Pope Leo XIV Declares Boys Town Founder Venerable

Pope Leo XIV advanced the sainthood cause of Rev. Edward Joseph Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town in Nebraska, on March 23 by proclaiming his heroic virtues and declaring him venerable. The Irish-born priest, known for his work with at-risk youth in the early 20th century, now stands one step closer to possible beatification and canonization in the Catholic Church.

Flanagan, born in 1886 in Ballymoe, Ireland, immigrated to the United States in 1904 at age 18. Ordained a priest in 1912, he began serving in the Diocese of Omaha in 1913. His experiences providing shelter to homeless men led him to focus on children, convinced that many adult hardships stemmed from broken homes and neglect. In 1917, he opened a small home for boys in downtown Omaha, starting with five residents in a rented house on December 12. By 1921, he had purchased a farm on the city's western outskirts, developing it into the self-sustaining community of Boys Town, which by the 1930s housed hundreds of boys in dormitories and a school where residents elected their own mayor, council, and commissioners.

The organization's innovative approach gained national attention, inspiring the 1938 film "Boys Town," in...