Tuckahoe NY Pride

Mychal Judge was a Franciscan friar and longtime New York City chaplain to the Fire Department of New York. Known for a ministry grounded in compassion, he supported people on society’s margins, including those struggling with addiction, illness, and poverty. Judge was also a gay man who navigated his vocation and identity during eras of intense stigma, quietly modeling integrity and care. On September 11, 2001, he rushed to the World Trade Center to minister to first responders and victims and was killed there, becoming widely recognized as the first certified fatality of the attacks.

Quote: “Is there so much love in the world that we can afford to discriminate against any kind of love?”