Sign of Peace locally became global sign of love

Margaret Johnson Carroll, a parishioner of Albany's Holy Cross Church, had a life-changing experience while at Mass in Medjugorje -- simply because she was a woman.

"There was a woman and little boy sitting in front of me," she explained. "She had a forlorn look on her face. I recognized that look at the Kiss of Peace. I wondered if I looked like she did when I was first widowed."

That Sign of Peace three years ago started a friendship that transcends language barriers and continents. It was also the beginning of an effort to match local people with families affected by war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"If I had not been a woman who had suffered keenly the loss of her husband," this program would not have happened, Mrs. Carroll said. "Her face was crying out, `Oh, help me!'"

Linking people

Since meeting Angela, Mrs. Carroll has connected 30 people in the Albany Diocese with Croatian refugees. The local people send a monthly stipend to the families to support them as they try to recover from years of deprivation and war.

"I went to the refugee centers where people were housed on cots in tents," Mrs. Carroll said. "One full meal was provided by the government. They have no welfare system. They can eat for $25 a month. I thought if I could get people from our area to `adopt' them, that would help."

She has also arranged for students at Holy Cross School and the Academy of the Holy Names to make and send Christmas cards to the children of Croatia.

"They include their school picture, a new dollar bill or a Guardian Angel pin," she said. "The cards are hand-delivered to Croatia. I wish more children could learn how much this means for a child in a refugee center."

Linked by suffering

Mrs. Carroll has returned to Bosnia often to visit with Angela and her family. They now live in an apartment; the mother and two daughters sleep in the bedroom, the son sleeps in the living room. The windows have been shot out, and there is no money for electricity.

Mrs. Carroll and Angela write letters in their native languages that are then translated. In the letters, the refugees call Mrs. Carroll "Mrs. Peggy" and tell of their life, hopes and prayers for their American benefactor.

"She is a peasant," Mrs. Carroll said. "She wants her children to have an education."

Struggling for children

This is another area of life that both women understand without having to speak the same language: children and education. Mrs. Carroll is a mother of four grown children. It was important to her that her children receive a Catholic school education at Holy Cross Elementary School, Vincentian Institute, and her alma mater, the Academy of the Holy Names.

While Angela struggles to insure her children receive a good education, Mrs. Carroll's own parents also made sacrifices to send her to the Academy of the Holy Names. "For me to go to Holy Names was a treat," she explained. "My parents worked hard for it."

Mrs. Carroll, who graduated in 1945, went on to become a physical therapist and then raised her children. She recently received the 1997 Mother Marie Rose Distinguished Alumnae award from Holy Names.

Influence of school

The Academy had an enormous impact on Mrs. Carroll's life. "At Holy Names, we learned the importance of God in all subjects," she said.

The influence of the women religious at the school and her mother's example helped Mrs. Carroll when she became disabled after her second child was born 39 years ago. An inflammation of her spinal cord has left her with weak muscles, and she must wear a brace on her leg. She also has permanent double vision as the result of a car accident 26 years ago.

"When I took sick, the basic things taught by my mother and the sisters helped me," she said. "Everything was under control because God will take care of it."

Mother's example

The example of her mother has had a lasting impact on Mrs. Carroll and inspired her work with the people of Bosnia.

"She made me to be aware of the poor," Mrs. Carroll said of her mother. "We lived off Livingston Avenue, and people used to come to the door for food. She never turned anyone away. She said if you turned someone away, you would be turning away Jesus. We were not a family of plenty, but she would share."

Today, Mrs. Carroll follows her mother's example by preparing food for the homeless in her own kitchen once a month. She and her daughter's friend plan menus and cook the third Friday of each month. The meals are then taken to the Interfaith Shelter for the Homeless.

Food of life

While she enjoys that activity and her efforts to assist refugees, if she had to choose one activity to do, she said it would be serving as a Eucharistic minister at St. Peter's Hospital.

"It's my favorite day of the whole week," she said. "When I was in the hospital, I received the Eucharist and it revived me."

She serves as a Eucharistic minister on the rehabilitation unit. "I know what they're going through," she said. "I bring the Eucharist to people at their lowest and Jesus buoys them up."

Role of women

Being able to serve as a Eucharistic minister is one of the changes in the Church that Mrs. Carroll has witnessed in her life.

"Women more than ever before have a special place in the Church," she said. "I think they're the backbone of the Church. They make everything possible."

She also said that women have a responsibility to pass on the faith to children. "Women are called upon to be aware of the needy," she stated. "They must present to their families a strong prayer life. It is important that women instill the importance of prayer in their families. They must reinforce the faith."

Being a woman has made a difference in Mrs. Carroll's volunteer efforts. "I think women have a keener insight into the feelings of people," she explained. "Women have a tendency to look deeper at the individuals they come in contact with. There's a sensitivity." [[In-content Ad]]