This week, on October 8, Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide for one night only by Fathom Events.
Support Catholic media by reserving your tickets today, and spread the word!
You can reserve tickets here and watch the movie trailer here:
Who was Fr. Flanagan?
Servant of God Father Edward J. Flanagan is a familiar name to many Americans, often because of Boys Town, the Oscar-winning 1938 film starring Spencer Tracy about Flanagan’s groundbreaking child welfare organization. But the story extends far beyond that, to a man whose name and legacy are still well known as far as Germany and Japan.
Heart of a Servant, narrated by Jonathan Roumie, reveals the full picture of Father Flanagan’s life and the challenges he overcame to provide abandoned and orphaned children with an opportunity to thrive. He responded to the most pressing issues of his era regarding at-risk youth.
Flanagan gained influence and admiration during his life from presidents, CEOs, and celebrities, but none mattered more to him than the children for whom he worked tirelessly. A sobering reminder of this came during WWII, as Flanagan saw droves of former Boys Town citizens go off to war. In fact, so many former Boys Town boys named Father Flanagan as their next of kin that the American War Dads Association named him America’s No. 1 War Dad.
Father Flanagan was a hero for his times, and for ours, too. His approach to child welfare remains a top influence in the field, and his frequent outspokenness against injustice showed he was always willing to tell the truth, regardless of risk.
More to the story
Aleteia had the chance to talk with Victoria McEachern, Director of Business Development at Spirit Juice Studios. She explained how Heart of a Servant shows another side of Fr. Flanagan:
Father Flanagan was this big, big figure, especially after the Boys Town film and his work for the president after the Second World War. He was well known and famous in a lot of ways.
But with making Heart of a Servant, we discovered the quieter moments. At the heart of it, he was in the chapel every day. He was very close to our Lord.
His life of prayer fueled the incredible service and ministry He was able to provide and his courage and creativity in fighting for children. Ultimately, it all came back to his heart as a Catholic priest, as a shepherd and as a father.
The making of the film, like his cause for canonization, came from the local faithful in Omaha and in Boys Town in Nebraska, where the community has retained a deep affection and great devotion for him over the decades. His story holds universal appeal:
There are many parts of his story that we can all connect to and relate to. His story is about seeing the dignity in every single person, both right in front of him and around the world, and protecting and fighting for the dignity of those people, and standing up for what’s right. In our time we are faced with the challenge to fight against injustice, and we need the courage to do what is right.
Meeting someone who knew Fr. Flanagan
One of McEachern's favorite moments of making the film was an interview with a woman who knew Fr. Flanagan when she was a child. Marilyn Takahashi Fordney, called “Winkie,” is a Japanese American woman whose family was sent to an internment camp during World War II.
Fr. Flanagan was able to secure the release of her family, and they went to live in Nebraska, where they were welcomed into the community. McEachern said:
Fr. Flanagan found out when they would be arriving, and he was waiting for them, so Winkie had this really clear memory of meeting him for the first time.
Not only had he made time in his very busy schedule to come meet them, but also he had brought for the kids this big paper bag of candy. He knew they would probably be scared and had been through so much, so he wanted to do something for them. To be able to sit down with her and speak to her about her story and when she met Father Flanagan was really special.
The story was one of countless small acts of thoughtfulness and loving care from Fr. Flanagan to those in need, especially to children.
Heart of a Servant is a film for all ages, and a wonderful, uplifting Catholic film. Get your tickets now to go see it on Tuesday, October 8, and invite a few friends too!
