Editing Mychal Judge (section)

==Career==
After spending his [[Student#First year|freshman year]] at the [[St. Francis Preparatory School]] in Queens, where he studied under the [[Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn]], in 1948, at the age of 15, Judge began the formation process to enter the Order of Friars Minor. He transferred to [[St. Joseph's Seminary (Callicoon, New York)|St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary]] in [[Callicoon, New York]], the [[minor seminary]] of the [[Holy Name of Jesus|Holy Name]] [[ecclesiastical province|province]] of the Order. After graduation, he enrolled at [[St. Bonaventure University]] in [[Olean (town), New York|Olean, New York]]. In 1954 he was admitted to the [[novitiate]] of the Province in [[Paterson, New Jersey]]. After completing that year of formation, he received the [[religious habit]] and professed his [[first vows]] as a member of the Order.<ref name=HNP>{{cite web|url=http://www.hnp.org/who/deceased_members_bio.cfm?e_id=794|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130911224642/http://www.hnp.org/who/deceased_members_bio.cfm?e_id=794|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-09-11|publisher=Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province|title=Deceased Friars: Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M.}}</ref> At that time, he was given the [[religious name]] of '''Fallon Michael'''. He later dropped 'Fallon' and changed 'Michael' to '''Mychal'''.<ref>{{harvp|Daly|2008|pp=30, 31, 46, 81}}</ref> According to ''Queer There and Everywhere'' by Sarah Prager, Mychal changed his name to "differentiate himself from all the other 'Father Michaels.'"<ref>{{Cite book|title=Queer there and Everywhere|last=Prager|first=Sarah|publisher=Harper Collins|year=2017|isbn=978-0-06-247431-5|location=New York City|pages=196–203}}</ref> He resumed his college studies at St. Bonaventure University, where he earned a [[bachelor's degree]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite web|work=St. Bonaventure University|title=St. Bonaventure honors victims of 9/11 at prayer service, Mass|url=http://www.sbu.edu/About_News.aspx?id=36014&terms=mychal%20judge|date=September 9, 2011|access-date=September 11, 2013}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He professed his [[solemn vows]] as a full member of the Order in 1958.<ref name=HNP/> Following this, he did his [[theology|theological]] studies at Holy Name College [[Seminary]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] Upon completing these studies in 1961, he was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] a priest.<ref>{{harvp|Daly|2008|pp=23–33}}</ref>

After his ordination, Judge was assigned to the [[Shrine of St. Anthony (Boston)|Shrine of St. Anthony]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]. Following his assignment there, he served in various parishes served by the Franciscans: St. Joseph Parish in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]], Sacred Heart Parish in [[Rochelle Park, New Jersey]], [[Holy Cross Church (Bronx)|Holy Cross Parish]] in [[the Bronx]] and St. Joseph Parish in [[West Milford, New Jersey]]. For three years he served as assistant to the President of [[Siena College]], operated by the Franciscans in [[Loudonville, New York]]. In 1986 he was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Church in [[Manhattan]], where he had first come to know the friars. He lived and worked there until his death.<ref>{{harvp|Daly|2008|pp=37–77}}</ref>

Around 1971, Judge developed [[alcoholism]], although he never showed obvious signs. In 1978, with the support of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]], he became sober and continued to share his personal story of alcoholism to help others facing addiction.<ref>{{harvp|Daly|2008|p=62}}</ref>

In 1992, Judge was appointed a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department. As chaplain, he offered encouragement and prayers at fires, rescues, and hospitals, and counseled firemen and their families, often working 16-hour days. "His whole ministry was about love. Mychal loved the fire department and they loved him."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecitizen.com/2011/09/02/first-victim-911/|title=The first victim of 9/11|author=Epps, David|newspaper=The Citizen|date=September 2, 2011|accessdate=July 25, 2021|archivedate=July 25, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725151933/https://thecitizen.com/2011/09/02/first-victim-911/}}</ref> Judge was a member of [[American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees|AFSCME]] Local 299 ([[District Council 37]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=PEP, October 2018: Local 299 rewards top scholars|url=https://www.dc37.net/news/PEP/10_2018/L299_rewards|access-date=2020-07-25|website=District Council 37|language=en-US}}</ref>

Judge was also well known in the city for ministering to the [[Homelessness|homeless]], the hungry, recovering alcoholics, people with [[AIDS]], the sick, injured, and grieving, [[immigrant]]s, [[gay]]s and [[lesbian]]s, and those alienated by society.<ref>{{harvp|Ford|2002|pp=107–139}}</ref> Judge once gave the winter coat off his back to a homeless woman in the street, later saying, "She needed it more than me." When he anointed a man who was dying of AIDS, the man asked him, "Do you think God hates me?" Judge picked him up, kissed him, and silently rocked him in his arms.<ref>Holsten, Glenn (Director). ''Saint of 9/11'' (2006), Virgil Films & Entertainment.</ref> Judge worked with St. Clare's Hospital, which opened the city's first AIDS ward, in order to start an active AIDS ministry. He visited hospitals and AIDS patients and their families, presided over many funerals, and counseled other Catholics such as Brendan Fay and John McNeill. Judge continued to be an advocate for gay rights throughout the rest of his life, marching in pride parades and attending other gay events.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lgbtran.org/Profile.aspx?ID=303|title=Profile: Mychal Judge: Profile|website=LGBT Religious Archives Network (LGBT-RAN)|date=October 2011|access-date=April 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423034138/https://www.lgbtran.org/Profile.aspx?ID=303|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Even before his death, many considered Judge to be a living [[saint]] for his extraordinary works of [[charity (practice)|charity]] and his deep spirituality. While praying, he would sometimes "become so lost in God, as if lost in a trance, that he'd be shocked to find several hours had passed."<ref>{{harvp|Daly|2008|p=320}}</ref> Judge's [[spiritual director]], the late [[Jesuit]] [[John J. McNeill]], observed that Judge achieved an "extraordinary degree of union with the divine. We knew we were dealing with someone directly in line with God."<ref>{{harvp|Ford|2002|pp=114–115}}</ref>