Rev. Father Thomas A. Flynn Biography

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. 
	Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1898. Pages 468-471

	Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999.

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REV. FATHER THOMAS A. FLYNN, whose portrait appears on the opposite page, is the 
pastor of St. Thomas Catholic church, of Madison, Lake county.  Father Flynn 
also has charge of St. Ann's church, at Badus, in the same county.  The 
membership of these two parishes approximates two hundred families, and, as they 
are some miles distant from one another, it may be readily surmised that Father 
Flynn has no easy task in the discharge of his pastoral duties.  However, the 
difficulties and privations which he has encountered in his seventeen years as 
parish priest at Madison have not dimmed in the slightest his enthusiasm, nor 
abated one particle his zeal in the cause of religion.  His flock has increased-
even doubled and trebled since he came-but still the good man goes on, in the 
spirit of the true missionary, seeking out the poor, the lowly, and the 
distressed, that he may give them both spiritual and material consolation, and 
lead them on to a better life.  Father Flynn is a native of Milwaukee county, 
Wisconsin, having been born there May 16, 1854.  His parents, John and Sarah 
Flynn, were natives of Ireland.  They came to this country when young and 
settled in Milwaukee county, where they were pioneers.  Wisconsin was a 
territory when they arrived there.  John Flynn died in Milwaukee county in 1856, 
Father Flynn's mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Caveny, now resides with her 
son at Madison.  There were four children in the family, two sons and two 
daughters. Both of the daughters are deceased. Father Flynn, who is the younger 
son, obtained his elementary education in the schools of Milwaukee county, and 
at the Jesuit college of Milwaukee.  At the age of eighteen he entered the 
Seminary of St. Francis de Sales, also in Milwaukee, in order to study for the 
priesthood.  He spent several years there, and on the 29th of June, 1881, was 
ordained, at Yankton, South Dakota, by the late Bishop Marty.  Father Flynn was 
then given charge of the parish at Madison, where he has remained ever since.

He at first attended all churches in Lake, Moody and Miner counties, but with 
the increase of population the duties became too onerous for one priest and 
Father Flynn was relieved of all but Lake county. In 1883, St. Thomas' church at 
Madison was completed.  At that time there were about forty families there, 
while at present the parish numbers over one hundred.  At Badus there are 
upwards of eighty families, which is a very large increase in the last few 
years.  Father Flynn has built the churches at both places mentioned, and since 
1883 has been their only pastor.  He has had the gratification during this time 
of seeing both congregations more than doubled and two fine churches erected and 
put upon a flourishing financial basis.  Father Flynn deserves almost the entire 
credit for this happy state of affairs, for he has labored unceasingly for years 
in what appeared a most barren field, and, with his little band of devoted 
followers, has gradually pushed forward, until the congregations at Madison and 
Badus are probably the largest in Lake county.  Father Flynn is a most engaging 
gentleman, an interesting conversationalist and a man of wide reading, 
possessing a singular refinement of pose and manner which is so characteristic 
of many in the higher walks of life. That he is popular in Madison is attested 
not alone by Catholics, but by hundreds of residents of the city, irrespective 
of creed.  Father Flynn has done much for Madison, and for Lake county, and that 
he should be looked upon as a friend and counsellor of all is no surprise to 
those who have ever had the pleasure of his acquaintance.