The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-22
AN APOSTLE TO THE "UNCLEAN''
Father Conrardy of Canton Tells Of
His Labors Among the Lepers.

When came to Canton in 1908,
writes the Reverend L. P. Conrardy in
the "Magniicat," I began work in a
leper village which, though not more
than 300 yards square, contained 600
lepers. 1t was kind of prison, sur
rounded by high walls and having
three doors. Each house, containing
four lepers, had small door and no
window; therefore, could never be ade-
quately ventilated. On rainy days
these novels were especially dark and
dismal. And in summer the tempera-
ture ranges from 80 to 1872 degrees
Fahrenheit here!
l had not so much as chair when
my labors began, SO had to kneel all
day at my work-dressing the often
horrible sores. The lepers noted that
I was most devoted to the afflicted of
most repugnant aspect, and they were
touched and full of admiration They
used to protest that it was unbecoming
that an old white man should thus
wait on them, and would try at times
to dissuade me. Everything was fear
fully unclean and the odor was stiff
ling, but knew that if ever allowed
myself to leave one unfortunate I'M
tended, would be a coward, both in
their eyes and my own, untitled for
the work I had voluntarily chosen.
And the food-or rather, sometimes,
the dearth of food! Very little break
fast, two eggs and a piece of dry
bread for dinner, and this must take
surrounded by hungry leper children,
with whom 1 could not but divide.
Today, all this has changed for the
better. 1 have not become a leper,
and now / have my little colony on
an island 40 miles from Canton.
have taken so lepers to form and
are very hard to deal with. This num-
Der / will steadily increase, to the
limit of my resources. And as soon
as can will try to do something for
the colony of lepers near Canton.
My object in coming here was to
treat leprous bodies for the sake of
the opportunities this would afford me
of bringing souls to God. Thanks be
to Him, have succeeded, though at
first was severely handicapped by
my ignorance of the Chinese Ian
guage. Soon had formed and train
ed three lepers to assist me In my
work, man, boy, and a girl. Al
though he was himself a pagan, the
man would interpret to his listeners
what I told him of the relation of
God to the human soul, of Heaven,
and of the necessity of baptism.
None of the lepers refused to be bap-
tized.
am here alone with the lepers;
must be all things to them. They
look to me for directions i'm every
thing. Those who are still able to
work cut the grass, cook the meals,
raise vegetables, water the trees we
have planted, and do various other
things which will increase my small
resources in a few years. Our great
est labor is solidifying the banks OF
our island home so as to resist high
water; for, though the river is very
shallow with sandy bottom, it rises
at times from 15 to rs feet high.
This wall-building is great expense
and if / were again choosing home
I would not select an island, but high
land But now have paid for the
land and put up buildings.
Twenty of my lepers made their
] first Communion two weeks ago and
the ceremony was edifying. All the
instructions we're given, Of course, n