Pope Leo XIV declared Father Edward Joseph Flanagan, founder of Boys Town in Nebraska, as “venerable” on Monday. This step is towards possible sainthood. The priest, commonly known as “Father Flanagan,” was born in Ireland and immigrated to the U.S. in 1904. He began his work in Omaha’s Diocese in 1913.
Flanagan started providing shelter for homeless men who inspired him to mentor boys in the juvenile justice system. His first home for boys opened in 1917, with a larger campus known as Boys Town established by 1921. By the 1930s, hundreds of boys lived at the site, which included schools and dormitories.
Flanagan traveled internationally to promote child welfare, visiting postwar Japan and criticizing Ireland’s industrial school system in 1946. He died in Germany in 1948 at age 61. His work was depicted in the 1938 movie “Boys Town,” starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.
The Boys Town organization praised the Vatican’s decision, stating that Flanagan believed children had the right to basic necessities and protection. The next step towards sainthood is beatification, requiring a miraculous healing attributed to Flanagan’s intercession. A second miracle is needed for canonization.
This follows the recent approval of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s beatification in February under Pope Leo XIV’s reign. The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints reviewed Flanagan’s life and works, confirming his reputation of holiness through heroic virtue