Mary Johnson-Roy, a life-long resident of North Minneapolis, has faithfully contributed to her community for decades. Her inspiring story of forgiveness and service, especially through facilitating healing groups for mothers grieving the loss of children to homicide, has earned her the respect of people around the world. Mary has received many awards and recognitions for her work, including being a recipient of KARE 11’s “Eleven Who Care” award and being declared a “Hero Among Us” by People Magazine. On the occasion of her 70th birthday, May 14, 2022, Mayor Jacob Frey proclaimed the day Mary Johnson-Roy Day in the City of Minneapolis.
For decades, Mary served her community as a volunteer while working at the Bell Telephone Company, her church, and later PYC School in North Minneapolis. The tragic murder in 1993 of her only child, Laramiun Byrd, sent her on a path no mother ever wants to go on. Yet Mary courageously embarked on this journey which ultimately led to her forgive O’Shea Israel, the young man who took her son’s life, and embrace him as her spiritual son. Mary transformed her unfathomable pain and loss into light and love for her city and the world. She did this in response to a spiritual calling on her life to bring mothers on both sides of the tragedy of homicide together for healing.
In 2005, Mary founded From Death to Life, a nonprofit organization to facilitate her work and get her message of the power of forgiveness out in the world. For 18 years, Mary has been leading the Two Mothers Healing Group, providing comfort, support and healing for mothers who have lost children to homicide. In a city where violence is sadly a daily reality, Mary and the mothers of her healing group have been a stand for peace, reconciliation, and restorative justice, which has led them to reach out and embrace mothers who have lost children to prison because of homicide.
Learn more at:
https://www.stjanehouse.org/from-death-to-lifeToday Mary is in need of her community. Currently, she is experiencing challenging health issues following a devastating diagnosis in the fall of 2020 of Lewy Body Dementia (sometimes described as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s all rolled into one). Her family and close friends have gathered around to support her during this difficult time and invite those in her wider circle–including those who don't know Mary but have been inspired by her story–to offer their prayers and notes of encouragement for Mary and her husband Ed, who has been her primary caretaker through this health journey. They are firm believers in the power of prayer and appreciate yours. Thank you!
If you wish to contribute financially, please consider a making a gift to the GoFundMe campaign (
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support4mary-johnson-roy) was started to support them during this time of need. You may also send checks made out to “Brian Mogren” to the St Jane House, where Mary has hosted her healing groups for mothers for 16 years.
St Jane House
1403 Emerson Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Recent stories in the media about Mary’s health journey:
StoryCorps Interview
This powerful 6-minute piece featuring Mary, Ed, and Oshea Israel talking about their journeys together aired on NPR in Sept. 2023.
https://storycorps.org/stories/as-her-memory-dims-one-remarkable-mother-remains-a-beacon-of-light/StoryCorps Podcast
This very moving 20-minute StoryCorps podcast was released in December 2023 and includes the interviews that aired in September, along with the voices of the mothers from Mary’s Two Mother’s Healing Group as well as others who have been journeying with Mary over these past years.
https://storycorps.org/echoes-of-forgiveness/StarTribune Story
Mary and Ed have courageously decided to share their current health journey with the broader community. As such they shared conversation with Laura Yuen, a features columnist with the StarTribune. Ms Yuen’s inspiring story about their journey was published on Friday, May 12, 2023. Visit:
https://tinyurl.com/YuenStoryAboutMaryMore about Mary’s story…
Mary was invited to be a special guest at two global conferences on love and forgiveness by the Fetzer Institute in Assisi, Italy, and Aman, Jordan, where she met with the Prince of Jordan. She also met President Barack Obama who praised and thanked her for her service.
Her powerful story of forgiveness has attracted the attention of local, national, and global media organizations, inspiring countless people around the world. Mary has appeared on the CBS Evening News, BBC, CNN, CBC, ABC’s The View (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3oXf-rLzIk), and local TV stations, as well as in numerous magazine and newspaper stories around the world. She was featured in the acclaimed documentary Risking Light (
https://www.riskinglight.com/) and the book Beyond Belief.
While her good work and generous act of forgiveness have been acknowledged and applauded by many, Mary consistently remains humble, giving all the glory to her God. She is treasured by the mothers who have found healing in her loving embrace as well as others who have had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her.
We are inspired by her extraordinary example of humble, selfless love, generosity, and service in our community and world.
Please join us in praying for, and giving back to our dear friends who have both given so much to our community. THANK YOU!
