5 Questions with ... Cause of Servant of God Edward Flanagan
In our fifth installment of our "5 Questions with ... " interview series we have an interview with Ed Morse, president of the Father Flanagan League - Society of Devotion, speaking about the Cause of Servant of God Fr. Edward Flanagan. You can learn more about Servant of God Edward Flanagan here on his page at American Saints and Causes. Thank you, Professor Morse, for participating!
(If you are associated with a cause and would like to participate in our interview series, email us or use the form on our Contact Us page. New to the series? You can find an index of all 5 Questions entries here.)
American Saints and Causes: Would you introduce yourself and how did you come to work with the cause of the Servant of God Fr. Edward Flanagan?
Professor Morse: I am a law professor, husband, and father of five children. My wife, Susan, and I are both converts to Catholicism, coming into the Church in 2010. Together, we also operate a family cattle farm in Western Iowa. Our journey into the Church took us on many serendipitous side trips, and working with the League on a Cause for sainthood has been one of them. I was appointed to the League’s board in 2018 by Archbishop Lucas of the Archdiocese of Omaha, and I became its president in 2024.
American Saints and Causes: For those who don't know him, who is Fr. Edward Flanagan? What can the faithful learn from his witness to Christ?
Professor Morse: Father Flanagan was born into a large Catholic family on a farm near Ballymoe, a small village in Ireland. His early life was probably not that much different from my own, in that we both grew up on farms and had to tend livestock. But his interests grew in a different direction as he heard the call to join the priesthood, channeling the nurturing tendencies of a farmer into the role of shepherding the flock that the Lord would entrust to his care. After a long and difficult journey, he entered the priesthood and joined his brother, a fellow priest, and a sister here in Nebraska.
He encountered many human needs, and his priestly service was directed to helping all that he could, including working men who needed housing and food. But his inquisitive and analytical mind led him to consider the need to go to the root of the problem, which addressed the need to provide care to young boys who lacked parental care. Providing that care earlier would stop many of them from turning to other pathologies, which led to bad outcomes. With the help of others, including Jewish lawyer named Henry Monsky (who incidentally graduated from the law school where I now teach), Father Flanagan went on to found a boy’s home and to develop innovative methods of care, which have now extended throughout the world. That approach, which is rooted in the gospels and which was open to all races, ethnicities, and religions, was rooted in love and respect for the dignity inherent in all human beings created by God. He was, and continues to be, a role model for living the gospel and putting it into practice by loving and caring for those who are weak and vulnerable, standing up for them and extending a helping hand toward them, even when others may not be willing to do so.
American Saints and Causes: The saints often serve as examples to the faithful of how to follow Christ and grow in holiness. How has Servant of God Edward Flanagan impacted you? How has he helped you live your faith?
Professor Morse: My earliest encounter with Father Flanagan and his lifelong work came to me as a young boy. My father, a World War II veteran, had many friends from his Army service who would come to visit us on our farm in Iowa. Those friends came from different backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of our country which joined together in the cause of freedom. If that background included Catholicism, we would take them to Boys Town. A quiet message began to grow from that initial experience. Saying the right words was not enough; doing was also important. I did not know about saints, but I knew what right living and doing looked like. Father Flanagan did those things. That seed would later grow to a greater understanding and affinity for him and all that he did in his life. As I have learned more about him, I find great inspiration and consolation for his persistence, even in the face of resistance and personal difficulty, which allowed him to continue pursuing his mission. And I also find inspiration in his ability to bring others into the mission. He did not do this alone, but he found fellow travelers who would go along on the journey. There is much to learn from him and his life, which was rooted deeply in his Catholic faith.
American Saints and Causes: What are the next steps for the cause? Are there any potential miracles being evaluated that might lead to his beatification?
Professor Morse: We are currently awaiting further consideration by the Dicastery for the Cause of the Saints. If they find the Cause to be worthy, Father Flanagan will be named Venerable. We will then await further miracles. We have had many reports of miraculous events associated with devotion and intercession from Father Flanagan, but so far these have not yet reached the high standards of the Church for further consideration as Blessed or Saint. We have done our part of put forward the case for Father Flanagan, and at this time we must wait for God to do the rest. We can only pray and seek out the prayers of others for the miraculous events that will be needed to advance the cause.
American Saints and Causes: If someone wanted to help, how could they best support or assist the work of the cause of Servant of God Edward Flanagan?
Professor Morse: We welcome support from all those who have devotion to Father Flanagan and who are seeking intercession through him in seeking miraculous intervention on behalf of friends, family, and loved ones who need a touch from God. Some of those interventions may be the “ordinary” kinds of miracles that we have in our lives – repentance, reconciliation, and faithful living are all miracles, really! But some may help our Cause to advance. Father Flanagan once said, “Pray,for Prayers produce miracles!” Indeed. Please pray and share with us when miracles come. You can reach us through our website, Fatherflanagan.org. You can also join us in person at Father Flanagan’s tomb at the Dowd Chapel on the Boys Town campus, on Tuesdays following the 11:40 mass. Or start a prayer group of your own!
Thanks again, Prof. Ed Morse, for helping us learn more about Servant of God Fr. Edward Flanagan! You can learn more about Fr. Flanagan here on his page at American Saints and Causes. Those interested in donating to support the work of Fr. Flanagan's cause can do so at the Flanagan League's website on this page.