Diary of a Ghetto Priest | Father Ho Lung nearing 80 years and still batting well

On September 17, I will be 80 years. I never dreamt I would live to this age. As a young man, I said “I’ll be happy to live until 50 years; then later I said 60 years will be just perfect. To my astonishment 70 years came, and now I’m seeing 80 years. I figure the Lord wants me to live longer I haven’t yet done all that He wants of me.

The Lord gave me birth on 17th September, 1939 in Richmond, St. Mary. I was born in a little shop, upstairs, with darkness all around. There was no electricity. There was my older sister Loretta, and my mother Janet, just 17 years old. My father William was 40 years old.

Both were poor and worked very hard in the little grocery shop. They sold half-pound of brown sugar, half pint of cooking oil, one pound of flour or cornmeal, a pound of rice, a little salt and pepper. Somehow we managed to eat. The country people in Richmond who saw that we were poor would give us scallion and onion, pepper and tomatoes. There was also the green bananas and yam.

My mother Janet was a very sweet and gentle woman, and my father William was always present in the shop. There was very little money and goods but somehow we managed to eat and sleep. And, we were always happy. Sara who lived nearby would come and help take care of the children, bathing us daily in a pan of water and singing songs like “What a friend we have in Jesus,” and, “Meet me by the river, some sweet day.”

Parents worked hard

My parents worked very hard, and we managed to make a living. We moved to Kingston and my father sought a better education at Camperdown and then Mt. Alvernia Prep.

We met Jesus at Mount Alvernia then Loretta attended Immaculate Conception High School, and I attended St. Georges College. There we met Jesus in a deeper and fuller way.

We were taught by our religious education teachers, nuns and priests:

“Act like Jesus,

Look like Jesus

Seek the needs of others.

Give yourself, give your materials,

give your love in acts of kindness,

give your food, drink.

Give warmth, endurance, instruction, presence, your comfort, your encouragement, give your energy; give works and words of love, tell people to never give up, to hope and keep on going forward. Tell people of salvation and hope.”

What a message, the message of hope! That’s why I didn’t give up hope. I say “Happy Birthday to you, and to me.” Give me a call at 876-948-6173.