Venerable Mary Potter

Mary Potter, LCM (22 November 1847 – 9 April 1913) was an English Catholic religious sister known for founding the Little Company of Mary in 1877. Her cause for beatification was opened in the 20th century and on 8 February 1988, Pope John Paul II proclaimed her venerable. Mary Potter was born in a rented house in Bermondsey, South London. She was the fifth child, and the only girl, born to William and Mary Anne (Martin) Potter. One of her brothers was the chess master William Norwood Potter. Mary Potter had a congenital heart and lung disease which left her in frail health, and with a permanent cough, for the rest of her life. Her father left the family home in 1848, went to Australia, and never returned, leaving his wife to raise the children by herself. When Potter was 19, she was introduced to her brother's friend, Godfrey King and became engaged. King, who had tried a vocation as a Trappist monk, gave Potter pious books. After about four months, she wrote to Godfrey to terminate the engagement, after the bishop of Southwark, Thomas Grant, suggested she seek her calling as a religious sister. Because of her delicate health, her mother suggested that Brighton would be a healthy place for her to go. Potter resolved to go to Brighton by train with her mother and her brother, and investigate life as a religious. They arrived on 7 December 1868 and met the sisters. After some discussion it was suggested to Potter that the next day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, would be a good day to receive her as a postulant. That was a hasty decision and Potter was ill-prepared to enter into religious life so suddenly. However, she decided to stay, receiving the name Mary Angela. It became evident that life in the convent was too demanding physically for Potter and she was advised to leave after eighteen months.