I have enjoyed the time I spent writing songs, stage productions, stories about Christ, and the spirituality of our forefathers.

I see the life and struggle of today’s world as realities to be presented in songs, on the stage for all to understand that our lives are a powerful struggle and a call to battle evil with good, ugliness with beauty, truth with falsehood. It is part of my responsibility as a priest and artiste to evangelise how people and the world need to see the spiritual realities in our time.

I believe that the Lord God is disturbed that the world has turned against the light. The Lord sees that this world, so full of goodness and beauty, has been darkened by sin. He knows that the world is made to love and serve and make sacrifices — but it has been destroyed by sin and selfishness, and is full of corruption.

And now the entire world has been cast into darkness and we are blind men walking aimlessly, not knowing what we are doing. On the other hand, there are sensible people, saintly people, who seek what is right and will live a life of sacrifice and love, service and sacrifice. They will win a victory when they persevere and make sacrifices to the end of their lives.

I give thanks to the Lord for my vocation and gifts of loving truth, beauty, and perfection. It is the Lord who has given me these gifts to share with my countrymen, my fellow men, and poorest people in the world.

At this year’s Actor Boy Awards I was privileged and honoured to be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. I thank the organisers of the awards and accept it on behalf of all the Missionaries of the Poor brothers and friends who have given invaluable assistance to our ministry over the years.

Here is the citation.

“Father Richard Ho Lung is today a household name, not only in his home country Jamaica, but in countries as far flung as The Philippines, Kenya, and Haiti.

His music and liturgical songs have been included in hymnals and are regularly sung in Christian churches throughout the world.

A Roman Catholic priest, he founded Missionaries of the Poor in 1981 — one of the fastest-growing religious orders with over 500 brothers serving in 14 countries. Missionaries of the Poor are dedicated to caring for the poorest of the poor, people in the most need, including people with disabilities, abandoned, sick or dying men, women, children and infants.

Father Ho Lung, who is also a poet, teacher, and song writer, extended his ministry into the dramatic arts with the successful staging of blockbuster musicals, starting with a concert, The Celebration of Life in 1976, followed by Ruby in 1977, musicals like Yes (1979) and Sound of Christmas (1980), earning both local and international accolades.

By the mid-90s the productions of Father Ho Lung and Friends had become an annual must-see expedition. The proceeds from these popular productions were, of course, used to fund the work of Missionaries of the Poor.

Father Ho Lung and Friends continued to develop their craft and take greater risks, and in the beginning of the new millennium the group ventured into epic productions staged in the National Arena portraying the dramatic stories of Biblical characters and featuring extravagant sets and impressive technical effects, such as in Sugar Cain, Isaiah, Queen Esther, The Messiah, and Moses, among many others.

The group has grown to more than 70 singers, dancers, and technical crew coming from various denominations and cultural backgrounds and has, to its credit, numerous award-winning sings and musical videos from these productions.

Father Ho Lung and Friends has had 87 Actor Boy nominations across all categories and over 40 wins.

For his more than 50 years of outstanding contribution to Jamaican theatre, as well as to music, and his philanthropic work, the Actor Boy Awards salutes Father Richard Ho Lung and is delighted to confer on him the honour of the Actor Boy Lifetime Achievement Award.”