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The effort to obtain sainthood for the Rev. Edward Flanagan has reached another milestone.

The Vatican has issued a decree of judicial validity for the investigation that the Archdiocese of Omaha completed two years ago. The archdiocese investigation, a crucial part of the sainthood process, looked at the life, virtue and works of the Boys Town founder and Catholic priest.

A decree of validity means the investigation was thorough, complete and proved that Flanagan had a reputation for sanctity, said Steve Wolf, president of the Father Flanagan League Society of Devotion, the group leading the canonization effort.

The group provided the update during a news conference Monday at the St. Cecilia Cathedral Parish Center.

Canonization can take years, and supporters have been working on it for more than a decade.

Omaha Archbishop George Lucas attended the news conference, along with the Rev. Steven Boes, Boys Town national executive director.

Boes said afterward that Flanagan’s legacy is present every day at Boys Town, and sainthood would make that even more powerful.

Lucas said Flanagan’s work has been a blessing for the community.