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Lord, take me where —Fr.
Mychal Judge, O.F.M.
Franciscan Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., was a chaplain of the New York City Fire Department (NYFD) on 11 September 2001, the day terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Father Mychal was one of the first firemen to race toward the doomed towers, and his body was one of the first to be found. Father Mychal was anointing a fireman and the woman who had fallen on him, his helmet removed in prayer, when he was struck in the back of the head and killed by falling debris. Firemen who found Father Mychal's body carried it into a nearby church and laid it in the sanctuary. After a moment of prayer they left Father Mychal in his Father's house, covered with a sheet, with his stole and fireman's badge, symbols of his love of God and his love for firemen, laying on his chest. On 15 September 2001, the homilist at Father Mychal's funeral, Father Michael Duffy, O.F.M., gave a beautiful tribute to the heroism of Father Mychal: Mychal Judge could not have ministered to [all who died that day]l. It was physically impossible in this life but not in the next. And I think that if he were given his choice, he would prefer to have happened what actually happened. He passed through the other side of life, and now he can continue doing what he wanted to do with all his heart. And the next few weeks, we’re going to have names added, name after name of people, who are being brought out of that rubble. And Mychal Judge is going to be on the other side of death … to greet them instead of sending them there. And he’s going to greet them with that big Irish smile … he’s going to take them by the arm and the hand and say, "Welcome, I want to take you to my Father." … And so, he can continue doing in death what he couldn’t do in life … Father Mychal's life story is available on the American Catholic website. You can read about his funeral and read Father Michael Duffy's entire homily on the Holy Name Province website. NOTE: The above information is from copyrighted sources. I have requested reprint permission.
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