"Lord, take me where you want me to go.
Let me meet who you want me to meet.
Tell me what you want me to say.
And keep me out of your way."
Father Mychal Judge's Prayer

The Rev. Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar, was the first person who was officially recorded as having died when the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.

As New York City Fire Department's chaplain, Judge had gone into the twin towers to give last rites to the victims, putting himself at risk.

Landisville resident Kelly Ann Lynch, a family friend of Judge's, was devastated when she heard the news of his death.

While growing up in New Jersey, Lynch's family lived around the corner from their church. Judge would often come by for coffee and lunch.

"He helped my dad when his dad died," Lynch said.

When a rare liver disease was diagnosed in Lynch's daughter, Shannon Hickey, at seven weeks old, Judge was one of the first people Lynch called.

When Shannon was seven months old and was about to have a liver transplant, Lynch called Judge to bless her before the operation.

Judge drove 1½ hours to Lynch's home, and he didn't hesitate to come even though his schedule was busy with Mass, confessions, working on St. Francis of Assisi's Breadline for 200 homeless people, as well as being chaplain to the fire department in New York.

Lynch said Judge would say that Jesus didn't wait for the people to come to him, he went to the people, so he would do the same.

"Even though it was a very cold January day, he was wearing his brown robe, bare feet and sandals when he showed up to bless my baby," Lynch said.

Lynch said she remembers Judge's hands blessing Shannon and Judge telling them in his soft voice that "everything will be OK. God will guide us through it."

When Lynch was at the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago after Shannon's transplant, Judge would call, just to tell them he was praying for them, she said.

"They shut the phones down at 9 p.m., but even at midnight the nurse walking down the hall would tell me that she would patch Father Mychal through to me," Lynch said.

The January after the Sept. 11 attacks, Shannon, who was 11 years old at the time, started Mychal's Message, a charitable organization collecting socks, underwear and other items for the homeless and poor.

Several years ago while Lynch was shopping with her mother, her mother said she wanted to go to Mass at noon at St. Mary's Catholic Church on Vine Street.

During Mass, Lynch said she felt and heard the Holy Spirit say, "He said yes."

Those three words struck Lynch deeply. At that moment, she saw herself writing a picture book about Judge, who said yes to being a priest and fire department chaplain.

"I said, 'Mom, he said yes. It's his (Judge's) life,' " Lynch said.

Lynch said she couldn't wait to get started on "He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge." The minute Mass was over, she began writing notes for her project, a 32-page hardcover picture book for children ages 3 to 12.

She called then-Lancaster County resident M. Scott Oatman, who helped Mychal's Message with its graphic arts. Oatman agreed to do watercolor illustrations for the book. She said in each of the pictures are hidden objects relating to different events in Judge's life.

"My hope is that in sharing Father Mychal's story with others, it will inspire children," Lynch said. "There are so many distractions that are available to children. It's unfortunate that there is no quiet for them to hear God's voice. I hope to inspire them to listen for God's voice."

"He Said Yes," which is published by Paulist Press, will be officially released in September.

However, it is available now through Mychal's Message. It can be ordered at www.mychalsmessage.org or by sending a check for $15, which includes shipping, to Mychal's Message, P.O. Box 6404, Lancaster, PA 17607.

A portion of the funds received from each book sold will be used to help the homeless, Lynch said.

Local book signings will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Fruitville Pike, and at 10 a.m. Sept. 22 at Borders Book Shop, Plaza Blvd.

Lynch said she also hopes to arrange school visits in the area.

Lynch also has other picture books in the works, she said.

E-mail: lvaningen@lnpnews.com