Boys Town Founder Father Flanagan Advances Toward Sainthood

Pope Leo XIV has declared Rev. Edward Joseph Flanagan, founder of the famous Boys Town in Nebraska, as "venerable" in the Catholic Church's sainthood process. The Irish-born priest who dedicated his life to helping at-risk youth is now one step closer to potential beatification and eventual canonization.

Rev. Edward Joseph Flanagan, the celebrated founder of Boys Town who dedicated his life to helping troubled youth, has advanced one step closer to potential sainthood after Pope Leo XIV declared him “venerable” on Monday.

The Vatican’s recognition of Flanagan’s “heroic virtues” marks a significant milestone in the Catholic Church’s formal process toward canonization. The Irish-born priest, who established the renowned Nebraska facility for at-risk children, must still undergo beatification before ultimately achieving sainthood.

Omaha Archbishop Michael McGovern expressed his excitement about the development, stating he is “overjoyed” with the announcement.

“We continue to pray that he will one day be beatified and ultimately declared a saint,” McGovern said in his official statement. “In the meantime, may we work to affirm the dignity of every person created in God’s image by serving the poor, the abandoned and the vulnerable, especially at-risk youth.”

Born in Ballymoe, Ireland, in 1886, Flanagan came to America in 1904 and received his ordination in 1912. He started his ministry in the Omaha Diocese the following year, initially providing assistance to homeless men.

Through his work with these men, Flanagan discovered that many adult problems stemmed from childhood experiences of broken families and neglectful parenting, according to information from the Father Flanagan League, an organization promoting his sainthood candidacy.

This revelation led Flanagan to focus on young people within the juvenile justice system. He opened his initial boys’ home in downtown Omaha in 1917, then purchased farmland west of the city in 1921 to create what would become the famous Boys Town campus.

The facility grew dramatically through the 1930s, housing hundreds of boys in a unique community complete with educational facilities and dormitories. The residents operated their own democratic government, choosing their mayor, council members, and commissioners.

Flanagan’s influence extended internationally when he traveled to Japan following World War II to assist in developing child welfare programs. During a 1946 visit to Ireland, he publicly condemned his homeland’s practice of placing children in industrial schools and reformatories, calling these institutions exploitative.

The priest’s life ended suddenly in 1948 when he suffered a heart attack at age 61 while visiting Germany. His final resting place at Dowd Memorial Chapel in Boys Town features one of his most remembered statements: “There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad example, bad thinking.”

Hollywood immortalized Flanagan’s story in the 1938 film “Boys Town,” featuring Spencer Tracy in the title role alongside Mickey Rooney as one of the boys under his care. The movie earned Academy Awards for Tracy as Best Actor and for Best Original Story.

The Boys Town organization has expanded nationwide since Flanagan’s death and began accepting girls into its residential programs in 1979.

In a Monday Facebook post, the organization praised the Vatican’s decision, noting that Flanagan “believed that children had the right to be valued, to have the basic necessities of life and to be protected.” The post added that “His lifesaving work continues across the country today.”

Flanagan becomes the second American cleric with Midwest ties to advance in the sainthood process this year under Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican approved beatification ceremonies for Archbishop Fulton Sheen in Illinois this past February after extended delays.

The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints conducted an extensive examination of Flanagan’s life, writings, and charitable works before Pope Leo signed Monday’s decree. The declaration confirms that Flanagan demonstrated heroic virtue throughout his life, though it doesn’t suggest he was without human flaws or errors.

The path to beatification requires documented evidence of a miraculous healing attributed to prayers requesting Flanagan’s intercession. This process involves rigorous examination by both theological scholars and medical professionals. If approved, the case would return to the pope for a beatification decree.

Full sainthood requires verification of a second miracle. However, martyrs who died for their faith can achieve beatification without a miracle, though they still need one confirmed miracle for canonization.

Popes retain the authority to waive miracle requirements for canonization, as demonstrated by Pope Francis during his 12-year tenure. Francis canonized St. Junipero Serra during a 2015 Washington, D.C., ceremony despite the absence of a confirmed second miracle.