TRR photo by David Jackman Father Tom Jones recalls his fellow Franciscan hero priest. (Click for larger image)

Narrowsburg priest remembers WTC hero fire chaplain Judge

Priest attended St. Joseph’s Seminary

By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG — Father Tom Jones of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Narrowsburg recalled the life and heroism of his fellow Franciscan priest, Father Mychal Judge, Chaplain for the New York Fire Department, who died on September 11 at the World Trade Center while administering the Last Rites of the church.

From 1950 to 1952, Jones attended St. Joseph’s Seminary in Callicoon with Judge as seminarians.

Judge, 68, was two years behind him.

“It sounds like a cliché but Father Mychal was a ball of energy who commanded the attention of all when he came into a room,” Jones said. “His energy was infectious. And did he ever love his fire department.”

Judge’s work as a priest was typical of the efforts of his Franciscan Order to serve in unique kinds of missions, as chaplainries to hospitals,  the military, fire and police departments of large cities and missions in foreign countries, Jones said.

Priests at the Callicoon seminary spent time developing mission churches in towns around the seminary, such as Obernburg, Callicoon, Yulan and Narrowsburg.

“Father Judge’s work with the department fell in line with that missionary tradition,” Jones said.

The hero-priest, who attended many tragic fires and disasters, was killed, along with two high ranking fire officials who were standing with him, by falling debris.  Judge’s areas of responsibility as chaplain were to minister to the firefighters of the Boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island.

Judge played a prominent role offering solace at another tragedy on Long Island—the crash of TWA flight 800, in July of 1996.

The firefighters of New York laid their beloved chaplain to rest last Saturday.

Judge was the first body released from Ground Zero; his death certificate has “No. 1” on it, according to an article in the Daily News.