On September 11, 2001, the world lost a priest, a chaplain, and a friend to countless firefighters: Father Mychal Judge, OFM. Born Robert Emmett Judge on May 11, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up the son of Irish immigrants during the Great Depression. His father’s death when he was young taught him early about grief, resilience, and the deep need for compassion in the world. At age 15, he entered the Franciscan order and later took the name Mychal. Ordained in 1961, he became a priest whose heart was set on serving the poor, the addicted, the homeless, and anyone pushed to the margins. He walked the streets of New York as a minister of presence, offering blessings, hot coffee, and words of hope wherever he went.

In 1992, Father Mychal became chaplain to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), a role that fit him like a glove. He loved the firefighters as his own brothers and sisters, riding along on calls, visiting firehouses, comforting families after tragedies, and praying with the wounded and the weary. He was often called the ‘Saint of 31st Street,’ not because of any formal title, but because people experienced Christ in him. He had a way of showing up exactly where he was needed—at a hospital bed, a fire scene, or a kitchen table—and making people feel seen, heard, and loved.

When Father Mychal Judge’s body was recovered from the debris, firefighters and first responders carried him with great care through the chaos. They brought him to nearby St. Peter’s Catholic Church, where his body was reverently laid before the altar — a moment that transformed the church into a place of both mourning and prayer. Father Judge was later officially listed as Victim #1 of the September 11 attacks, a solemn acknowledgment that the first life lost that day was one given in service. For firefighters and first responders, this moment became a symbol of faith, courage, and sacrifice — a reminder that even in the darkest hours, the call to serve and protect does not falter.

For Catholic firefighters, Father Mychal’s life is both an inspiration and a challenge. He reminds us that our vocation is more than responding to emergencies—it is about meeting people in their suffering and bringing light into darkness. To honor him, we can do several things: keep a picture or prayer card of him in our turnout gear, pause for prayer before shifts asking for his intercession, and live our faith as he did—boldly, joyfully, and with compassion for everyone we encounter. September 11 can be a day not only of mourning, but of renewed commitment to serve with courage and faith.

Let us pray for his canonization, ask his intercession for our safety, and continue his work by being present to those who suffer. Father Mychal’s last homily included these words: ‘You do what God has called you to do. You show up, you put one foot in front of the other, you get on the rig and you go out and you do the job. You don’t know what God has in store for you, but He needs you where you are.’ May we, like him, be faithful to that call every day.

Pro Dio et Populo – For God and the People.