About Us

WHO ARE WE AND WHAT WE DO

FATHER HO LUNG & FRIENDS MUSIC MINISTRY

The Father Ho Lung and Friends music ministry is the conduit for evangelization through music. It is a sister organization of the religious institute, Missionaries of the Poor (MOP). All the music performed by the Music Ministry is written by Fr. Richard Ho Lung, a Jamaican Roman Catholic Priest who also founded the MOP religious order, the Brothers of the Poor in 1981. The name was changed to the Missionaries of the Poor. The musicians and singers have ministered to hundreds of men, women and children from all walks of life through the performance of Fr Ho Lung’s music. The music expresses a love of life, a love for God and for the poor. The music is used in church services of several different denominations in Jamaica and internationally. The group has performed in several Caribbean countries, in Latin America, North America and in Europe.  It has also been performed in theatres and other communal spaces uniting all who listen under the banner of Christ. 

This religious music has been woven into dramatic productions which focus on presenting the well-known stories of the bible (Jesus, Moses, Isaiah, Esther).  The ‘stories’ also draw on the experience of Jamaican characters whose modern-day lives represent the fortitude of their Christian beliefs and values regardless of the difficult circumstances they may face. Contributions raised from these performances have served to support the works of mercy of the brothers of the MOP.  

This year the production is called “Sugar Cain”. The musical is set in the Kingston of today and tells the story of two brothers and the complexities of their fight against the odds but guided by their Christian values: July 2026.

APOSTOLATES IN JAMAICA RUN BY THE MISSIONARIES OF THE POOR (MOP)

Faith Centre

Faith Centre, the first Apostolate, was established in September1984, through connections with the Jamaica Self-Help Foundation. They were the primary source of funds in those early years. This support was bolstered by Canadian Catholics, John and Rosemarie Ganley from Peterborough, Ontario. They were living and doing voluntary work in Jamaica at the time. Soon many others volunteered and became benefactors.  They soon came to know about Brothers of the Poor, as they were then called, through their work in the prisons, the Gun Court Detention Centre and in the Eventide Home, a home run for poor seniors, and in several other pockets in the ghetto areas of downtown Kingston. As support grew from individual and corporate donors the work of the Brothers was sustained and bore fruit.  

Faith Centre was designated to care for young men who are mentally disabled. Currently there are 88 residents at this centre.

Jacob’s Well

In August 1987, Jacob’s Well was established at 74 Hanover Street as a place of shelter for 75 destitute adults. It now feeds and cares for more than 70 women, both young and old, with physical and mental disabilities.

Good Shepherd

In November 1990, an unused warehouse at 59-61 Tower Street, was acquired and converted into the Good Shepherd, a night shelter for 40 street people. It became obvious then that the cries for “help” far exceeded the capacity of the Brothers, as the number of residents rose beyond 70 men, who were abandoned, elderly, mentally and physically disabled. At the time of writing there are approximately 33 men resident in the home.

The Lord’s Place

As poverty worsened and many more homeless asked for help, the religious institute opened The Lord’s Place in November 1994. Located at 34-36 High Holborn Street in Kingston, this facility cares for orphans, malnourished children, the elderly, retarded young women and those terminally ill with AIDS. Presently it hosts over 88 residents.

Bethlehem Home

In September 2001, Bethlehem Home was opened at 34-36 High Holborn Street. This home was established to separate the disabled children who were often abandoned by their families who were originally house at Lords Place. Presently, the home houses over 55 such children. It has the capacity for approximately 100+ children.

The Beatitudes Home

In 2004, the Missionaries of the Poor were given 70 acres of land in Iron River, Golden Spring, St. Andrew. The decision was made to build the Mount Tabor Monastery and Retreat Centre. This centre is used to host and serve our lay-associates, benefactors, friends and volunteers locally and from overseas. Near the Retreat House at Mount Tabor, is the Beatitudes Home for physically and mentally disabled children the majority of whom are over the chronological age of 18 years. The home was opened in July 2008, which now is home to 45 disabled children.

On November 8, 2009, the Missionaries of the Poor blessed Mount Beatitudes Chapel at Mt. Tabor, Iron River, Golden Spring. It also serves as place for worship and conducting Catechism class for the people in the area.

Holy Innocents Crisis Centre

Holy Innocents Crisis CentreOn September 11, 2010, Fr. Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor broke ground for the Holy Innocents Crisis Centre for distressed mothers and their babies. This is the Missionaries of the Poor’s answer to the Lord’s call to protect life. This centre seeks to provide support and assistance during pregnancy, through prayer and spiritual support, temporary financial assistance, job placement, day care and lodging, skills training, facilities for mother and newborn, counselling for crisis pregnancy and ante-natal/post-natal/follow-up care. There are approximately 45 residents who are cared for by the MOP Sisters.

In all the Brothers of the MOP care for a total of some 423 residents. They are fed and bathed and received medical treatment. 

Additionally, there are approximate over 200 residents from the communities surrounding each home who are not residents inside the homes, but who come for food packages, simple medicines and medical care from visiting teams of doctors.

Community outreach programs provide:

Weekly food line that provides food packages 
Occasional distribution of chickens, clothes, biscuits and bananas to thousands to the ghettoes of Central Kingston.
Night shelter that provides supper, shower, bed and breakfast to many street people.
Free simple medical care
Repair and building of houses in the ghettoes.
House visitations
Counselling, crisis intervention and pastoral care in the surrounding communities
Worship services and crusades at Bethlehem Home at the St. Ephraim Chapel, which is the community chapel.
Catechism for Sunday School children.
 

PLEASE HELP US TO CARE FOR THE POOR AND FORGOTTEN ONES!

APOSTOLATES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

1.      Haiti – Cap Haiti/ Port-au-Prince (2)

2.      India – Andhra Pradesh/Orissa (2)

3.      Kenya – Nairobi (1)

4.      Philippines – Cebu/ Manila/ Naga City (3)

5.      Uganda – Kampala (1)

6.      USA – Monroe NC (1)

7.      Indonesia – Ruteng (1)

8.      Columbia (1)

9.      East Timor (1)

10.  Paraguy (1)

Refund Policy

All sales are final. Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by the event organizer. If the event is cancelled, ticket holders will receive a 90% refund, with the remaining 10% retained to cover processing and administrative fees.