The Paterson Fire Department, along with the City of Paterson, came together on Monday to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, during the annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony.
Among the attendees were Mayor Andre Sayegh, Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr., Acting Paterson Fire Chief Alex Alicea, Pastor Felix Valentin, and Passaic County Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof, who each offered somber thoughts and remembrance.
Later that morning Paterson Fire Department honored Fr. Judge at his annual Memorial service. Father Michael F. Judge, the Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who served as a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department. 22 years ago at the World Trade Center, Judge prayed over bodies lying on the streets, then entered the lobby of the North Tower to join the command post. There he continued offering aid and prayers for the rescuers, the injured, and the dead. Soon after he would become the first certified fatality of the September 11th attacks.
We remember Father Judge, and all those who served on that day, and the many that followed. We remember those were injured or lost on that day and the many we continue to lose due to sickness from that day.
Photos by Jamal Randolph & Bryan Straube
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