BY TOM SEIPP, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It’s been 20 years since 2,996 people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Three of those victims were St. Bonaventure University alumni: Fr. Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M., ’57, Rob Peraza, ’94, ’96, and Amy O’Doherty, ’00 all died at the Twin Towers.
The Bonaventure community honored the tragedy of 9/11 outside of the William & Ann L. Swan Business Center at the 9/11 memorial. During the beautiful ceremony, the story of Fr. Mychal, victim 0001 from the attacks, was shared with all.
Br. Kevin Kriso was lucky enough to get to know Fr. Mychal in New York City in the late 1990s at a recovery retreat for friars. Judge became a mentor for Kriso and other young friars, especially at a program called SPUFY.
SPUFY was where Fr. Mychal would share stories from his upbringing in the Catholic faith and when he was studying as a young friar.
Br. Kriso mentioned many lessons he learned from Fr. Mychal, but none were more substantial than “trusting God” and “showing up.”
“Where I show up is where I’m supposed to be and whatever happens and what turns up is where I’m supposed to be,” Br. Kriso said was a major lesson he was taught from Fr. Mychal. “When I first met Mychal, he told me ‘If you do this life right, you will never be bored. When there was anything going on, he would do it.”
After building a relationship for many years, on Sept. 11, 2001 Br. Kriso was in Maryland watching the tragedy unfold. He said all he could think of is that he knew Fr. Mychal was in the middle of this.
“He would always jump in and do whatever he had to do,” Br. Kriso said.
The heartbreaking day that was Sept. 11th only became personal with Br. Kriso, losing a friend and a mentor in the process.
The legacy Fr. Mychal left was a gigantic one. The work Fr. Mychal did with friars, alcohol anonymous, the homosexual community, and many others left a lasting impact, even 20 years after her death.
Each and every year in New York City there is a 9/11 walk of remembrance honoring Fr. Mychal Judge and Steven MacDonald. The walk continues the legacy that Fr. Mychal left on so many in the city he lived in.
seipptw19@bonaventure.edu
