He was born in Podbuż, in east Galicia, Austrian Empire, now Pidbuzh, Drohobych Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine.

After graduating from the seminary, he married Emiliia, daughter of Mykolai Ivasivka, a Greek Catholic priest.

One died shortly after a serious illness, and the younger one grew up in the care of the Basilian sisters in Yavoriv.

On 8 January 1860, he was ordained to the priesthood under the ministry of the bishop of Przemyśl, Hryhorii Yakhymovych (pol.

He was vicar and administrator for the communities of Stara Sil, Bacina, Milków, Lubaczów and Yavoriv.

His activities were recognized by Bishop Konstantyn de Chekhovych during a canonical visitation of the parish in Zhuzhel and Tsebliv in 1905.

He was actively involved in the campaign against the scourge of alcoholism in the countryside, a concern of both the Roman and Greek Catholic churches.

Potocki had a farm in Oleszyce and together with Seletskyi tried to eliminate illiteracy and alcoholism in the region.