San Diego (CNS)-The funeral will be held next week for Father Joe Carroll. Father Joe Carroll is an icon of San Diego’s charitable service. He has served the homeless for decades and made him A well-known figure in the country, he is also a beloved citizen of his adopted hometown.

Carol’s service, Passed away on Saturday at the age of 80 After battling diabetes, it is scheduled to be held on July 20th at St. Rita Catholic Church in Lincoln Park.

Carol served as the President and CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Village from 1982 until his retirement in 2011, after which the facility was renamed Father Joe Village.

In the past 39 years, the organization has helped thousands of homeless people find shelter, medical assistance, childcare, housing, and other resources.

Last weekend, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Falcona praised Carroll as “a champion of people who have been forgotten by others—the poor, the sick, and the homeless.”

“He inspired the entire city to care like him, created a lasting organization, and helped so many people,” Falcona said. “And when he did all this, his eyes were shining.”

The Speaker of the Senate, Pro Tem Toni Atkins, praised Carroll as “a dedicated advocate who always helps our neighbours in need in large and small ways.”

“He is the light of hope and love for our community,” Atkins said.

Carol once stated that he wanted to provide more than 1.7 million meals to those in need, so he held a fund-raising contest. On Thanksgiving Day, 5K became the annual tradition of Balboa Park. Runners who raise more than $100 will receive a Father Joe shaking his head doll.

In 2019, San Diego State University awarded Carroll an honorary degree in the Humanities and Letters in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the underserved communities in San Diego.

Carol is a New Yorker and moved to Southern California when he was in his 20s. He studied at St. John’s Theological Seminary in Camarillo, where he was expelled for being overly concerned with material gains while running the seminary bookstore.

He then moved to San Diego, completed his studies at the University of San Diego and was appointed in 1974. He worked in the Catholic Church of Santa Rita in Valencia Park, and was then appointed the head of the Saint Vincent de Paul thrift store downtown, where he would find his true mission and build his own legacy.

He turned a parking lot near the store into a center for the homeless, and worked hard to acquire other properties near San Diego to create a “one-stop shop” that can integrate services for the homeless. In the following years, he established a strong fundraising plan, and by the time he retired, the organization had employed nearly 500 employees and had a budget of US$40 million.

The public is invited to leave flowers and messages for Carol in the center of Father Joe’s village Joan Crocker at 1501 Empire Avenue in memory of Carol.

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