Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapolis Dies at Age 86

The Most Reverend Harry Joseph Flynn, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, passed away the evening of Sunday, September 22 at age 86.

Archbishop Harry Flynn was born in Schenectady, New York, on May 2, 1933. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1960, was consecrated the coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana in 1986, and served as bishop of that diocese from 1989 until 1994.

Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn (right) presenting the Christ Brings Hope Award to Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan (left) in 2013.

He was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 1994, and upon the retirement of Archbishop Roach, became the diocese’s seventh Archbishop on September 8, 1995. Archbishop Flynn retired as Archbishop of the Archdiocese on his birthday, May 2, 2008

Known for his Irish wit, pastoral heart and his constant invitation to the faithful to make their life’s mission one of “making Jesus known and loved,” Archbishop Flynn welcomed Relevant Radio® to broadcast in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 2002. He not only participated in larger events, but also celebrated Mass for Relevant Radio associates and friends at the studio chapel. In 2013, he graciously presented the Relevant Radio Christ Brings Hope award to honoree, Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, Rector of Saint Paul Seminary in Saint Paul, MN.

Rev. Francis J. Hoffman (aka Fr. Rocky), Executive Director of Relevant Radio, said of Archbishop Flynn, “He was kind and supportive of Relevant Radio, and did great work recruiting fine young local men to serve in the priesthood. May he rest in peace.”

Funeral arrangements for Archbishop Flynn are forthcoming, and more information can be found at the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis.

Please join us in praying Archbishop Hebda’s prayer for the repose of Archbishop Flynn’s soul:

O God, who chose your servant, Archbishop Harry Flynn,
from among your Priests,
and endowed him with pontifical dignity
in the apostolic priesthood,
grant, we pray,that he may also be admitted to their company for ever.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Stephanie Foley serves as a Digital Media Producer at Relevant Radio®. She is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she studied journalism, and she has worked in Catholic radio for 12 years. Stephanie is a wife, a mother of three boys, and in her free time she enjoys reading, running, and really good coffee. You can find more of Stephanie’s writing at relevantradio.com and on the free Relevant Radio mobile app.