Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, Judge is still touted as a vivacious Catholic priest and heroic chaplain of the New York City fire department who refused to flee to safety after commercial jetliners hijacked by suicide jihadists crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. 🙏 Fr. Mychal was like St. Mother Teresa in his charity and like Mother Angelica in his determination and humor.
Fr. Mychal Judge was the life of the community many knew him by his humor and love. He believed in going out and evangelizing everyone. He would go out to the parks, neighborhoods, and communities to speak to people and make sure they were doing well. Some say that when you spoke to Fr. Mychal he was fully focused on you and you could tell how much he cared, he would always be there for anyone who needed him.
Fr. Mychal Judge also had a knack for showing up at crucial moments. On a sunny day, Fr. Mychal heard that a man was threatening to kill his wife and daughter in a home in the neighboring town of Carlstadt. Judge, in his Franciscan robes, rushed to the scene. Along with a state superior court judge and a police detective, Judge pleaded with the man to lay down his gun and free his wife and daughter, eventually convincing the man to put down his gun and surrender.
Fr. Mychal was like St. Mother Teresa and would minister to those dying with AIDS that no one else wanted to see or visit because they were afraid of getting AIDS. Fr. Mychal would joyfully go and give the last rites to all those who were dying as well as to console them and at times he would even massage their feet to show them that he truly cared for them. He was known for holding them in their last moments of life and making sure they would not die alone.
“Even those who weren’t Catholic loved him,” said James Cassella, a former mayor of East Rutherford, New Jersey. “He didn’t care what your religion was. If you had a problem, he was there.”
