FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge raced to the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001. He departed from his midtown station at Engine Company One and Ladder Company 24.
At the towers, Judge prayed for those trapped inside. He prayed for the rescuers working the scene.
His legacy of hope and service endures 25 years after his death. Judge died when the south tower collapsed.
“We will bury his body, but not his spirit,” Father Michael Duffy said. Duffy delivered those words in a homily after Judge’s death.
Judge has been described as a close friend of Duffy. He is widely considered the first official victim of the 9/11 attacks.
“I pray for him every day,” Duffy said. He added that he thinks of Judge whenever emergencies unfold.
A French film crew was profiling the FDNY that morning. The crew captured Judge’s final moments inside the north tower lobby.
He was praying for people who were jumping from the upper floors. Smoke and fire filled those floors, according to accounts.
Then the south tower collapsed. The collapse sent a wave of concrete and steel into the area.
Duffy recalled learning of Judge’s death at his soup kitchen. The soup kitchen is located in Philadelphia.
“I had no doubt that when the plane hit the building, that he would be there,” Duffy said.
An image of Judge’s body being carried from the rubble became iconic. The photograph has remained a symbol of the attacks.
“That kind of is an icon that represents 2,000 people,” Duffy said. He said it shows goodness overcome by evil.
He added that the picture makes the loss feel real. “That’s why we feel empty,” Duffy said.
The two men first met in the 1970s. Both were Franciscan priests assigned to the same parish in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Duffy said Judge became a mentor to him. He noted this happened without any official mentor role.
Duffy also remembered Judge’s humility. “He had no airs about him,” Duffy said.
Judge was born in Brooklyn. He once shined shoes near the Church of St. Francis of Assisi on 31st Street.
He later joined the Franciscan order. He was appointed FDNY chaplain in 1992.
“He loved to be where the action was,” Duffy said. He shared that part of Judge’s personality.
Four days after 9/11, Duffy traveled to New York. He delivered the homily at Judge’s funeral, as Judge had wished.
Thousands gathered at the church on 31st Street for the service. The service mourned Judge’s death.
Even in death, Judge left behind a message of service. His legacy includes a call for compassion, Duffy said.
“We will bury his hands, but not his good works,” Duffy said. He repeated those lines from the funeral homily.
“We come to bury his heart, but not his love. Never his love,” Duffy said.
Months after 9/11, Judge’s gear and helmet were recovered. The items are now on display at the New York City Fire Museum.
The display sits alongside the FDNY memorial at the museum.
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