PATCHOGUE, NY – AUGUST 10, 2006 – The Institute for the Study of Religion in Community Life at St. Joseph’s College will be featuring the documentary film "Saint of 9/11" on September 12, 2006 at 7:30 PM in the McGann Conference Center located in O’Connor Hall on the College’s Suffolk Campus. The film, which chronicles the life and death of Father Mychal Judge, Chaplain of the FDNY who challenged the status quo and stood passionately and confidently by his convictions until death, will be immediately followed by a lecture given by Father Kevin Smith, volunteer Chaplain of the Nassau County Fire Department.

Father Mychal was on the World Trade Center site giving last rites to a fallen firefighter before becoming the first official casualty on September 11th. "Saint of 9/11" is a film honoring the late Franciscan Brother who spent his life reaching out to those who were often ignored, forging common ground between separate lands and marching for peace and equality. The "Saint of 9/11" made its world premiere in April at the Tribeca Film Festival to audiences who were captivated by its honesty and charmed by the unconventional, yet exceptionally pleasant, character of Father Mychal.

"Saint of 9/11" was directed by Glenn Holsten and executive produced by Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director and Founder of Equality Forum, a national nonprofit GLBT civil rights organization. The narration is the words of Father Mychal himself and is brought to life by actor Sir Ian McKellen. In a series of interviews and photographs, "Saint of 9/11" uncovers the humble, fiery and beloved Franciscan in a time when it was hard to believe virtue still existed. For more information, please call (631) 447-3200 or visit www.sjcny.edu/religion. St. Joseph’s College is located at 155 W. Roe Blvd. in Patchogue, and is accessible via the South Service Road of Sunrise Highway, just east of Exit 52 (Waverly Ave.).

About St. Joseph's College

St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in over 21 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs through its School of Arts and Sciences and its School of Professional and Graduate Studies. Graduate degrees are also offered including an Executive MBA, a Master of Science in Management, a Master of Science Degree with a Major in Nursing, a Master of Arts in Literacy/Cognition and a Master of Arts in Infant/Toddler Early Childhood Special Education.