31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Powerful Story of A Wounded Healer, September 4, 2002
This review is from: Father Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero (Hardcover)
In looking through the over some forty different books on a display in a local bookstore memorializing the Heroes of September 11th, I was struck by the fact that each human story is, in and of itself, precious and so worthy of being passed on. All who lost their lives on September 11th, and those who participated in the aftermath of that tragic day, in whatever role they served, brought forth their very best selves to share with others in need. There is a powerful eloquence resounding through the words and photographs that serve as reminder and memorial of these tremendous people and that terrible day.
Mychal Judge was the 68-year-old fire department chaplain who died of a heart attack while ministering to the injured and dying at the World Trade Center. There is the now famous picture of Judge being brought out of the rubble by five firemen that is incredibly powerful to view.
In a time when there is a great deal of cynicism and appropriate doubt about the leadership of the Catholic Church, Mychal Judge's life serves as the testament to the fact that there are indeed still priests who have not forgotten the true meaning of ministry, who continue to struggle to live a life that is Christ like, yet who remain all too truly human and authentic. Ironically, these men are often the same people who have the courage not to intimidated by the Church's petty hierarchical power games, rules and censures.
Judge was not a perfect person by any means. A Franciscan from his young adulthood, Mychal Judge was outspoken and unconventional. He was known to be difficult to live with in community at times. He spoke back to the reprimands of the Archdiocese of New York and went about his business of being present to others - often the poorest, dirtiest, most undesirable human beings around him. He was an acknowledged alcoholic who was devoted to Alcoholics Anonymous, to his own 23-year sobriety, and to assisting other alcoholics on a path toward recovery. He was also a gay man who acknowledged his sexual identity, while at the same time, giving authentic witness to his call to the priesthood. He was eccentric, bawdy and comical. At the same time, he was selfless when it came to being present to those in need. He never failed to rush to the most tragic or hopeless situation he was called to - whether it was to men dying of AIDS, to the lonely elderly women to whom he somehow gave laughetr and cheer, to the homeless around Penn Station in the church where he lived, or to his final ministry, to the firefighters and their families, of the New York City Fire Department.
As a result of his own very challenged life, Judge was able to be a tremendously authentic presence to other persons in pain. He embodied the idea that those wounded in life are often the best people to serve in healing roles as they can reach places in others that they themselves have been and give comfort and often peace.
Author, Michael Ford, covers Judge beautifully and I found myself marking my copy of this book with simply beautiful vignettes of Mychal Judge in action so that I can return to them again and reread them. Ford, previously published an excellent posthumous biography of priest and noted author, Henri Nouwen, entitled The Wounded Prophet, which also dealt with another remarkable human being who embodied the notion of wounded healer.
While never having met Mychal Judge, Ford has certainly done a fine job of meeting people who did know the man first hand and recording their stories of his life. He has synthesized all of this into a very well written, coherent tale of a rough and tumble New Yorker who literally gave his life to the people of New York City. A remarkable book. A fast and inspiring read. Highly recommended!
Daniel J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A lovely tribute to a true hero, August 6, 2004
This review is from: Father Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero (Hardcover)
As a disheartened Catholic living in NJ with an excellent view of the NY skyline, I watched in horror as the World Trade Center towers came crashing down on 9/11/01. My faith, which I had already been questioning, was tested even further. As the days passed, we all began to hear the tragic and heroic stories to emerge from Ground Zero. One of the first was that of Fr. Mychal Judge. I was moved by his death and attended a mass in his honor at St. Joseph's in East Rutherford, NJ. It was an overflow crowd and we had to listen to the service from the street. It was very moving and the words of those who knew & loved Fr. Mychal touched me. After that I realized that I should not be touched by his death, but I should learn about his life. This was an amazing gift that God gave to me. I began reading about him, anything I could get my hands on. After a time of such turmoil in our country, and to me in my own backyard, it was as if the grace of this incredible man was walking me through my own grief and helping restore my own faith in God, the Church and our world.
I was very anxious to read this book, and I must say, I was not disappointed. I think it did a good job of showing us who Mychael Judge was, both as a Franciscan Priest and as a very human man. It showed his frailties, his struggles and the heroic and inspirational way in which he handled these matters. It showed a man of true love and acceptance, one who encouraged a Church of inclusion, not exclusion. One who strived to make the Church a better place, who did not allow the faults of the Church to taint his love for God or Jesus Christ. Through stories told by friends, fellow Franciscans and those who knew him well, you get a better picture of the man Mychal was. And, after his death, the man that he was led me back to the Church and allowed me to have a place for God in my heart again. I like to think that this is something that would have made Fr. Mychal very happy. So that is my own personal tribute to him.
The beginning of the book details the tragic day of 9/11/01. The author did an excellent job of making that terrible day seem real and gives us some understanding of what those on the scene were experiencing. Throughout the story, I also felt that I was there when Mychal was offering his own blanket to a homeless man, or when he was massaging the feet of AIDS patients when no one would dare touch them. It gave an excellent portrait of what he learned, what he did and how he became the true Hero he was to so many.
I strongly recommend reading this book. You will learn about a wonderful man and it will restore your own faith in God and the people in His world.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authentic is the right word., January 27, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Father Mychal Judge: An Authentic American Hero (Hardcover)
Some people might be put-off because this book deals honestly with a priest who struggled with his sexuality and with church teachings AND lived a life in service to God and neighbor. However, this book looks honestly and authentically at the life of Fr. Mychal Judge. Clearly the love of God shone through this man, and clearly the teachings of the Catholic hierarchy are not always the teachings of the Church, the People of God. I thought perhaps this book might be a little hokey (the subtitle makes Fr. Judge sound like a Marvel Comic superhero), but the book was truly authentic (albeit a tiny bit hokey at some very few points). Michael Ford's book will give you some honest insight into the complex yet simple life of Fr. Mychal Judge. I found it inspiring.
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