About 50 people attended the 9/11 memorial tribute to Fr. Mychal Judge at Old St. Patrick's Church Sept. 11. The tribute featured a screening of a documentary about Judge's life, the "Saint of 9/11."
Judge ( Catholic priest, Franciscan friar and chaplain of the New York City Fire Department ) was the first recorded casualty following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Bob Kolatorowicz, director of Social Justice and Adult Education Ministry at Old St. Patrick's Church, provided words of welcome and Maureen Schuneman, Old St. Patrick's Gay and Lesbian Friends and Families Outreach committee member, spoke about Judge and his 9/11 connection, noted Judge's induction into the Legacy Walk on Oct. 11th of this year and introduced Victor Salvo, founder and executive director of the Legacy Project Chicago.
"It's great that this day is finally here and the fact that it happened on 9/11, even I didn't think of that one," said Salvo. "We are thrilled that of the seven new plaques that are being added to the installation on Oct. 11th ( National Coming Out Day ) one of them is finally for Fr. Judge."
Salvo also spoke about the significance of The Legacy Project Chicago as the only installation of its kind in the world and mentioned the education resources that are available on the website.
Sean Mundy, Old St. Patrick's Gay and Lesbian Friends and Families Outreach committee member, read the prayer that Judge said to the family members of the victims of TWA flight 800 crash ahead of the screening.
The documentary, with narration by out actor Ian McKellan, touched on all aspects of Judge's life and included recollections from friends, fellow priests and nuns and New York City officials. They spoke about his involvement in the rescue efforts on 9/11, his longtime membership in AA and the fact that he was gay. According to the documentary, one of the turning points in Judge's life was the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Although many health officials and volunteers were abandoning AIDS patients, Judge visited patients and embraced them without any barriers and he also got involved with the Gay Men's Health Crisis organization. The documentary also touched on his childhood in Brooklyn and his travels overseas.
A discussion with guided questions followed the screening of the documentary.
Old St. Patrick's Gay and Lesbian Friends and Families Outreach sponsored the event.
See www.oldstpats.org/service/outreach-opportunities/gay-and-lesbian-friends-and-families-outreach-2 and www.legacyprojectchicago.org for more information.
Note: Carrie Maxwell is also a volunteer for the Legacy Project Chicago.
