The bus trip was not even conceived when the inspiration that came to him on September 11 of last year. Now, in March of 2002, his dream was realized.
When New York Fire Department Chaplain Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., lost his life on that fateful September day, Akron, Ohio resident John Ferguson was so moved by what happened he was inspired to write a song. The song honors Father Mychal Judge and the thousands who lost their lives. John and his fellow band members from Fergie and the Bog Dogs produced a CD "A Song For Fireman Father Mychal Judge." "When I got the news about how he died, which was kind of reported along with everything else, everything kind of stopped there for me," he said. "Goodness, a Catholic priest who was administering the last rites of the Church for a fallen firefighter; it was all in sync with my culture as an Irish-American " Ferguson has memorialized Fr. Judge, who was a first-generation Irish-American. "I think he should be remembered in the lore of the Church in this nation. Children and adults should look up to a man like this - a modern day hero."
Ferguson, a US Navy Vietnam veteran, put pen to paper and inked his feelings about events. A catharsis took place and the words taken from his heart became lyrics to the melodic strain of an old Irish air. The idea of creating a fund was born and volunteers immediately lined up behind the project. Dr. Dennis McCluskey, Akron, Ohio, paid for recording and studio time. Hugh Hearty, Fairlawn, Ohio, contributed the CD-ROMs themselves. The initial run of 500 was quickly gone.
Events overtook the artist and the idea of supporting the Franciscan Fund for Father Mychal took on a life of its own. "When I actually started out with the fund I didn't contact anybody, I didn't talk to anybody," he said. "I just wanted to one day take the song to his New York firehouse." The fund drive is kind of a spin-off, a secondary thing in his mind from when he started out. "I think Father Mychal should be remembered in the lore of the Church in America and I wanted to be involved in some way...and that's what I'm doing now. As time goes by I find I've been sent down the road on a quest. It's a mystery to me...it kind of stopped me cold.
Ferguson was put in touch with Franciscan Father Patrick Fitzgerald, another New York City Fire Department Chaplain. "The Franciscans already have a memorial fund set up." The Father Mychal Judge Fund will be used to provide emergency short-term financial assistance to those who suffered loss or injury on that day and in its aftermath, and on a longer term to reach out to those in need of continuing support. In particular, it will seek to assist those who are not included in established categories but whose needs are no less real, those who might otherwise "fall between the cracks."
"I started working in connection with them," Ferguson said. "Fr Mychal was a first-generation Irish-American and was involved with immigration; it fit right into my interest. These funds collected will be available for all children - I heard there are some who lost both parents." Regardless of their citizenship status or their faith, nonetheless, Ferguson knows a lot of them are Catholic kids from Catholic countries. "I would like them to know that if they need something they can go to the Franciscan friary."
The weekend of March 24, 2002 began about 0800 hours on Friday when a busload of men and women of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies AOH, parked their vehicles at an Akron Fraternal Order of Police Lodge left on an Anderson Lines bus that was their transport for the next few days.
After rolling out of Akron the driver got on the PA system and introduced himself. “Please don’t call Mr. Bus driver or Bus Driver guy,” he pleaded. “My name is “Skip.” That drew an immediate response from John Conley. “OK, Skip the bus driver,” he shouted.
Ferguson's dream was on Saturday afternoon when he presented a $20,000.00 check for the Franciscan Fund to Father Fitzgerald at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi on W Thirty-First St in midtown Manhattan. Also in attendance were representatives from the Firefighters Foundation of America. Andy Woodward, Raleigh, NC. Gene Moore, Chaplain, Swift Creek, N.C. They had presented five vans to the NYFD. Lt. Patrick Concannon of the NYFD invited the Akron delegation across the street to Engine 1 and Ladder 24, where Fr. Mychal kept his Chaplain's car. Ferguson, accompanied by his son Damien, an Akron firefighter, and Paddy Taylor on mandolin, sang the song to Fr. Mychal to the gathered firefighters. The moving event was capped off when Irene Uhaley sang, “God Bless America.” It brought tears to the eyes of a few.While in New York the Akron contingent were hosted by Division President 12 President John Murphy and Treasurer Jerry Callahan, the latter being the gentleman responsible for a wonderful dinner of corned beef and cabbage and roast beef. He announced we had received a special Friday-in- Lent dispensation by local Hibernian Chaplains. and Division 412’s Rourke et al at their Brooklyn Clubhouse.
On Saturday evening we all gathered at Cranberry’s on Grand Avenue in Elmhurst. There our local homebred talent, “That Irish Band” and “Fergie and the Bog Dogs” charged the atmosphere and the audience-energized crowd. A complementary buffet was set up for us by Cranberry’s owner, John Brown. I left on the first bus back to our hotel.
About 2:30am I heard sirens and the voices of a crowd outside my window. Without my glasses on, I peered through the window to see what appeared to be about 3 police cars. Thinking of the movie ‘The Fighting Sullivans,’ the first thought that came into my mind was, “Oh no, the Conley brothers are at it again!” It turned out, I later learned, it was a NYFD Fire Engine Ladder (not a truck you understand). The boys from the NYFD had given some of the Hibernians a ride through New York City on their engine. With lights and sirens blazing, they roared through the city with their Irish-American cargo, stopping at New York Irish pubs, such as O’Neill’s, Sean O’s and the like. The experience of those who rode summed up their feelings about it – they’re not going to believe us.”
Along the way they picked up a Chinese-American U.S. Soldier just in from overseas for a sister's wedding. Unfortunately he missed it. The hook and ladder dropped him off at his father's house at dawn, again, sirens and lights blazing. I imagined the soldier's father chiding his son, "You no hang out with Irish boys no more!"We Hibernians capped off our weekend on Sunday morning with Mass at the historic Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
