 "A wonderful Priest" | 2007-10-13 |
| - Reviewed By paschalboy |
In an age that there is great suspect, and hostility towards priests, this book restores one faith in the many saints in our midst, who never gain newspaper headlines. I read the book before watching the CD about Father Judge, and it is a wondeful, easy read.
I had it on my wish list for a long time, as I had heard it would be published soon. When I finished the book, and CD, I sent them both on to a friend, who will pass it on to someone else.
Father Judge was a true hero, loved his ministry, struggled as a human and shined as a light. It is painful still to re-visit 9/11, but this is the conclusion of a live well led and lived. Well written, introducing us into his life and his friends. |
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 "A lovely tribute to a true hero" | 2004-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By nj_mommie |
As a disheartened Catholic living in NJ with an excellent view of the NY skyline, I watched in horror as the World Trade Center towers came crashing down on 9/11/01. My faith, which I had already been questioning, was tested even further. As the days passed, we all began to hear the tragic and heroic stories to emerge from Ground Zero. One of the first was that of Fr. Mychal Judge. I was moved by his death and attended a mass in his honor at St. Joseph's in East Rutherford, NJ. It was an overflow crowd and we had to listen to the service from the street. It was very moving and the words of those who knew & loved Fr. Mychal touched me. After that I realized that I should not be touched by his death, but I should learn about his life. This was an amazing gift that God gave to me. I began reading about him, anything I could get my hands on. After a time of such turmoil in our country, and to me in my own backyard, it was as if the grace of this incredible man was walking me through my own grief and helping restore my own faith in God, the Church and our world.
I was very anxious to read this book, and I must say, I was not disappointed. I think it did a good job of showing us who Mychael Judge was, both as a Franciscan Priest and as a very human man. It showed his frailties, his struggles and the heroic and inspirational way in which he handled these matters. It showed a man of true love and acceptance, one who encouraged a Church of inclusion, not exclusion. One who strived to make the Church a better place, who did not allow the faults of the Church to taint his love for God or Jesus Christ. Through stories told by friends, fellow Franciscans and those who knew him well, you get a better picture of the man Mychal was. And, after his death, the man that he was led me back to the Church and allowed me to have a place for God in my heart again. I like to think that this is something that would have made Fr. Mychal very happy. So that is my own personal tribute to him.
The beginning of the book details the tragic day of 9/11/01. The author did an excellent job of making that terrible day seem real and gives us some understanding of what those on the scene were experiencing. Throughout the story, I also felt that I was there when Mychal was offering his own blanket to a homeless man, or when he was massaging the feet of AIDS patients when no one would dare touch them. It gave an excellent portrait of what he learned, what he did and how he became the true Hero he was to so many.
I strongly recommend reading this book. You will learn about a wonderful man and it will restore your own faith in God and the people in His world.
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 "Mike Judge deserved a better book" | 2003-04-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2R9G8WZA9CV7Y |
I genuinely wanted to like this book, and was sorely disappointed. ... A case in point: Fr. Mychal spent a number of years at St. Joseph's parish in East Rutherford, NJ. The author's treatment of this critical, mid- career period in Judge's life (and the context in which this reviewer first came to know Mike Judge) is given short shrift. Ford relies entirely on an article in the Bergen (NJ) Record from the mid 70's and on some annecdotes from Fr. Michael Duffy ofm in his funeral homily for Judge. There is no indication that Ford spoke with any of the other Friars who shared ministry with Judge, or with any parishoners. Rather, Ford seems to be in a great rush to tell stories of Mike Judge, recovering alcoholic and (celibate)... man.
Much of the book is riddled with cliches and trite bromides. The end result is a book, which while informative at times, fails to capture and communicate the story of a flawed, yet truly holy man. Mike Judge deserves a better crafted biography. |
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| "Father Mychal Judge, An Authentic American Hero" | 2003-02-05 |
| - Reviewed By dearengor |
| I met Father Judge once and it was a very moving experience. Everything said about him in Ford's book as far as I'm concerned it just the way he was. He made a fantastic figure in his flowing robe but he was never pretentious. He loved people and his every action showed it. He is a man that will not be easily forgotten and the book will help towards that end. |
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| "Authentic is the right word." | 2003-01-28 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Some people might be put-off because this book deals honestly with a priest who struggled with his sexuality and with church teachings AND lived a life in service to God and neighbor. However, this book looks honestly and authentically at the life of Fr. Mychal Judge. Clearly the love of God shone through this man, and clearly the teachings of the Catholic hierarchy are not always the teachings of the Church, the People of God. I thought perhaps this book might be a little hokey (the subtitle makes Fr. Judge sound like a Marvel Comic superhero), but the book was truly authentic (albeit a tiny bit hokey at some very few points). Michael Ford's book will give you some honest insight into the complex yet simple life of Fr. Mychal Judge. I found it inspiring. |
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 "Misleading" | 2003-01-08 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| As much as I enjoyed reading about the good work of Father Judge and about his life's struggles, this book seems to deliberately mislead or confuse readers about Catholic teaching. The author fails to explain correct Catholic teaching about such issues as General Absolution, Canon Law, and Homosexuality or same sex attraction. For this reason it is a disservice to Father Judge's memory, the Franciscans and to readers. |
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| "Podium for the Author" | 2002-10-10 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Michael Ford has written a book hurriedly with a distinctively personal point of view that does not do justice to Mychal Judge. It is obvious that Mr. Ford's intent was to get the book to market and further along a media frenzied with the opportunity to "out" Father Judge after his death. We are left with snippets of a life that must have been overwhelmingly dedicated to others. There seems to be so much to investigate and develop that is left untouched in Mr. Ford's rendition. I hope that the next volume is truly "authentic" rather than an open ended quest for furthering an author's personal quest. |
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