About

We Begin With Our Founder’s Story

I was born in 1945 to a secular, ultra-reform Jewish family in Chicago. My mother was active in the temple for social and networking reasons and my father was indifferent. When I was 13 and 14 years old critical events changed my view of life. My grandfather, who was blind and living with us died. I learned that I would go blind. A powerful sermon on gossip cut into my heart and I heard much gossip immediately after the service. I decided that God was a myth and that religion was nothing more than tradition and habit.

I became angry and became active in the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-war Movement and turned to recreational drugs and sex. I became a legally blind photographer and a writer. In the mid 1970s I met a woman and lived with her until family pressure brought us to a Jewish marriage. My wife suffered a serious injury at work and that ended the honeymoon for a year. We had a son, though it was against my wishes. My blindness grew worse until I had to give up photography and the marriage continued to deteriorate.

In 1992 I fell into despair and tried to kill myself by jumping into Lake Michigan on a snowy day. I failed and went into psychological counseling that was very disordered. Our marriage ended. Unnatural things happened that frightened me. A stranger suggested that I asked God for help so I went to a Jewish temple to pray for the first time and received the gift of faith.

After searching in other religions I was drawn to the Catholic Church where I continued to talk to God. One day, in an empty church, I had a vision of Christ crucified and went looking for Him. I knew that I had to become Catholic. After nearly two years I was baptized on the Easter Vigil, April 6, 1996, and my journey had begun.

Since becoming Catholic I consecrated myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and she has been guiding me ever since, when I let her. I volunteered for Port Ministries, a Franciscan Ministry for the poor and the homeless and then worked for them for ten years. I have prayed and counseled in front of abortion clinics and, today I am the Respect Life Coordinator at my parish.

The Lord called me to tell my conversion story and He has been opening doors for me to do this since 2008 when I formed a not-for-profit corporation, Not By Sight Media, NFP. I had no idea of how to form a corporation but God kept putting the people and resources in my path as I needed them. When you step out and use the gifts He has given you in the way He asks, what you need will come as it is needed.

I need to raise the money to have my story professionally recorded, to build a high-quality website and promote my mission. I need to pay my bills.

In 2011 I met my new wife, Miriam, and we work together in pro-life, Spanish Catholic radio and with Not By sight Media. We honeymooned at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge Mass. Out of that visit came a chance to have my story published in a book, “Loved Lost Found, by Felix Carroll, published by the Marian Press.

Once being blind was a terrible curse to me but today it is a beautiful gift that helps many people. All of this is thanks to the love and mercy of Jesus Christ! Praise God!

We are a registered 501(c)(3) corporation and all donations are gratefully received for the glory of God.