Rt. Rev. Thomas A. Flynn Biography This biography appears on pages 1580-1581 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. RT. REV. THOMAS A. FLYNN, the honored priest in charge of St. Thomas church and parish in Madison, Lake county, is at the present time vicar general of the diocese of Sioux Falls, and also has the distinction of being domestic prelate to the noble head of the church, Pope Pius X. Father Flynn is a native of Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, where he was born on the 16th of May, 1854, being a son of John and Sarah (Caveny) Flynn, both of whom were born and reared in County Mayo, Ireland, whence they came to America more than sixty years ago, being numbered among the pioneers of Milwaukee county, Wisconsin. They located near the present city of Milwaukee, and there passed the remainder of their long and useful lives, the father having been a farmer by vocation, while both were devoted and consistent communicants of the Holy Mother church, which their son is honoring by his earnest and self-abnegating services. They became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, all dead except the subject of this sketch. Father Flynn received his preliminary educational discipline in the common and parochial schools of his native county and hereafter completed his classical course in the Jesuit college in Milwaukee. At the age of eighteen years he entered the Seminary of St. Francis de Sales. near that city, where he prepared himself for holy orders, continuing his theological and philosophical studies in that institution for several years. He early became identified with the missionary work of the church in what is now South Dakota, and at Yankton, this state, was ordained to the priesthood, by the late Bishop Marty, on the 29th of June, 1881, having the distinction of being the first priest ordained in the state. He was forthwith assigned to the missionary parishes in Lake and Moody counties, taking up his permanent abode in Madison, and forthwith entering with vigor and zeal into the labors assigned him. In 1883 he had completed the erection of St. Thomas church, in Madison, having personally organized the parish, and within the present year (1904) he has here completed a new and attractive church edifice, the former having proved inadequate to properly accommodate the enlarged congregation. When he assumed the pastorate here the congregation of his parish was represented by forty families, while at the present time there are more than one hundred and fifty families represented in the parish membership. Father Flynn has not only exercised his sacerdotal functions most earnestly and effectively, infusing spiritual zeal into. all parts of the parish-work and securing the affectionate regard and hearty co-operation of his flock, but he has also proved a specially able executive and has brought the temporal affairs of his parish into a most prosperous and gratifying condition. In 1900 Father Flynn was appointed vicar general of the diocese, in which capacity he acts for the bishop when the latter is absent from his jurisdiction, and in 1902 he was appointed domestic prelate to the late pope. In 1900 he made a trip to Rome, and in the "eternal city" had the extreme gratification of being granted an audience with Pope Leo, the noble patriarch and gracious head of the church at that time.