“There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.”

Father Edward J. Flanagan is perhaps best known as the founder of Boys Town and for being portrayed by Spencer Tracy in the 1938 Oscar-winning Boys Town film.

But this is actually the middle of his story.

Heart of a Servant 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 questions of his era regarding at-risk youth with answers that were blind to color or creed.

This was no easy task in early 20th century America for an immigrant priest from Ireland who was facing Jim Crow laws and raising societal issues that most politicians would prefer to ignore.

Father Edward J. Flanagan is an often overlooked American hero who saved the lives of countless orphans by establishing Boys Town and working internationally to provide guidance on public policy toward children in war-torn countries around the world. The principles he espoused continue to influence lawmakers internationally today and Boys Town still stands more than 100 years later, having aided hundreds of thousands of children on their way to a brighter future.

Watch the film to experience the full story of a selfless man whose unwavering pursuit of safety and security for the most vulnerable members of society led him to international influence and a saintly legacy that continues today.