Father Mychal was the first certified fatality because his body was the first to be recovered and taken to the Medical Examiner.

On September 15, 2001, 3,000 People attended Father Mychal’s funeral Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church, which was presided over by Cardinal Edward Egan, the Archbishop of New York.

Father Mychal was buried in the Friars' plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa, New Jersey.

Father Mychal’s Fire Helmet was presented to Pope John Paul II.

In 2002 the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America declared him a Saint.

There are calls for the Roman Catholic Church to declare him a Saint too.