BY TEQUILA MINSKY | The 10th annual “Walk of Remembrance” was held last Sunday. This year it was dedicated to the life of Father Mychal Judge who died on 9/11 while administering last rites to a firefighter at Ground Zero.
The event was organized by NYPD Detective Steve McDonald, who was shot in the line of duty and left paralyzed in July 1986. He and his family became close to Father Mychal during his extended recovery.
With attendance growing each year, the walk’s organizers, committed to remembering the life of Father Mychal, extended the stops.
The walk started at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, where Father Mychal lived and from which he responded to join the firefighters at Engine Company 1 / Ladder 24. The walk included first responders, clergy and people of all faiths.
The route stopped at fire departments and police stations along the way to a blessing at the New York City Fire Museum that now holds a permanent exhibit of Father Mychal’s helmet, recovered with his body and bunker coat, intact months after 9/11.
