America: The National Catholic Weekly Saints on the Screen (excerpt) The Saint of 9/11 (2006). You may recognize Mychal Judge, O.F.M., as one of the more well-known heroes of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Father Judge, a beloved fire chaplain in New York City, was killed on Sept. 11, 2001, while ministering to the firefighters in the north tower. What you may not know is that the Franciscan priest was also a longtime servant of the poor and the homeless in New York City, an early minister to AIDS victims when many others (even doctors and nurses) shunned them, and an experienced pastor at three parishes. This remarkable new documentary is a clear-eyed look at Father Judge’s life, showing how his faith enabled him to deal with his alcoholism (through Alcholics Anonymous) and accept his homosexuality (he was a celibate priest), reminding us that sanctity always makes its home in humanity. An Irish Mercy sister, who knew Judge during a sabbatical in Ireland, says simply, “He was a good man who loved so many.” It is the best movie about the priesthood in years.
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