Edward J. Flanagan

Common card · No. 360881

Edward Joseph Flanagan (13 July 1886 – 15 May 1948) was an Irish-born priest of the Catholic Church in the United States who served for decades in Nebraska. After serving as a parish priest in the Diocese of Omaha, he founded the orphanage and educational complex known as Boys Town, located west of the city in what is now Boys Town, Douglas County, Nebraska. In the 21st century, the complex also serves as a center for troubled youth. Flanagan's work became widely known, especially after he was played by Spencer Tracy in the movie Boys Town (1938). In the post-World War II era, Flanagan was invited by General Douglas MacArthur to visit Japan and Korea, and later Austria and Germany, to advise him on improving conditions for children in the occupied countries. In 2012, the Archdiocese of Omaha initiated the process for beatification of Flanagan, and he was declared a Servant of God. Documentation for the cause was sent to the Vatican, and in 2026, Flanagan was declared venerable by Pope Leo...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Harris & Ewing, Inc., Public domain