EVELETH-GILBERT—The Ireland-born Father Eamonn Boland and Father Charles Flynn have spent more than half a century in the priesthood, this summer celebrating the milestone with the Eveleth-Gilbert Catholic community at a Mass at Eveleth’s Resurrection Church.
Father Boland said in an email, “One of the great blessings of being a priest is that we intersect with people at crucial times in their lives such as the baptism of a child, first Communion day, a wedding in the family, the death of a loved one and many other meaningful events. I am thankful for having that opportunity.”
Father Flynn said, “Encounters with people is where the gold is: The hospital visits, working with those on the margins, the eucharists we were part of, the baptisms, marriages and funerals. People are the language of God, and I was happy to share in the conversation!”
Rev. Eamonn Boland
Father Boland was ordained a priest in Ireland in 1969. He said, “I was 24 years old and came here to the United States in the fall of that year. I had an uncle here to welcome me. He was also a priest serving in the diocese of Duluth. My first assignment was at St. Joseph’s Church in Grand Rapids. It took me a while to adjust to life in the United States.
“I was naturally shy and reticent. However, after a few years I became accustomed to the ways and customs of my new country. I soon became a football, hockey and a baseball fan. I am still waiting for the Vikings to win a Super Bowl. Hope it will happen soon or else. Anyway, it has been a fulfilling and wonderful life.
“I am very grateful for the many years the Lord has given me. I spent most of my years here on the Range, seven years in Hoyt Lakes, 20 years in Eveleth, 10 of them in retirement. Fr. Flynn and myself recently celebrated 55 years as priests at Resurrection Church in Eveleth. We were both ordained the same year although at different seminaries. We had a great celebration and afterwards we retired to Margie’s Roosevelt for some beverages and food. We thank
Father Charles Flynn
As Father Flynn looks back on 55 years as a priest, he said, “They were years of great changes, that I could never have predicted. If you judge by growth in numbers, they were an abject failure! We went from 140 priests in the diocese to 40, from over 100 parishes to 25 mission fields, and our parishioners in the Diocese decreased by over 50 percent!”
Asked about his and Father Boland’s sense of humor, he said, “God sits on his throne in heaven—laughing! And why shouldn’t we not join Him?”
Of the get-together at Margie’s Roosevelt marking the 55 years, he said, “Great food and great celebration.”
He said, “I enjoyed every parish—they were all equally wonderful. But I especially enjoyed the experience of the three Catholic Schools I served at: Cloquet, St. Leo’s in Hibbing, St. James in Duluth!”
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From the Duluth Diocesan newspaper about a dozen years ago, a story of missionary priests coming from Ireland to serve in the United States and other countries.
Here, in part, is the story:
At least four Irish priests who came to the diocese in the early 20th century were followed here by nephews ordained decades later. (The story also included Father Lyons and Father Walsh.) James McGolrick, born in Ireland, was the first bishop of the Diocese of Duluth, serving from 1889 until his death.
Msgr. Michael Boland, ordained a priest for the diocese in 1912, was followed by his nephew Father Eamonn Boland, who was ordained in 1969.
Father Patrick Flynn, ordained in 1925, was followed by Father Charles Flynn, who was ordained in 1969.
Fathers Boland
Msgr. Michael Boland, from County Tipperary, was born in 1886 and died in 1971 in Superior, Wis. He built St. John the Evangelist Church in Duluth, where he was pastor for 46 years, and directed the adjacent St. James Children’s Home for 45 years. He also served the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and St. Michael’s in Duluth, building the basement and offering the first Mass at the latter parish in 1915.
He was vicar general under three bishops—Bishops James McGolrick, John McNicholas and Thomas Welch—holding the post from 1922 until 1957 with only a brief interruption while he served as diocesan administrator between 1925 and 1926. He was named a prothonotary apostolic, the highest of the three grades of the honorary title monsignor, in 1922, and as he marked his golden jubilee in 1962 was considered to have held the title longer than any other priest in the United States.
Father Eamonn Boland, 67, has served at parishes in Grand Rapids, Duluth, Deer River, Hibbing, Cloquet, Carlton, Hoyt Lakes, Eveleth and Moose Lake, where he is approaching a decade as pastor. He has also served as a diocesan consultor.
He said his uncle’s work at the orphanage stands out. “I think that was the great love of his life,” Father Boland said. “He loved that ministry.”
His uncle was influenced to come to Duluth by Bishop McGolrick and in turn was an influence on his own decision, especially when his uncle would come home and mention happenings in the diocese, Father Boland said. “That influenced me quite a bit.”
His time in the diocese overlapped with his uncle’s only briefly, and he said Msgr. Boland’s “mind was going a little bit” by that time, but he would go up to St. John’s and talk to him frequently. “We come from a big family, so we had lots of relatives to talk about.”
Fathers Flynn
Father Patrick Flynn was born in 1900 in County Leitrim and died in 1970 in Two Harbors. He served parishes in Duluth, Virginia, Hill City, Aurora, Biwabik, Pine River and Two Harbors. He also served a mission in Pequot Lakes and founded St. Christopher Church there. He was a diocesan consultor.
Father Charles Flynn, 66, has served parishes in Grand Rapids, Cloquet, Longville, Hibbing, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Duluth in addition to his current parishes in Eveleth and Gilbert. His additional service has included being a consultor, serving on the diocesan Pastoral Council and Executive Council, chairing the Priests’ Senate and serving as dean of the Duluth deanery.
Father Charles Flynn said he remembers his uncle coming home when he was a little boy. “He came every three years, and he’d stay with us three months.” On the years he didn’t come home, they would have other missionary priests visit.
His time in the diocese overlapped with his uncle’s service by about a year and a half. “It was fine; I’d go up and visit him and stuff like that,” he said, and his uncle would give him Pabst Blue Ribbon and let him take the four cans left over home with him.
“He drove a great big car. It was a Buick Wildcat. It was like a tank,” he said.
Father Flynn said his uncle was happy about the decision to come to Duluth but that he had already made the decision independently, drawn in part by the Catholic American president John F. Kennedy.
The Fathers Boland have combined for almost 105 years. The Fathers Flynn have combined for nearly 88 years.
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As of this year, the Fathers Boland have served 117 years and the Fathers Flynn 100.
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