The book of Mychal : the surprising life and heroic death of Father Mychal Judge

The inspiring story of New York Fire Department Chaplain Father Mychal Judge His death certificate bears the number one. As chaplain to the Fire Department of New York, Father Mychal Judge was officially the first to go. A loving priest with a gift for the gab-gregarious yet humble, a healer with the ability to wipe away a widow's tears and put a smile on a fireman's face. And on September 11th Father Mike rushed to the fires at the World Trade Center as quickly as those who fought them, losing his own life while tirelessly ministering to New York's bravest. __Father Mike__ recounts the colorful, astonishing and at times troubled life of a priest who saw the potential for good in everybody-in the homeless person he slipped a dollar to on the street; the alcoholic he sought to coax to an AA meeting; the early victims of AIDS he embraced and comforted; the troubled young men he visited in jail; and the thousands of firefighters he blessed as they rushed to their rigs answering the call. Here was a priest who rejoiced in the life around him and understood that even the most terrible times present us with wonders-that good always arises from the bad in the most unexpected ways. Or as Father Mike would say, "My God is a God of surprises." In this touching book, author Michael Daly retraces the footsteps of Father Mike as his vocation takes us inside the firehouse, inside his friary and his Church, and inside the chaos that often befalls New York. This is the tale of a larger than life priest who, in death, became a symbol of how much we truly lost that Tuesday in September. __Father Mike__ is the inspirational story of a hero priest who blessed so many lives and will long be remembered by it.

The inspiring story of New York Fire Department Chaplain Father Mychal Judge

His death certificate bears the number one. As chaplain to the Fire Department of New York, Father Mychal Judge was officially the first to go. A loving priest with a gift for the gab-gregarious yet humble, a healer with the ability to wipe away a widow's tears and put a smile on a fireman's face.

And on September 11th Father Mike rushed to the fires at the World Trade Center as quickly as those who fought them, losing his own life while tirelessly ministering to New York's bravest.

Father Mike recounts the colorful, astonishing and at times troubled life of a priest who saw the potential for good in everybody-in the homeless person he slipped a dollar to on the street; the alcoholic he sought to coax to an AA meeting; the early victims of AIDS he embraced and comforted; the troubled young men he visited in jail; and the thousands of firefighters he blessed as they rushed to their rigs answering the call.

Here was a priest who rejoiced in the life around him and understood that even the most terrible times present us with wonders-that good always arises from the bad in the most unexpected ways.

Or as Father Mike would say, "My God is a God of surprises."

In this touching book, author Michael Daly retraces the footsteps of Father Mike as his vocation takes us inside the firehouse, inside his friary and his Church, and inside the chaos that often befalls New York.

This is the tale of a larger than life priest who, in death, became a symbol of how much we truly lost that Tuesday in September. Father Mike is the inspirational story of a hero priest who blessed so many lives and will long be remembered by it.

"His death certificate bears the number one. On September 11, Father Mychal Judge rushed to volunteer at the emergency command post in the World Trade Center, where he lost his life while bravely and tirelessly ministering to New York's bravest. The Reuters photograph of his body being carried out of the rubble on that day was described as the 'American Pieta,' and five years later a documentary film dubbed him the "Saint of 9/11."" "Michael Daly delivers much more than simply a story of a fallen hero and inspirational leader. His biography is an intimate and complex portrait of a man who struggled with battles both personal and political. He became sober with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he used his own story to help counsel others in their struggles with addiction. And serving within the Catholic Church - as well as the ultra-masculine ranks of the FDNY - the father also kept secret his sexual orientation: He admitted having feelings of attraction for both men and women, and although Judge stayed true to his vows, Daly sheds light on one deeply meaningful relationship that the father maintained with a male friend for many years." Daly writes in the best tradition of the streetwise New York City scribe, and in his loving yet probing biography of Judge, he does not shy away from the controversies of Judge's life - including Judge's often seething feud with Cardinal John O'Connor. The author takes us inside the father's friary and church, into the fire stations and the hospital rooms of burn victims, and into the very heart of the city itself. The Book of Mychal delves with unparalleled insight into the inspirational story of an American hero who will long be rememberedby the many people whose lives he blessed. His death certificate bears the number one. On September 11, 2001, Father Mychal Judge rushed to the fires as quickly as those who fought them, losing his own life while tirelessly ministering to New York's bravest. This book recounts the colourful, astonishing and, at times, troubled life of the beloved Franciscan priest. His death certificate bears the number one. On September 11, 2001, Father Mychal Judge rushed to the fires as quickly as those who fought them, losing his own life while tirelessly ministering to New York's bravest. This book describes the colorful, astonishing and, at times, troubled life of the beloved Franciscan priest. A portrait of the Franciscan priest and FDNY chaplain who lost his life in the World Trade Center attacks recounts his inspirational personal story and his experiences in the firehouse, his friary, and his church