Mychal's Message

These are the people we support - the lost and broken, the mentally ill and forsaken. Please help us by making a donation today. See link pinned to the top of this page.

It was under the shade of the train overpass. In 94 degree heat. During a code red. The young woman was curled up in a fetal position. She was lying in an empty children’s plastic wading pool. Her pale skin was red. Most likely from sunburn and being over heated. Her hair was matted to her forehead. We introduced ourselves and asked her her name. We talked with her briefly and offered several bottles of partially frozen water which she thirstly accepted. We gave her clean socks and some snacks. We told her, “Be safe” as we left her. She replied, “You too”.

We had our backpacks and wagon filled with supplies this evening . They included cold water with labels that were hand written notes of encouragement from the children at St Christopher’s, Gladwyne.

We traveled the side streets and lots of Kensington where there is no evidence of any clean up or change that the city is promoting like a sequel to a bad movie.

It’s been weeks since we’ve seen people with pets but we came across two people with dogs on the same street tonight. Water was given to the young men for themselves and their dogs. One poured the water into the palm of his hand so his dog could drink.

We’ve been asked a lot lately for our wound care kits that the deacons of the Diocese helped to gather, but we are out of them. We may start to ask groups to put them together again because they are requested frequently and are of great value to folks on the street who suffer from open and often infected wounds.

Please pray for our siblings on the street in this oppressive hades style heat that are region is in.

Would you like to support our work on the forgotten edges of the empire? You may make a donation here:

https://diopa.member365.com/publicInj/fundraisingCampaign/makeDonation/iopQ9y6wPlUbCvHOttA_Ag

DID YOU KNOW?

In Assisi, Italy, not far from St. Peter's Church, as you walk down the brick road towards St. Mary of the Angels, you will find a brick dedicated to Fr. Mychal Judge.

Thank you, Rosemary, for sending us this picture.

St Francis Inn Ministries

Keeping it in the family!!! Thanks to Mychal’s Message supporter, Katie Farren, 132 handmade hats have been donated and will keep men and women warm this winter. Today, Isaac and Claire, the youngest “Mychal’s Messengers” helped count these Holy Hats!

A great Christmas gift! Available through Amazon or directly through Mychal’s Message (where you can receive a personally inscribed message and author signed copy).

He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge HE SAID YES is a children’s picture book that tells the true story of how young Robert Emmet Judge, a small boy from Brooklyn, became Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan priest, New York City fire department chaplain, and a hero―the first “official” death of the 9/11 attack. This moving biogra...

Mychal’s Message is a small, family-run ministry. But, thanks to your donations, even with serious health issues in our family this year, we are grateful to have been able to continue reaching out to the homeless and poor. Below are some of the many ways we have reached out.

STOCKING THE INN - A van full of new items was delivered to St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia. Items included 121 winter hats, 48 cans of soda, 65 men’s T-shirts, 173 pair of socks, 4 blankets, 7 children’s coats, 314 baby diapers, 42 Prayer Bears, 12 canisters of anti-bacterial wipes, and 348 assorted toiletries (December 16, 2022).

MYCHAL’S BREAD - Approximately 550 items were donated to food pantries locally (July-September 2023).

BACK TO SCHOOL - 25 supplies for school, 13 backpacks, 3 pair of sneakers and 28 uniform pieces were given to children in need (August 2023). 72 bags of chips and 144 granola bars were also given to children heading back to school at the St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School in Thoreau, NM (September 2023).

BLESSED BLOOMERS - 119 underwear, 34 undershirts/tops, and 237 pair of socks were given to the homeless and poor who visit St. Anne’s Brown Bag Lunch Line in Lancaster, PA (November 2023).

SOCKS FOR THE HOMELESS - 274 pair of socks were distributed on the St. Francis Breadline in NY (September 10, 2023).

TINY TREASURES - The following were distributed on the St. Anne’s Brown Bag Lunch line in September 2022: 111 deodorants, 100 shampoo/conditioner combos, 108 body lotions, 100 toothpaste tubes, 100 toothbrushes, 102 body washes, 13 bars of soap, 17 shampoos, and 7 conditioners. Additionally, 399 personal-sized toiletries (57 toothbrushes, 57 toothpaste tubes, 57 body washes, 57 shampoo/conditioner combos, 57 deodorants, 57 lotions, and 57 prayer cards) were given to men and women on the St. Francis Breadline in NY (September 10, 2023).

PHILIPPINE PROJECT - School supplies, clothing and food have been provided to a family identified by CFCA (monthly) in the Philippines.

ST. ANTHONY’S COAT - 38 children’s winter coats were given to the Knights of Columbus for their annual Coats for Kids drive (Fall/Winter 2022).

HOLY HATS - 8 winter hats and 1 pair of child’s winter boots were given to the homeless and poor who visit the St. Anne’s Brown Bag Lunch Line in Lancaster, PA (November 2023).

WISH - In an annual Christmas production, funds were raised to purchase Christmas gifts for 99 children (425 gifts total) and meals for their families (34 meals) that included turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls, gravy and pie (December 2022).

ALL ABOUT ALEX - 48 cans of Diet Pepsi, 1 pair of sweatpants, 1 sweatshirt, 8 pair of socks, 12 tubes of Fixodent, 1 pack of cookies and 1 bag of candies were all sent to Alex who lives on a very small income in a nursing home (Summer 2023).

OTHER - One woman in need was gifted new dentures. “This has changed my life,” she told us (2023).

https://www.facebook.com/100064982790119/posts/703823831793704/?mibextid=cr9u03

In Work at St. John’s Bread and Life, Sister Caroline Tweedy Feeds Bodies and Souls Having been involved with CYO sports from childhood through young adulthood, Sister Caroline Tweedy, RSM, grew up thinking that “coaching” would be her dream job. Life didn’t exac…

It’s September, and that means back to school. Thanks to your donations, Navajo children living in Thoreau, NM who attend St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School will have plenty of supplies. The following items were supplied to the school:

300 pencils
50 highlighters
48 boxes of crayons
48 containers of glue
16 reams of copy paper
4 packs (240 sheets each) of construction paper

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/11/nyregion/sept-11-memorial-ireland-kinsale.html

The 343 Reasons a Small Town in Ireland Mourns on Sept. 11 Kinsale, an Irish fishing village, is home to a 9/11 memorial honoring the firefighters who were killed in New York that day.

When He Said Yes was written, it was so that future generations would know the story of Fr. Mychal Judge and his impact on the world. Thank you, Maureen!

Mom of SBU Students Recalls Friendship With Father Mychal Judge The mother of a recent St. Bonaventure grad and an SBU sophomore remembers the Rev. Mychal Judge as a man who walked with everyone.

Northjersey.com shared some great photos of Fr. Mychal Judge. Today, on this 22nd anniversary of 9/11, America’s most devastating terror attack, let us remember Fr. Mychal and thank God for the gift of his life. It is, after all, because of him that Mychal’s Message was founded and continues to this day.

Rest in peace, Fr. Mychal. The ripple effect of your life continues to touch and change lives.

Earlier this year, thanks to your donations, Mychal’s Message provided 8 games, 7 coloring books and a package of colored pencils to bring joy to a family in need. The children of that family had been the recipients of other gifts in the past, but this time was special. They moved back home with their mother and father who are rebuilding their lives and their family.

These children also received brand new sneakers (2 pair, 1 for each) (“Soles for Souls”) to wear to their new school this year.

Who will we see tomorrow?

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

As we enter into our 23rd year, we are thankful for the support that has given Mychal’s Message the opportunity to feed, clothe, and care for the homeless and poor. We are thankful to have been able to share Mychal’s Message with people all over the world through the distribution of our prayer cards, newsletters, and T-shirts.

Due to serious health issues within our family, we have had to make a few changes, albeit none that will affect our mission to meet the needs of the homeless and poor. Please see important announcements below.

WALK OF REMEMBRANCE - September 10, 2023, New York City - Members of Mychal’s Message WILL attend the Walk this year for Rosary, Mass, and commencement of the Walk. We will have with us two different shirts for purchase - the 20th anniversary white T-shirt and the navy Walk of Remembrance T-shirt. (See photos attached to this post.) Shirts are $20 each. Cash, Venmo and credit cards will be accepted for payment. Shirts will be available from 7:30 a.m. up to the commencement of the Walk at 9:30 a.m. YOU WILL FIND US ACROSS THE STREET FROM St. Francis of Assisi Church, 135 West 31st Street, NYC.

BLESSED BLOOMERS XXII - You may have noticed that there were no bins in your churches this summer to collect new underwear and socks. We are currently collecting financial donations ONLY so that we can purchase and send new underwear and socks directly to the places where the needs are greatest. Blessed Bloomers XXII will run through the end of this year. Donations can be made on our website. https://www.mychalsmessage.org/donate

WISH 2023 - We are super excited to share that, as in years past, we will continue to fulfill the Christmas wishes of inner-city children by providing Christmas dinner and presents for them and their families. This year, we will not hold auditions or have a performance at Dutch Apple, but we invite you to join us in adopting a child or a family in need, wrapping gifts, baking, sponsoring a meal for a family, and/or delivering the gifts. More details to come soon!

PLEASE STAY TUNED for some important upcoming announcements to be shared and posted this week.

Thank you for your continued support of Mychal’s Message.

Mark your calendars!

https://youtu.be/k9RJdK0OiXs

"We Remember" - The Franciscan Challenge | Spring 2023 Imagine a loved one passing away, and you don’t have money for the burial. Tragically, for Carolina and George, this happened six months ago. Their 36-year-o...

St. Francis Inn is a special place.

This fun loving crew cutting desserts are the “MOMPs” or Moms on a Mission Pilgrimage. They come together two weeks a year from as far as North Carolina and New Hampshire to serve at the Inn and have been doing so since the mid 90s! Starting as a group of 7 now a group of 3-4, this crew has been so dedicated to serving Kensington. They also serve the team by baking delicious homemade apple pies for our Monday Night Team dinner 🥰 We love the MOMPs and thank them for all that they do.

1,488 diapers!! Our Claire celebrated her second birthday yesterday, and Mychal’s Message founder Shannon Lapp asked for diapers in lieu of gifts for her daughter. “My heart is bursting,” she said. “I’m so happy we can donate so many to kids in need.” It is Shannon’s wish to send these to women and babies in one of the poorest areas we have ever been - Bronx, NY.