Tribute

Their very existence typified everything about New York and its people. Standing dignified and stately, rising up from streets that had once welcomed its earliest settlers, it was only fitting that this was the place to build a symbol of the indomitable spirit of a city and of a nation. The site chosen, 16 acres in lower Manhattan, was bound by Vesey Street on the North, Church street on the east, Liberty street on the south, and West Street on the west, three blocks north of the New York Stock Exchange. Here was a place to build a World Trade Center, a place for the world to do business in the center pf the business world.

One tower would structurally be a problem and sever smaller towers, 'looked too much like a housing project.' Two towers gave enough office area on each floor, took advantage of the magnificent views, and structurally were possible to build. Groundbreaking for construction took place on Augsut 5th, 1966. Just over four years later in December 1970 One WTC opened. Occupancy of Two WTC began in 1972. The entire complex, including the two towers, was enormous in magnitude. Seven buildings, an underground shopping concourse and a plaza modeled after Venice's St. Marks Square. 10 million square feet of office space occupied by some 50,000 people. An acre of rentable space on each of the 110 floors of each tower. Rising 1,353 feet, from the top it was possible to see 45 miles in every direction. Seven underground levels including services, shopping, and its own subway system.

A great city in itself, a great city in the greatest of all cities, the worlds city.

By Tony Quinn

To be a member of the New York Police Department or Fire Department of New York means you are family, many literally are, it means you can rely on each other, rely on someone being there when help is needed. The individuals who make up these Departments are a close knit group, they look after their own and will risk their lives to do so. On September Ilth men and women from both Departments, made their way to lower Manhattan to do their job, many lost their lives trying to save others from the attack on their city. It was by far the highest single days casualties suffered by either the NYPD or the FDNY Men and women from all over the city, from all races and religions went to the aid of those caught up in the horror of that morning. It is somewhat fitting to all those who made the journey downtown on that day that in numbers the month and day are 9-11.

New York City has 11,500 firefighters and 343 of them perished in the attacks. The impact the fire service can be clearly seen. Since it was established 150 years ago, 700 firefighters have lost their lives on duty. The number of firefighters who died on September Ilth stands at 343, meaning that almost half that number died in one day. Entire fire houses were wiped out. The call to the WTC coming just as one shift was finishing and another starting, and those who were due to go home jumped on trucks heading downtown to lend a hand.

A large number of both the NYPD and the FDNY are of Irish descent, they always have been. Of the 11,500 firefighters in the city today, nearly 5,000 of them are Irish or of Irish extraction. A glance along the passing phalanxes on Fifth Avenue on St. Patrick's Day leaves one in no doubt. In the last century they joined up in droves, a city job, with a regular wage, and fellow countrymen to stand beside them in times of danger and crisis. Racing to fires on the old horse drawn wagons, and walking the beat in the neighborhood, the Irish helped earn the titles of New York's Bravest and New York's Finest. They lived their lives as they worked, back then and now, for these were the real 'hard men. Descended from ancient peoples, men who were made of matter that had been fired and hammered together over centuries. After hundreds of years of living in a country that kept them down, and where they tended to be the victims, they now championed the cause of the victim, in this case the victim of crime, or of danger and fire. Maybe it was this that drove them to sign up to take the entrance test, whatever it was sign up they did.

As police officers they upheld the ancient Irish tradition of the Brehon Laws going back over 1500 years. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Sir John Davies -an Englishman- the Irish attorney-general of James I testified: "For there is no nation of people under the sun that loves equality and impartiality of justice better then the Irish; or will rest better satisfied with the execution of the law, even though it may be against themselves, so as they may have the protection and benefit of the law.

As members of the Fire Department they upheld the same Brehon tradition of responsibility to the community. Accordingly the entire community was to be protected regardless of social status. Their predecessors had arrived on boats that landed them, all those years ago, near the place where hundreds of them now were to lose their lives as part of the great city fell among them. They perished when it fell, as they had perished building it. They volunteered to put their lives on the line in the protection of others. Once again Irish warriors lined up to do battle in defence of the community, and as pipers led the way to a heroes final resting place, once again they were laid to rest with ancient Irish warrior honors.

F R. MYCHAL JUDGE, OFM, 1933 - 2001. He had always wanted to be a priest or a fireman, in the end he became both and ended his life as both. Father Mychal chaplain to the New York City Fire Department since 1992, died on September 11, steel and concrete raining down on him. He had gone to the scene to administer to his brother firefighters. It was standard procedure for Father Mychal to jump on a fire engine as it sped out of 31st Street fire station on its way to fight a fire in lower Manhattan.

He had taken off his helmet as he was giving the last rites to a firefighter who had been hit by the falling body of a woman, near the scene of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. His Death Certificate bore the number 1. Father Judge became the first officially recorded fatality following the attack. He was 68. "My God is a God of surprises," he would often say.

Firefighters found Father Judge's body beneath a crushed fire engine at 'ground zero' and took him to St. Peter's Church nearby. They laid the friar in front of the altar, covered him with a white cloth and his priest's stole before placing his helmet and chaplain's badge on his chest. He was later taken to Engine 1 and Ladder 24 on West 31st Street, the location where he kept his chaplain's car. "There is a lot of sadness because this is a tremendous loss, but the manner in which Mychal died is also a great honor because he died in service," said Father Peter Brophy, OFM, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church, located almost directly across the street from the firehouse. Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, who was the principal celebrant of Father Judge's funeral Mass on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the St. Francis of Assisi Church said, "New York is going to be rebuilt better and stronger than ever before out of the blood and sweat of our heroes."

Nearly 3,000 people attended Father Judge's funeral Mass including hundreds of Franciscans from Holy Name Province, uniformed members of the fire and police departments, clergy and friends. The mourners also included former President Bill Clinton, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, their daughter, Chelsea, New York Public Advocate Mark Green, former New York Mayor David Dinkins and former New York City Police Chief William Bratton.

"The losses within our fire department are staggering, but I know Father Judge is praying for us," New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. "The fire department is going to emerge stronger from this tragedy and Father Judge is going to be there praying for us and supporting us." The Mayor said he had last seen the priest shortly before he was killed. "I said, 'Pray for us,' and he said, 'I always do,"' Giuliani recalled.

"Father Judge loved to be where the action was. He loved to be where there was a crisis, so he could serve God." Duffy recalled that Judge once asked him, "do you know what I really need! Absolutely nothing. Why am I so blessedl" Duffy also brought smiles and laughter to the crowd when he reminded them of Fr. Mychal's love of the press. When Fr.Judge was told that the World Trade Center had been hit. "He did take time to comb and spray his hair," Duffy said, "The firemen carried him out, and wouldn't you know, photographers were there.

He was once called to Bellevue Hospital to say a Mass for a New York City police officer, Steven McDonald, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after being shot by a 15-year-old he was questioning in Central Park.

In the days and years following the shooting, Father Judge became extremely close to McDonald, his wife, Patti Ann and their son, Coner. The priest had the opportunity to travel with McDonald during a number speaking engagements in the United States and the North of Ireland. "He was my confessor, my spiritual advisor and my best friend," McDonald said. "He was a living example of Jesus Christ."

After the crash of TWA flight 800 off Long Island in which all 230 people aboard were killed, Father Judge drove daily from Manhattan to the Ramada Hotel near JFK Airport. There he spent 12 hours a day consoling friends and families who lost their loved ones. He also celebrated Mass, participated in counseling sessions, organized ecumenical memorial prayer services for the victims' families and TWA personnel.

When tragedy struck on Sept. 11, Father Brian Carroll, OFM, went up to FatherJudge's room to inform him that a plane had just crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. Father Carroll recalled that without hesitation, Father Judge quickly took off his Franciscan habit, changed into his chaplain's uniform and headed for the door. That was the last time the friar would see his friend alive.

Born in Brooklyn, the son of two Irish immigrants from County Leitrim, Father Judge watched his father die from a long illness. As a result, the six-year-old was unable to establish a relationship with his father. To help his mother and two sisters make ends meet, he shined shoes at Penn Station, ran errands and did odd jobs, before being called to his Franciscan vocation at 15. He was ordained in 1961 and assigned to St. Joseph's Church in East Rutherford and Sacred Heart in Rochelle Park, N.J., before serving as assistant to the president at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. He was later named pastor of St. Joseph's Church in West Milford, N.J., before becoming a fire chaplain in 1992.

In addition to his work with the fire department, Father Judge was also involved in ministering to AIDS HIV patients and recovering alcoholics. Judge out his life meeting with Presidents and other dignatories. But in other ways, it has been said, he was like the underground priests in Ireland, homeland of his parents, who defied the 18th century anti-Catholic Penal Laws, saying mass on the sly and always on the run.

The name Judge will live on in the New York Fire Department. Marc Von Essen son of Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, and his wife Lorette became the proud parents of a 9-pound, 4-ounce baby boy. Marc is a former police officer who is now a firefighter assigned to Engine 233 in Brooklyn, The couple have named the baby Mason Judge in tribute to the FDNY Chaplain.

The idea of officially honoring Fr. Mychal for his work has begun to be talked about. Recently Senator Charles Schumer called on President Bush to posthumously award the Fire Department's chaplain the country's highest civilian honor the U.S. Medal of Freedom. Created in 1945 by President Harry Truman, the Medal of Freedom is given by Presidents to honor outstanding contributions by civilians. If awarded to Judge, it would be the first medal presented by President Bush. Standing outside Schumer Engine Co. 1, Ladder 24, on W 31st St., the Senator smiled as church bells tolled across the street at the St. Francis of Assisi Church. "We didn't plan that," said Schumer, adding. "But somebody did," as he looked up toward the heavens.

At Fr. Judge's funeral, Father Duffy said Fr. Judge saw God's purpose for choosing him to be among the first to die in the line of duty. "We're going to have more and more people brought out of the rubble and MychalJudge is going to greet them on the other side of death," he said. "He's going to greet them with his big Irish smile. He's going to take them by the hand and say, 'Welcome, let me take you to our father."' After the service, the casket, draped in the Fire Department flag, was borne from the church by 10 members of the firehouse across the street where Judge had spent much time and had eaten with the fire crews. Firefighters in dress uniform on the street saluted and wept openly as the casket led by a piper passed them, and others, who had traveled uptown in dusty work attire, from the scene of the devastation, to pay their last respects to their friend, their priest, their brother firefighter."