Tributes

The Prime Minister has paid tribute to the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) in the following letter to

Father Richard Ho Lung, founder and superior general:

Dear Fr. Richard,

Knowing that the Missionaries of the Poor will be awarded the American Friends of Jamaica's International Humanitarian Award, I want to thank you and your brothers personally for your tremendous service to our country.

Tremendous impact

Throughout the many years of my being a politician, I have observed the tremendous impact Missionaries of the Poor has on our island. I have personally attended many of your vow services, for young men inducted into their order. My wife and myself have visited your homes and your works for the homeless and destitute in the ghettos. Moreover, we have often seen and heard in the news media the wonderful works you all do, undertaking fully the lives of people who would otherwise be abandoned.

The life of Missionaries of the Poor has made a new understanding of what the Christian faith is when lived out according to the Word of God. You have encouraged the poor and given hope to the poorest of people. You have also inspired our nation to be more generous.

A gift to the Lord

In Jamaica , we look at the Missionaries of the Poor as our own sons, though many are from different nations. They have poured out their lives for others, for our own people. When offered financial help by the Government, they have said no, despite their fourth vow of free service. They offer their own selves and resources as a gift to the Lord and our country.

Moreover, your worship and liturgy are filled with the blessings of music composed by the brothers, and your musical productions and concerts are acclaimed by our people. I pray that you will continue to increase in your membership and your love of the poor, not only for Jamaica but for other countries where the poor are in great need where they serve.

Congratulations!

Yours sincerely, BRUCE GOLDING Prime Minister

Sue M. Cobb

Ambassador of the United States of America

While serving as U.S. Ambassador in Jamaica (2001-2005), I was struck by the devotedness to the destitute of the Missionaries of the Poor. Although I’m not a Roman Catholic, I am a Christian, and have always sought to encourage genuine expressions of service. In my judgment, there can be no more genuine expressions of service than those displayed by the Missionaries of the Poor. The Brothers do what many of us would not do, but we would like to encourage be done.

I have come to greatly admire your unique inspirational leadership, your great energy and vision as well as the total devotedness in the service of the Brothers.

I have visited with the Brothers in the ghetto where they serve and they live. Their work is often spoken about in the news and among many people with whom I associated in Jamaica, as well as Jamaicans in American and in the worldwide diaspora. All are proud of Missionaries of the Poor as a community that developed in Jamaica and seems to be spreading all over the world.

The current U.S. Ambassador, Brenda Johnson and I on a recent visit were deeply moved by the sight of the poor and infirm in the ghettoes of Kingston. We were, at the same time, very much impressed with and encouraged by the works of the Brothers. Aside from your duties serving over 500 homeless and destitute people, and feeding and clothing thousands of others, the Brothers, after the disastrous 2007 Hurricane Dean, undertook massive repairs and re-housing of hundreds of homeless victims. Even now, they continue that work.

I must also add that your worship and music at Mass, as well as in major musical productions, have made a tremendous impact on the island and in overseas countries as well. They are delightfully inspirational.

It is very clear that the Missionaries of the Poor are extraordinarily special in the hearts of the nation, and especially the Jamaican poor. I, in my current capacity as President of the American Friends of Jamaica and former United States Ambassador, will continue to support you, Fr. Richard and the Brothers and to reach out to others to do the same.

Missionaries of the Poor is a community I personally and many, many of my colleagues would like to see grow and spread the Good News of the Lord.

We are very honored that you received The American Friends of Jamaica International Humanitarian Award for 2008 during our 4^th Annual South Florida Gala last Saturday.

Jamaica and Christ - walk together!

Richard Ho Lung - Diary of a ghetto priest

What is this inner longing and desire in my heart? What is this inner restlessness in me?

What is happiness? And in my beautiful sunshine island there is terrible mysterious darkness, as I watch the blind, the deaf, the crippled, the sick and dying forgotten in our streets, wounded and dying in our island. But there is the beauty of that perfect man - Jesus Christ - hanging on the cross over the country. He walked among our broken people - this infinitely tender and compassionate figure, His hand in my hand, my heart and mind belonging to Him, this I live.

He calls me, He calls our island, He calls our American friends, "come, follow me". So, He fed 5,000 and so must I. And, He placed His fingers on the eyes of the blind, and so must I, and he touched the ears of the deaf and they heard, and so must I, and so must we.

And so it was that two of my sons, Marco and Suresh, a young Filipino and a young Indian, 27 and 23 years old, were murdered - living in the slums of Kingston with me and our beloved brothers - all of us following Christ to the hilltop on Mount Calvary.

And that same cross we carry to the poorest of people in Uganda and Kenya, the Philippines, Haiti, India and the ghettos of Kingston - living and loving and serving the wounded and crucified Christ among the poorest of people - as our Master once did. And He would want us to do - so that He, through us, may be among those forgotten, walking among them, feeding them, comforting them, living and now dying among them. And so it is we who find our purpose and meaning in our lives.

And, so, it is that the Lord taught Missionaries of the Poor in Jamaica to serve the poorest and most forgotten of our sisters and brothers. And, out of Jamaica to the poorest of nations, rich with the love of Christ, Missionaries of the Poor wishes to bring Christ's love to the world ... to the lepers, the homeless old men and women, the children who are deaf, crippled, blind, mute who live under the blazing hot sun, and sleep in the cold dark night in the streets, without hope - all Mister and Miss NOBODY, without sister or brother, without job and without family - unwanted and forgotten.

Yes, our two brothers were murdered, but they were murdered doing the work of the Lord - loving the poor and our enemies unto death. And we know who the murderer is, and we have fixed his house and attended to his baby mother and children, and now he, too, has been killed. And we blessed him on his deathbed at Kingston Public Hospital.

Today, we honour American Friends of Jamaica - for it is with their help that we have repaired the house of the same murderer. It is the American Friends of Jamaica who honour Missionaries of the Poor, but I, too, would like to honour them. With their funds, we have repaired broken houses and shacks for 3,000 ghetto people.

Next, Missionaries of the Poor will establish a home for women who are to be mothers. We will have a prenatal clinic for women - lest they become desperate and abort their babies. We will take in their babies for daily care and we will adopt them if necessary. This building has been given to us by an American; one day, we will repair it.

We will establish a home for deportees, for gunmen, drug pushers and addicts, and prisoners on parole who have nowhere to go. We have the buildings already - these will also be repaired one day. Why do we do this?

In fulfilment of the Beatitudes and the Master's wish to bring good news to the poor and to find peace and happiness in our own hearts. We will have His heart be our heart, His mind our mind, His work our work, knowing that in the end, there is only happiness for all.

Very Rev Fr Richard Ho Lung , MOP, is founder and superior general of the Missionaries of the Poor

This morning was quite special for us here. At 8:30 a.m. we had Archbishop Legaspi visit our outreach ministry for the families that live on the dump-site. It was a very good visit. Archbishop felt very comfortable with the people there, even though he was dressed in his white cassock for Mass, he mingled quite easily with the dirty children and the people. He gave a Easter message and blessing and then I brought him to some of the "shanties". He had to make some effort to get into them as they were very low for him (he's 6ft something), but he insisted on going into their houses and blessing the people. He was visibly moved. Though he was sweating much, he didn't pull back. We went to about 5 of the houses on the dump site.

Then we proceeded to our apostolate where he first met and spoke with our legion of Mary and food-line people. Then he met with our mentally-ill and other residents, the special children. Then we went to our new centre - Nazareth - where he saw our feeding program for malnourished kids.

Then we had Mass at the Monastery at 10 a.m. I was concerned for the Archbishop as he had been going around and sweating a lot, but he seemed very happy to do it. At the Homily, he said some very beautiful and moving words about MOP and yourself. In essence, he said he is so grateful to God for the day when you knocked on his door 15 years ago. He said that unlike other communities, MOP is a growing community, expanding both in numbers as well as in our ministry. Several times he asked the congregation to clap in gratitude. I wished we had taped it, but anyway. At the Mass we also had the investiture of 4 new postulants and the admission to novitiate of 8 brothers.

At the meal, I asked the Archbishop if he would celebrate Mass in the shed in the dump-site and he readily agreed to it anytime. He even said, "we can also do confirmation there". The priests who were there were surprised at this.

All in all, it was a very gracious time. Thank you Father, for your Yes to God several years ago that has brought about all this. Like the Yes of Mama Mary, your Yes has become the cause of our joy and the joy of so many of our poor!

Pray for us that we may continue to say Yes to God and No to the world as we strive to live faithfully our vows, charism and spirit.