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Father Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero ReviewIn looking through the over some forty different books on a display in a local bookstore memorializing the Heroes of September 11th, I was struck by the fact that each human story is, in and of itself, precious and so worthy of being passed on. All who lost their lives on September 11th, and those who participated in the aftermath of that tragic day, in whatever role they served, brought forth their very best selves to share with others in need. There is a powerful eloquence resounding through the words and photographs that serve as reminder and memorial of these tremendous people and that terrible day.Mychal Judge was the 68-year-old fire department chaplain who died of a heart attack while ministering to the injured and dying at the World Trade Center. There is the now famous picture of Judge being brought out of the rubble by five firemen that is incredibly powerful to view.
In a time when there is a great deal of cynicism and appropriate doubt about the leadership of the Catholic Church, Mychal Judge's life serves as the testament to the fact that there are indeed still priests who have not forgotten the true meaning of ministry, who continue to struggle to live a life that is Christ like, yet who remain all too truly human and authentic. Ironically, these men are often the same people who have the courage not to intimidated by the Church's petty hierarchical power games, rules and censures.
Judge was not a perfect person by any means. A Franciscan from his young adulthood, Mychal Judge was outspoken and unconventional. He was known to be difficult to live with in community at times. He spoke back to the reprimands of the Archdiocese of New York and went about his business of being present to others - often the poorest, dirtiest, most undesirable human beings around him. He was an acknowledged alcoholic who was devoted to Alcoholics Anonymous, to his own 23-year sobriety, and to assisting other alcoholics on a path toward recovery. He was also a gay man who acknowledged his sexual identity, while at the same time, giving authentic witness to his call to the priesthood. He was eccentric, bawdy and comical. At the same time, he was selfless when it came to being present to those in need. He never failed to rush to the most tragic or hopeless situation he was called to - whether it was to men dying of AIDS, to the lonely elderly women to whom he somehow gave laughetr and cheer, to the homeless around Penn Station in the church where he lived, or to his final ministry, to the firefighters and their families, of the New York City Fire Department.
As a result of his own very challenged life, Judge was able to be a tremendously authentic presence to other persons in pain. He embodied the idea that those wounded in life are often the best people to serve in healing roles as they can reach places in others that they themselves have been and give comfort and often peace.
Author, Michael Ford, covers Judge beautifully and I found myself marking my copy of this book with simply beautiful vignettes of Mychal Judge in action so that I can return to them again and reread them. Ford, previously published an excellent posthumous biography of priest and noted author, Henri Nouwen, entitled The Wounded Prophet, which also dealt with another remarkable human being who embodied the notion of wounded healer.
While never having met Mychal Judge, Ford has certainly done a fine job of meeting people who did know the man first hand and recording their stories of his life. He has synthesized all of this into a very well written, coherent tale of a rough and tumble New Yorker who literally gave his life to the people of New York City. A remarkable book. A fast and inspiring read. Highly recommended!Daniel J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota USAFather Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero Overview
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