“25 years ago, a morning began like any other. Coffee poured, subways filled, prayers whispered at morning mass, and then the unthinkable happened. In a single moment, the sky tore apart and the world that we knew here in New York City changed forever. But in that chaos, in the smoke, the fear, the falling towers, something else appeared: Courage, sacrifice, and love.”
Fr. David Convertino, OFM, shared these moving words of remembrance as he welcomed Michael Duffy, ofm, to Friar Time to discuss the 25th Anniversary of 9/11.
Michael was a close friend of Fr. Mychal Judge, a brave Franciscan Friar, Catholic priest, NYPD Chaplain, and the first official casualty of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In remembering Fr. Mychal, Fr. David said:
“A Franciscan Friar ran toward the burning towers, not away from it. He didn’t carry a weapon. He didn’t seek safety. He chose to be present to the suffering and the dying. And in doing so, he became the first recognized victim of the September 11th attacks. His death certificate reads, ‘0001.’ We remember, and we will never forget Father Mychal Judge.
Today, Friar Time is privileged to have with us Michael Duffy, a Franciscan Friar, Catholic priest, a very good friend of Father Mychal Judge, and the one who presided at Father Mychal’s funeral here in New York City.
Michael, before the world knew his name, who was the Mychal Judge that we all knew as friars? And what kind of priest and Franciscan was he in quiet, ordinary moments?”
“I would say he was the typical country priest,” replied Michael. “When people talked to him, either with good news or bad news, whatever, they felt like he regarded them as the only person in the world. Everyone thought he was their best friend. Anything happened to them; they would call on him. You know, he was in everybody’s life because everyone trusted him like that.”
“On September 11th, did you realize that Mychal could have possibly been at Ground Zero?” asked Fr. David.
“No, but I knew he was a chaplain in the fire department, of course. But I didn’t know if it was his section or his district. But he was always a person that loved to be where the excitement was—where he would dive right into it.”
Michael then gave an example of his friend’s willingness to dive right into it:
“We were driving down the New Jersey Turnpike and he saw an accident on the other side of the highway and said:
‘Michael, let’s stop. Maybe they need help!’
I said, ‘No. Look, there’s a fire engine, and the police department—they’ll take care of it!’
‘No, no, I really want to stop!’
So, we stopped on the side of the road. He got out and darted between cars to get to the other side. Next, I saw him kneeling down next to the victim.”
On 9/11, Michael was worried his friend again might have selflessly ‘dove right in’. And of course, he had.
“When you learned that he had died, what went through your heart at that moment?” asked Fr. David.
To hear Michael’s answer to this profound question, and to learn more about his friendship with Fr. Mychal Judge—and if the events of 9/11 shook his faith—tune in to Friar Time on Saturday, September 5, for “The 25th Anniversary of 9/11” at https://tv.franciscanfriarscharities.org/
For Your Consideration:
On September 26 at 3 p.m., at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the New York Fire Department will premiere a documentary about Fr. Mychal Judge, OFM, titled, Remembering Judge. This 30-minute film will honor Fr. Mychal’s life, courage, and sacrifice, and commemorate the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. Many Franciscan Friars of the Province of our Lady of Guadalupe and the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) will be present at the premiere.