Fr. Conleth Caldwell C.P. Death has been unusually busy this year amongst the Passionist communities of these countries, and has removed several whose lives could be ill spared. Its latest victim, Father Conleth Caldwell, though he had reached the ripe old age of 71, was still active in spite of his infirmities, and will be sadly missed by many who had the best reasons to know his worth as confessor and spiritual director: for it was chiefly in these capacities that his priestly zeal found expression. Father Caldwell was born at Crossdrum, Oldcastle, County Meath, on 20th September, 1840. He made his ecclesiastical studies at Limouges, where he was ordained priest in 1863, and afterwards served as a secular priest for more than 20 years in his native diocese of Meath. Whilst attached to that diocese (says the Catholic Times) Father Conleth erected schools at Turbotstown, Whitehall and Finea. He had charge of Toughmon, “the mountain parish,” from 1867 to 1869, and during his pastorate improved and beautified the little Church, among other things providing it with seats, a convenience which the simple parishioners had not hitherto enjoyed. Father Conleth was of Protestant and English descent. He experienced the singular happiness of seeing his grandfather, a Protestant and an English man, received into the Church, of which he proved a worthy member. Father Conleth was a cousin of the late Most Reverend Doctor Nulty, Bishop of Meath, and of the late Reverend Father Richard O’Neill, the well-known “Priest of Tyldesley.” In 1884, succeeding the death of his father, Father Conleth joined the Passionist Order, the canonisation of whose founder – St Paul of the Cross – he attended with Bishop Nulty in 1867. Leaving the novitiate at Broadway, Worcestershire, he was sent to Harborne, then to the various Irish houses of the Order, and finally to Sutton, Lancashire. Discussing his connection with Parnell and the Irish movement, Father Conleth spoke freely to a Catholic Times reporter a short time ago. He narrated with a grasp of detail which was something remarkable the story of Parnell’s introduction into the field of Irish politics. The young ecclesiastic, then a tutor at Mullingar, brought the future Irish leader to Rochfort Bridge, and there he introduced him to Bishop Nulty. Father Conleth induced his Lordship to favour Parnell with his influence, pointing out that people were determined to have him at all costs. Many years before the advent of Parnell, Father Conleth greatly interested himself in the temporal as well as the spiritual welfare of the Irish people of his district. He waged a hard and successful fight against the proselytising agents, then so common in Ireland, and particularly against a set of landowners, who lent out money at interest to their poor tenants and neighbours. When unable to pay at the stipulated time, the unfortunate debtors were compelled, under threats of legal penalties, to send their children to the Protestant schools. This insidious system received its death-blow from Bishop Nulty, who, on the representations of Father Conleth , ordered that the last sacraments should be refused to those Catholics who fell in with the proselytising plan. Among his other activities Father Conleth strenuously opposed the parliamentary aspirations of Lord Granville’s son. As a result of the part he played in the famous Cooke lunacy trials at Dublin and Mullingar, Father Conleth’s name rapidly became a household word throughout Ireland and America. His evidence was chiefly responsible for establishing the sanity of Mr Cooke. The latter, said to have been an eccentric man , made a will in favour of a Dr Purdon and his son, whom, whilst Mr Cook was still alive, took possession of his property and levied extortionate rents and illegal taxes on the unfortunate tenants, who, on refusing payment, were served with notices of ejectment. Their case was taken up by Father Conleth. He explained the state of affairs to Mr Cooke, who promptly revoked the will on which the Purdons were acting. He made a new one in favour of Lord Longford, whom he greatly admired for his generous treatment of the poor in time of dire distress and famine. Lord Longford refused to accept the property until, at a meeting with Father Conleth in Mullingar, he was quite convinced of Mr Cooke’s sanity. Lord Longford became owner of the estate, much to the satisfaction of the people of the district, whose gratitude to Father Conleth was unbounded. By a curious coincidence Father Conleth celebrated his last Mass on Wednesday, the 20th September, the 71st anniversary of his birthday, and also the anniversary of his mother’s death. Three days afterwards, on 23rd September, he passed to his reward, his life crowned with that crown which he had spent his long years in weaving – a peaceful and happy death. May he rest in peace. (Cross, Vol. II, 1911-12; pp.248f.)