The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-29
FATHER CoNRARDY's HERoIsM.
An Oregon Priest Going to Minister to the
Leper Exilcs in Molokai.

An Oregon Priest Going to Minister to the
Leper Exilcs in Molokai.
From the Catholic Sentinel.
For some time past it has been pretty gener-
ally known that Rev. L. L. Conrardy of Una
tilla reservation, had decided to go to the relief
Of Father Damien, the apostle of the lepers in
the island of Molokai, Sand with islands. The
reverend father, having received permission
from Archbishop Gross, has been waiting for
some time to be relieved as Indian missionary
on the reservation; and now that his place is
supplied by two young priests, he is here in
this city, en- route for Molokai, the home of the
poor lepers to whom he proposes to consecrate,
we may add, sacrifice his life
Father COnrardy is a countryman of Father
Damien, having been born in the city Of Liege,
Belgium, where he also received his early edu
cation. Father Conrardy is a type of those
intrepid, fearless souls who court sacrifice and
peril to further the interests of religion and
give glory to God. Impelled by the missionary
spirit, he gave up large parish, to which he
had been appointed Immediately after his
ordination, to devote himself to foreign mis-
sons. Going to Paris to the celebrated semi
nary which has for more than 200 years sup
piled India, Japan, and China with so many
missionaries and martyrs, he remained there
some time, and i'll 1871 was assigned to the
mission at Pondicherry, i'll southern India,
where he labored nearly three years under the
killing heat of the tropical sun, and enduring
all kinds of priyations. His health failing, he
was ADVISED to go to temperate climate, and
chose to cast his lot among the Indians of Ore
gon, where he arrived in 1874. He was placed
in charge of the Indian tribes on the Umatilla
reservation by the sanity Archbishop Blanch
ct. where he has remained ever since.
But Father Conrardy, whose ambition has
always been to take the worst and most diff
cult place, was not satisfied. 1t was in 1876
that he, having heard of the heroic undertake
ing Of Father Damien among the lepers Of
Molokai, conceived the idea of becoming his
companion. AS early as 1881 he was accepted
for that mission, but owing to the scarcity of
priests in this archdiocese, he was constrained
to postpone his departure for shis field until
more FAVORABLE time. Letters received from
Father Damien recently show that the ieper
colony has increased to 800 souls and they are
arriving in large numbers, sometimes as many
as thirty week.
1t is well known that Father Damien has
fallen a victim to his charity. He writes
Father Conrardy that disease having settled
on his hands, he will soon be unable to ceie-
brate mass, and there will be no one to break
the bread of life to these poor creatures. In
order to hasten to his relief Father Conrardy
gives up farewell visit which he contem-
plated paying to his family in Europe. A
short time ago Father Conrardy was offered
fine parish in the Argentine Republic, but
that did not fill his ideal of self-sacrifce. The
reverend gentleman leaves the city next Sum
day and will soon be among the stricken ones
of Molokai.