Remembering Fr. Edward Conlon, 25th anniversary of his passing.
December 19th 2022 will make it 25 years since our beloved parish priest Fr. Edward Conlon suddenly passed away. Even if it has been 25 years his memory is still alive in the hearts and mind of the parishioners of St. Martin De Porres (Crochu) and St. Joseph’s (Pomme Rose) Catholic churches.
Father Ed as he was commonly known came to Grenada in 1982, a native from Cincinnati, Ohio. He became parish priest at the St. Martin De Porres parish with responsibility for Crochu and our sister church situated in Pomme Rose. Father Ed would have spent the 15 years as a missionary in the parish where he was stationed when he first came to Grenada. Fr. Ed’s mission was not just for spiritual guidance but more so for the holistic development of the parishioners, the community and country as a whole.
Father Ed was a humble, Devout servant of God. His mission included the physical, mental, social as well the spiritual wellbeing of the people with whom he came into contact. His goal was helping to uplift the standard of life for the people as best he could. Father Ed was a people’s person and accommodated and entertained anyone and everyone regardless of their religious or political affiliation, whether you lived within the community or somewhere else in Grenada. He used to visit the homes of those who were less fortunate and would have done whatever he could to improve the quality of their life be it in providing financial assistance, shelter, medical needs or food for the table. And in all this he never neglected theirs spiritual need, telling them about the love of Jesus for them and praying for them and their families. In his mission was his monthly visits to Her Majesty’s Prison. Every second Sunday of each month Fr. Ed accompanied by one or two of his parishioners will visit the inmates at the prison. There will be singing and worship and then he will share the word of God, letting the inmates know that God loves them just as they are even if he does not like what they have done. He reached out to them not only in words but even in his actions. He interacted with them through discussions, answering their questions no matter how they were presented impressing upon them the mercy and forgiveness of god and the need to develop a relationship with Jesus. He witnessed by his simple life what it means to be a true disciple and follower of Jesus.
Under the leadership of Fr. Ed, the church parish of Crochu and Pomme Rose were very much alive and active. He ensured that no one was left out from the little tiny tots to the elderly. It was his love for the elderly that gave birth to the St. Martin De Porres Home for the Elderly in collaboration with members of the St. Vincent De Paul. He was very instrumental in soliciting donations for the construction of the home situated at Felix Park in Crochu, St. Andrew. He was also instrumental in the construction of a library for the community which was situated the Crochu R. C School grounds, the church at Pomme Rose and a basketball court in the back of the presbytary where he lived. He was an ardent lover and player of the sport basketball and everyday he will engaged the young men, playing basketball or just shooting hoops. There were many other projects around Grenada in which Fr. Ed had given assistance and support in his fifteen years of mission here.
Fr. Ed was truly a man of God, one who demonstrated by his life what it means to be Christ-like. A memorial mass will be celebrated in honour of his memory on Sunday 18th December at 3:00 pm, at the St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church, Crochu. May he rest in peace.
St. Martin De Porres church parish
