Fr. Richard Ho Lung - Diary Of A Ghetto Priest THE LAST major government bastion in northern Haiti is Cap-Haitien, where our Brothers are in the very centre of the city. Our Brothers are known as the 'Jamaican Brothers'. Local television in Cap-Haitien had recently run a documentary on our Missionaries of the Poor at the Asile Communal where we care for the homeless and destitute old folks and a collection of little children who are disabled: cripples, blind, deaf, mute many brought to us by the police and local citizens.
"Father, things are quite frightening in Cap-Haitien at the moment," reported Brother Louima, Local Superior of our mission in Haiti. "People are throwing stones and bottles at the police. There is a counter movement by the police. They are fearful though they have guns and machetes. We are running out of food that you provide from Jamaica. Can you send us more? People are coming off the streets. They have no food, no water. We have given them some of our food and we give water from our wells. The people are in confusion." I told Brother Louima we would be sending a container of rice and beans. Then by the end of March there should be a shipment of other foodstuff, maybe a 40 ft container being sent by St. John Neumann's and St. Benedict's in Atlanta.
I asked Brother Louima if the Brothers are fearful of death or physical harm. I noted that the U.S. was withdrawing their Peace Corps volunteers and other workers. Brother Louima and our nine other Brothers said, "We are not leaving. This is when the people need us. God will help us. If you can continue to send us food from Jamaica, we will survive and will be able to help the poor people who are so desperate."
On the road from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien, gunmen twice stopped our vehicle. Our Brothers were robbed of supplies meant for our homeless and destitute. Once, four years ago, people threatened and beat our Brothers and took away food for our poor. But the Brothers stayed on our mission. Our 10 Brothers told me, "We are not moving. We love the people, no matter what. They act that way because they are desperate."
HOMELESS AND DESTITUTE
Rather than withdraw, we have built up the mission. With Jamaica as our base, and receiving help from the United States, Canada and England, we have managed to increase our help to the poor. Aside from the homeless, we send children to school with books, lunches, and uniforms. We built up a nice chapel for worship and community gatherings. We have organised gardens and wells, so people can fetch water and relax even with our many homeless and destitute.
The documentary shown in Cap-Haitien on our Jamaican Brothers has drawn attention from the one million citizens in that large second capital city. So much good has come out of Missionaries of the Poor, founded locally in Jamaica. I cannot believe how good God has been using me to found an organisation of men who dedicate themselves entirely "even unto death" in service of the poorest of peoples. I can't believe, also, how this home-grown Jamaican organisation is now spread over the poor world: in Africa, Haiti, India, The Philippines, and Jamaica, where the poor suffer so intensely. Just two weeks ago, we opened yet another home in Cebu, Philippines where our Brothers now work with many lepers.
Out of Jamaica, something wonderful has come Missionaries of the Poor. The base, I repeat, is Jamaica. It is a first ever in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the English-speaking Caribbean, and it is international. Our free service is now well known. We are seen regularly on ETWN (Eternal Word Television Network), Alabama, U.S. As a charitable organisation we are getting known internationally. Our free service, without subvention and help from governments, has astounded many, including myself.
Thousands of plates of food are given out each day, the homeless are housed, the naked are clothed, the sick and dying and forgotten are taken in all this without charging a single cent. It could only have been wrought by God. And I attest, it is sustained daily by God, with the Brothers and myself as His willing instruments.
Father Richard Ho Lung is Founder and leader of the Missionaries of the Poor.
