Father Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero
By Michael Ford
Krysten Weller
Issue date: 4/16/03 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Author Michael Ford has written a biography of Father Mychal Judge the New York City Fire Department Chaplain who died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Ford showcases stories of Father Judge that depict him as a warm and friendly man who always had a smile of his face and never had anything negative to say about anyone. We learn about the events that led up to the priest's death as well as his early years as a young Irish American in Brooklyn.
Ford paints a very different portrait of Father Judge than the one by the media. He writes about Father Judge's struggle to overcome alcoholism and the depression he dealt with over his homosexuality. Father Judge was one of the few priests who openly supported gay rights and marched in the Saint Patrick's Day parade in 2000 with gay rights activists. He waved at and blessed angry protesters saying, "Resentments will do us all in."
Father Judge found that when he'd visit AIDS patients while wearing his Franciscan robes, he'd "run into real hostility from those who had been badly burned by the church-and that would be most." He took to massaging the patients' feet in order to gain their trust before he would bring God's message to them.
In the book we get to see a private side of the Franciscan priest who lost his father when he was only six years old. Judge had said, "I never called anyone 'Dad,' I've always been very much on my own." Many felt that Judge compensated for not having a dad by fathering those around him.
We also see that Father Judge liked having his picture taking with celebrities. He introduced himself to Jackie Kennedy and was thrilled when Hillary Clinton autographed a menu for him. Father Judge wrote in his journal that, "I was stunned when I saw that she had written my name on it. How did she know who I was?"
Ford does an excellent job of giving us a look into Father Judge's life, but he tends to over poeticize things. He seems intent on canonizing Judge and compares him to Saint Francis of Assisi who, along with Saint Maximilian Kolbe, were the priest's role models. He even likens Father Judge's homosexuality to Saint Francis' stigmata. However, even with this, the author has written a moving biography of a man who worked to fight against social stereotypes and hatred.
Ford paints a very different portrait of Father Judge than the one by the media. He writes about Father Judge's struggle to overcome alcoholism and the depression he dealt with over his homosexuality. Father Judge was one of the few priests who openly supported gay rights and marched in the Saint Patrick's Day parade in 2000 with gay rights activists. He waved at and blessed angry protesters saying, "Resentments will do us all in."
Father Judge found that when he'd visit AIDS patients while wearing his Franciscan robes, he'd "run into real hostility from those who had been badly burned by the church-and that would be most." He took to massaging the patients' feet in order to gain their trust before he would bring God's message to them.
In the book we get to see a private side of the Franciscan priest who lost his father when he was only six years old. Judge had said, "I never called anyone 'Dad,' I've always been very much on my own." Many felt that Judge compensated for not having a dad by fathering those around him.
We also see that Father Judge liked having his picture taking with celebrities. He introduced himself to Jackie Kennedy and was thrilled when Hillary Clinton autographed a menu for him. Father Judge wrote in his journal that, "I was stunned when I saw that she had written my name on it. How did she know who I was?"
Ford does an excellent job of giving us a look into Father Judge's life, but he tends to over poeticize things. He seems intent on canonizing Judge and compares him to Saint Francis of Assisi who, along with Saint Maximilian Kolbe, were the priest's role models. He even likens Father Judge's homosexuality to Saint Francis' stigmata. However, even with this, the author has written a moving biography of a man who worked to fight against social stereotypes and hatred.