Mary Virginia Merrick, founder of the National Christ Child Society, was declared a Servant of God in 2003, 137 years after her birth in Washington, DC and 48 years after her death.
She is one of two individuals from Washington, DC, currently in a canonization process, and the only one whose ministry was lived out in this region, serving the local community. The other is the Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, a missionary priest.
Year | Event |
---|---|
1866 | Mary Virginia Merrick is born |
1883 | Mary Virginia Merrick is paralyzed |
1884 | Mary Virginia Merrick begins her service to poor children |
1887 | The Christ Child Society is formally established |
1955 | Mary Virginia Merrick died |
2002 | National Christ Child Society accepts responsibility for promoting the cause for canonization of Mary Virginia Merrick and the Canonization Advisory Board is created |
2003 | Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick initiates an inquiry into Mary Virginia Merrick's life and works and contacts the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Congregation issues a nihil obstat. It has no objections to the cause moving forward. Mary Virginia Merrick is declared a "Servant of God" by the Catholic Church |
2007 | Canon lawyers Kathleen Asdorian and Jeannine Marino are named postulator and vice-postulator for the Cause |
2011 | Cardinal Donald Wuerl officially initiates the "Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God, Mary Virginia Merrick" on April 23, 2011 and deeper investigation into her life and writing begins. |