Mary Virginia Merrick

Did you know?
Mary Virginia Merrick is the founder of the National Christ Child Society !

Partially paralyzed, she was confined to a bed or a wheelchair, she established summer camps, housing and convalescent farms for the poor children in our Nation's Capital, Washington DC.

Mary Virginia Merrick (Nov.2 1866 - Jan.10, 1955) age 88

• Born into a wealthy family
• She was paralyzed in a fall from her playhouse at the age 14
• Founder of the National Christ Child Society at the age of 21
• Began by sewing clothes for a poor family's baby
• Devoted her life to serving the poor
• Known as "Miss Mary" to her friends and thousands of children
• Became a "serva Dei" Servant of GOD in 2003
• Cardinal Donald Wuerl has opened her cause for beatification and canonization
• She could become the first "Saint" from our Nation's Capital

St. Anthony's Chapel hopes to have a relic of "Miss Mary" someday !