Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-04
An GregoR Priest Going to Minister to
 the Leper Exiles fin MolOkaf.

From the Catholic Sentinel
 For some time past it has been pretty gen. orally known that the Rev. L. L. Conrardy of Umatilla reservation had decided to go to the relief of Father Damien, the apostle of the lepsrs in the island of Molokai, Sandwich Islands. The reverend father, having received
 permission from Archbishop Gross, has been waiting for some time to be relieved aa 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 lspers, to whom he pro-
 poses to eonsecrate, 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 education. Fath CT Conrardy is
 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 par ish, to which he had been appointed immedi- ateIy after his ordination, to devote himself to foreign missions. Going to Paris to the celebrated seminary which has for more than 200 years supplied India, Japan and China with 80 many missionaries and martyrs, he remained there some time, and in 1871 was assigned to the mission at Pondicherry in southern India, where he labored nearly three years under the killin heat ot the tropical sun, and enduring all kinds of privations. His health failing, he was advised to go to 6 temperate climate, and chose to cast his lot among the Indians of Oregon where he arriv- ed in 1874 He was placed in charge of the Indian tribes on the Umatilla reservation by the saintly Archbishop Blanchet, 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. It was in 1876 ! that he, having heard of the heroic undertak- ! ing of Father Damien among the lepers of Molokai, conceived the idea of becoming his ] companion. As early as 1881 he was accepted | tor that mission, but owing to the scarcity of priests in this archdiocese he was eonstrain- | ed to postpone his departure for this field till more favorable time. Letters received ! from Father Damien recently show that the l leper colony has increased to 1 1,500 souls, | and they are arriving in large numbers, some | times as many as thirty a week.
 ! It is well known that Father Damien has 1 fallen victim to his charity. He writes | Father Conrardy that, disease having settled | in his hands, he will soon be unable to cele- l brate mass, and there will be no one to break | the bread of life to these poor creatures. h | order to hasten to his relief Father Conrardy gives up farewell visit which he contem- l plated paying to his family in Europe. A I short time ago Father Conrardy was offered a I fine parish in the Argentine Republic, but | that did not fill his ideal of self-sacrifce. | The reverend gentleman leaves the city next Sunday, aud will soon be among the stricken ! ones of Molokai. We bespeak for him the | J0rouore If all