The Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story

Gilda Rose Kalathil reviews an upcoming documentary about Father Flanagan and his impact on the young men he served in Boys Town.

Who is this man who inspires a movie? Across the seas in India, Father Flanagan and Boy’s Town are unfamiliar names and I watched this movie out of curiosity.  A humble, determined, man on fire is who I met, one physically weak but alive with a dream. God never fails to amaze me with what He can accomplish through the lives of mere mortals. 

The Father Flanagan story 

The documentary, The Heart of a Servant, dives deep into giving a true and authentic historical picture of the life of Father Flanagan. It contains video clips and pictures from real life, intentionally interweaving the past with the present based on experiences of people who have known him personally or have come to know him otherwise. Produced by Spirit Juice Studios and co-sponsored by the Father Flanagan League, the documentary is narrated by Jonathan Roumie of The Chosen fame.  

The movie highlights Father Flanagan’s response to the social, political, and economic state of the times. His alignment with God’s will and courage to pursue it even if it meant reaching out to people in position and power and facing judgement and persecution. His dream to create a self-sustained little town that he had envisioned, a home for those who didn’t have one — with opportunities they never would have had otherwise, leads my mind to draw parallels with the work of Saint Teresa of Calcutta. 

The heart of a servant 

As proactive as Father Edward J. Flanagan is seen to be to challenge racism, war, and prejudice, he is equally invested in forming deep, lasting relationships with every child he encountered. To be able to say with conviction, “There are no bad boys” requires a heart of a Servant of God who sees people as God sees them. No wonder he was declared America’s No. 1 War Dad by the American War Dads Association because of the number letters he received from soldiers who had left Boy’s Town to serve their country. His life of prayer and deep trust in the Lord is revealed through many incidents shown in the video. 

A man for our times 

Among all the celebrities, role models, and success stories that fill our present world, Father Flanagan is a contemporary holy man. The documentary The Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan story is appropriate for teenagers and above due to its serious nature and depth. The reflections from people who knew Father Flanagan and his work are inspiring and thought-provoking and subtly challenge us in our encounter and response to God.  

With the recent scrutiny of Boy’s Town and its operations, this movie allows us to look at the intentions and vision it is meant to encapsulate. It gives us a peek into what is so different about its model that it has been adapted across countries and inspired many others. 

I am glad to have got to know this man through this documentary. I have already enlisted him as a prayerful support for my family and hope this movie provides you an opportunity to do so too. 

Heart of a Servant: The Story of Father Flanagan will be released by Fathom Events exclusively in theaters nationwide for one night only: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Visit FatherFlanaganFilm.com to learn more. 

To sign up for more information about Heart of a Servant: The Story of Father Flanagan and be alerted when tickets go on sale, visit FatherFlanaganFilm.com. 

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Copyright 2024 Gilda Rose Kalathil
Images courtesy of Spirit Juice Studios. All rights reserved. Used with permission.