Victim 0001: Friends recall Father Mychal Judge’s 9/11 loss and legacy
Father Mychal Judge, a 68‑year‑old Franciscan chaplain with the FDNY, died while administering last rites to a firefighter during the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. His body was found at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Manhattan’s Financial District, where an iconic photo of him dust‑covered in a chair became widely circulated. Friends and fellow Franciscans describe him as a self‑less presence who listened fully to those around him, and he has since been hailed as a hero and potential saint. The article reflects on his legacy in light of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, sharing memories and emphasizing his impact on first responders, the poor, and the community.
20 days ago
Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar and New York City Fire Department chaplain, was killed while ministering to firefighters at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Friends and colleagues remember him for his personal presence, service to first responders and care for marginalized New Yorkers, while his death remains closely associated with the enduring grief of 9/11 families. 1
Father Judge was 68 when the south tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., sending debris into the north tower lobby where he was stationed. He reportedly prayed for the ordeal to end as he remained near firefighters, and rescue workers carried his body from the disaster site. 1
His body was temporarily taken to St. Peter’s Catholic Church, where it was placed before the altar. A widely circulated photograph showed five men carrying the dust-covered chaplain in a chair; the church itself had been struck by landing gear from one of the hijacked planes. 1
Father Mychal Keenan, a fellow Franciscan and later FDNY chaplain, found Father Judge’s body in a cordoned-off area at the firehouse across from St. Francis of Assisi Church. Keenan said he sat with him for about an hour before friars and firefighters gathered to sing the Blessing of St. Francis, after which an ambulance transported the body to the morgue. 1
Father Kevin Mullen recalled that Father Judge made people feel fully heard, whether they were sharing good news, painful experiences or personal struggles. Mullen said Father Judge’s defining quality was his presence and his willingness to remain available to those who needed him. 1
Michael Daly, a journalist and author who knew Father Judge through New York firefighters, first encountered him in a hospital burn unit, where the priest had helped create a moment of laughter among firefighters visiting an injured colleague. Daly later recalled that Father Judge’s death affected him with unexpected force, describing the priest as someone who “resided deeper in you than you understood.” 1
Daly also described Father Judge walking through New York in his Franciscan habit, greeting homeless people by name, praying with them and giving them carefully folded cash. He said Father Judge often worked 16-hour days responding to fires and rescues, counseling firefighters, their families and victims, and caring for AIDS patients when some medical workers avoided physical contact. 1
Father Judge’s ministry was closely connected to the firehouse next to St. Francis of Assisi Church and the friary where he lived. Mullen said the priest’s presence alongside firefighters on 9/11 was consistent with the way he had served them throughout his ministry. 1
After his death, friends and associates disclosed that Father Judge was gay and had maintained his vow of celibacy. Daly recalled that firefighter Kevin Shea’s response reflected the acceptance many first responders had developed toward the chaplain, whom they regarded simply as a trusted friend and priest. 1
Daly also said Father Judge had spoken with Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen while Von Essen was dealing with his son’s gay identity. Daly characterized Father Judge as an exceptionally perceptive and effective priest. 1
Father Judge was designated New York City’s first publicly identified casualty, numbered DM 0001-01 among the 2,753 people eventually counted as killed in the city. The attacks also killed 184 people at the Pentagon and 40 people aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. 1
He was later hailed as a hero, proposed by some for sainthood and remembered for serving first responders, poor people, the sick and others who were often overlooked. Father Keenan, who spent seven months assisting with recovery work at Ground Zero and later contracted multiple forms of cancer, was among those whose lives were permanently shaped by the aftermath. 1
As the 25th anniversary approached, Mullen urged continued attention to the families who lost loved ones. He said the attacks should not be treated as an event that simply ended in the past, because the loss remains permanent for those families. 1*
Father Mychal Judge exemplifies Catholic pastoral courage
Father Mychal Judge exemplifies Catholic pastoral courage because his ministry expressed the Good Shepherd’s willingness to remain with people amid suffering and danger. Catholic courage is not mere fearlessness; it is fidelity animated by love, wisdom, and concern for souls.
His example reflects several dimensions of pastoral courage:
Thus, Father Judge’s witness is best understood not simply as heroic bravery, but as priestly charity made visible in a moment of catastrophe: remaining near the suffering, serving without self-protection, and entrusting oneself to Christ. In this sense, his life illustrates the Church’s call to be a courageous “voice of consolation,” a witness of mercy, and a servant of hope amid violence and grief.