Carroll was assigned to a parish church, St. Rita, in Valencia Park. Given the choices by Bishop Leo Thomas Maher of transferring to a parish church in Needles, California, or becoming involved in St. Vincent de Paul, Carroll chose the latter. From 1982 to 2011, Carroll led St. Vincent de Paul Village. In 1984, Carroll appeared in a commercial seeking donations for St. Vincent de Paul which aired during the 1984 National League Championship Series, which gained him national notoriety. Carroll was featured in a "60 Minutes" story in 1985, and a "Reader's Digest" story in 1988. Carroll's efforts to assist the homeless, drew criticism from the "Wall Street Journal", and praise in the form of a World Habitat Award. In the 2000s, his organization made bobble-head dolls of him as a fundraising reward for donors. In 2011, Carroll retired.