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 !

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