The Little Company of Mary is a Roman Catholic religious institute of women (also referred to as the Blue Sisters) dedicated to caring for the suffering, the sick and the dying.[1][2] The order was founded in 1877 in Nottingham, England by Venerable Mary Potter.
This religious institute is distinct from Company of Mary–an institute for men (also Roman Catholic) founded by Saint Louis de Montfort in 1713–and the Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady–a women's religious order founded by Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac in 1607.
History
The Little Company of Mary began in 1877, in an abandoned factory in Hyson Green, Nottingham. Their principal work is the care of the sick and dying.[3]
In 1882, they went to Italy. Mary Potter had gone to gain approval for the constitutions of her new congregation, and while there she established Calvary Hospital on the Via S Stefano Rotondo, not far from St. John Lateran.[4] In 1888, the sisters expanded their work to Ireland. In 1893, three Little Company of Mary Sisters arrived in Chicago to begin their ministry in the United States, providing home-based hospice care. In 1930 Little Company of Mary Hospital was founded in Evergreen Park, Illinois.[5][6] As of 2019 there are sisters working in California, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Their healthcare ministries include hospitals, home care, hospice, extended care, and outreach programs.
See also
- Little Company of Mary Health Care (Australia)
- Sisters of Finding Jesus in the Temple
References
- ^ LCM Generalate Archived 2006-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Little Company of Mary Australian Province
- ^ Patrick, Mother Mary. "Sisters of the Little Company of Mary." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 27 February 2019
- ^ "Venerable Mary Potter", Calvary Health Care
- ^ Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park, IL
- ^ "Our Story", Little Company of Mary, USA
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sisters of the Little Company of Mary". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.