This observance appears in the catholic calendar with liturgical color green .
The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order are revered for abandoning their worldly lives in 13th-century Florence to form a religious community dedicated to prayer, penance, and service, especially fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, namely Bonfilius, Alexis Falconieri, Benedict dell'Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Ricovero dei Maccheroni, John Buonagiunta, and Gerardino Sostegni, were wealthy Florentine noblemen who, inspired by a shared vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, renounced their secular lives around 1233 to live communally in poverty and prayer. They initially withdrew to Monte Senario, dedicating themselves to penance and contemplation, and later established the Order of Servants of Mary (Servites), a mendicant order focused on devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, compassion for the suffering, and service to God and neighbor. Their profound commitment to Mary's sorrows at the foot of the Cross became the distinctive charism of their order, which has since contributed significantly to the Church through evangelization, education, and various acts of charity across the globe.
In the vibrant, mercantile city of Florence during the early 13th century, a remarkable spiritual awakening occurred among seven prominent, wealthy noblemen and merchants: Bonfilius Monaldi, Alexis Falconieri, Benedict dell'Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Ricovero dei Maccheroni, John Buonagiunta, and Gerardino Sostegni. These men, though immersed in the worldly affairs of their time, shared a profound spiritual yearning that set them apart from their peers. They were members of a lay confraternity dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Laudesi, and it was during their communal prayer and acts of charity that a shared vision of the Mother of God, urging them to withdraw from the world, solidified their collective call to a more perfect life. This divine inspiration, often recounted as occurring on the Feast of the Assumption in 1233, marked the definitive turning point in their lives, prompting them to abandon their considerable fortunes, families, and societal positions to pursue a radical commitment to God and Mary.
Inspired by this celestial encounter and the burgeoning mendicant movements of their era, the seven men initially retreated to a small, humble house outside the city gates of Florence. Their early days were characterized by intense prayer, rigorous fasting, and acts of penance, seeking to live lives of evangelical poverty and humility. Their unusual dedication quickly drew attention, and as their numbers grew, they soon sought a more secluded and austere environment. Around 1234, they ascended Monte Senario, a rugged, isolated mountain northeast of Florence, where they established a hermitage. Here, they lived a communal life of simplicity, manual labor, and deep contemplation, cultivating a profound spiritual bond rooted in their shared devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Life on Monte Senario was one of deliberate hardship and unwavering dedication. They subsisted on meager provisions, wore simple habits, and devoted their days to prayer, silence, and mutual support. Their reputation for sanctity and their unique charism—a special devotion to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross—began to spread. This particular focus on Mary's suffering, known as Our Lady of Sorrows or Mater Dolorosa, became the defining characteristic of their emerging community. They saw in Mary's compassionate endurance a model for their own lives of penance and solidarity with Christ's suffering humanity, and they sought to serve her by imitating her virtues and spreading devotion to her sorrows.
As their community grew, it became clear that a more formal structure was needed. The Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to them again, this time holding a black habit and accompanied by an angel bearing a scroll with the title "Servants of Mary." This vision confirmed their nascent identity and purpose, leading them to formally adopt the name Order of Servants of Mary (Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis), or simply Servites. Their rule of life was eventually based on the Rule of Saint Augustine, adapted to their specific charism of mendicant service and Marian devotion. Unlike many orders focused solely on preaching or teaching, the Servites emphasized a contemplative life intertwined with compassionate service, particularly towards the suffering and marginalized, in imitation of Mary's role at Calvary.
Among the founders, Alexis Falconieri stood out for his extraordinary humility. Despite his noble birth and the respect he commanded, he steadfastly refused ordination to the priesthood, preferring to remain a simple brother within the order, dedicating himself to manual labor, begging for alms, and serving the needs of his brethren. His profound simplicity and unwavering piety served as a powerful example for the nascent community. The Servite Order faced initial challenges, including the need for papal recognition and navigating the complexities of ecclesiastical approval, especially during a period when the Church was consolidating the numerous new religious movements. However, through the perseverance of the founders and the growing recognition of their holiness and unique charism, the Order of Servants of Mary received papal approval, solidifying its place within the Church and allowing it to expand its mission.
The Seven Holy Founders lived long and fruitful lives, witnessing the growth and spread of the Servite Order across Italy and beyond. They passed away at advanced ages, with Alexis Falconieri living to be 110 years old, a testament to their enduring commitment and the divine grace that sustained them. Their legacy is profound and enduring within the Catholic Church. They not only established a vibrant religious order dedicated to prayer, penance, and service, but they also profoundly enriched Marian devotion, particularly the veneration of Our Lady of Sorrows. Their lives serve as a timeless reminder of radical conversion, detachment from worldly attachments, and the transformative power of communal holiness and devotion to the Blessed Mother. Through their example, countless men and women have been inspired to embrace lives of dedicated service to God and neighbor, perpetuating the compassionate charism of the Servite Order to this day.
In the early days of their radical commitment, after renouncing their worldly lives and retreating to the rugged solitude of Monte Senario, the seven Florentine noblemen—Bonfilius, Alexis, Benedict, Bartholomew, Ricovero, John, and Gerardino—were deeply immersed in prayer and penance. Their humble hermitage, perched on the mountainside, was a sanctuary of shared spiritual longing and fervent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. They had left behind all earthly comforts, seeking only to live for God and to serve His Mother, but the precise form their community should take was not yet fully clear to them.
It was during a communal prayer, a moment steeped in profound contemplation, that a miraculous vision unfolded before their very eyes. The air around them seemed to shimmer, and then, with breathtaking clarity, the Blessed Virgin Mary herself appeared. She was not alone; beside her stood an angel, holding aloft a scroll. The Mother of God, in her gentle yet authoritative presence, held in her hands a black habit, simple and austere, the color of mourning and humility. As the seven gazed upon her, awestruck and filled with a holy reverence, the angel unrolled the scroll. Upon it, in letters of light, were inscribed the words: "Servants of Mary."
The vision was fleeting, yet its impact was eternal. It was a divine affirmation, a clear mandate from Heaven itself. The black habit was revealed as the very vestment they were to wear, a perpetual reminder of their dedication to Our Lady of Sorrows, sharing in her compassion for Christ's suffering. The name, "Servants of Mary," was their sacred identity, the very purpose of their nascent order. This miraculous encounter solidified their conviction, giving them the distinctive charism and habit that would define the Order of Servants of Mary for centuries to come, revealing their profound obedience to God's will and their unique call to serve His Mother.
January 23, 2013
Dear brothers and sisters,
In our catechesis on Christian prayer, we are now approaching the end of the journey and today we turn our attention to the saints, who represent a variety of forms of prayer and show us that God’s grace reaches everyone, and that every personal prayer is fruitful. Their lives tell us that God, the God of all grace, is capable of transforming every situation, every human action into an opportunity for dialogue with him. In these weeks we have reflected on prayer in some great figures of the Old Testament, in the experience of the Psalms, in Jesus, in Mary and in Paul. Today we turn to the vast host of the saints, who, in the various historical periods and in the most varied situations, have known how to live the prayer of life. Their lives are a constellation of light that guides and illuminates the journey of the People of God in the unfolding of history. As has been said, all the forms of holiness, all the paths of holiness, derive from the one way that is Christ, and lead to him. In this sense, the lives of the saints are an eloquent commentary on the Gospel.
Today, I would like to speak to you about a group of saints, little known perhaps, but truly exemplary: the Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servants of Mary, the Servites, who lived in the 13th century in Florence. Their names are: Bonfilius, Alexis, Benedict, Bartholomew, Ricovero, John and Gerardino. They were members of various important Florentine families and were active in the rich and industrious textile guild of the city. These seven men were examples of a truly lay holiness. It is important to underline this. It is a question of lay people who gave a Christian witness, a Christian response to the fundamental questions of human existence.
Indeed, these seven men were drawn by a common experience of faith and devotion to the Virgin Mary, and they often met together in a confraternity called “the Laudesi”, because they sang the praises of Our Lady. The seven, as the hagiography tells us, had a vision of the Madonna, who invited them to leave the world and to dedicate themselves to God. So they left everything, distributing their possessions to the poor, and went to live in a sort of hermitage, a common house, outside the city. Then, the pressure of people who admired their pious life was so great that they withdrew to Monte Senario, a mountain north of Florence, to live a life of prayer and penance. Thus, the new religious Order was born: the Order of Servants of Mary, or Servites. This happened in the middle of the 13th century. The seven saints were canonized all together by Pope Leo XIII in 1888.
Dear friends, this group of seven saints offers us a specific model of holiness. First of all, the way of holiness is to live in communion, to be united among themselves, to live as “we”. The seven Founders lived in community, they lived a life of prayer, a life of common work, a life of charity. This is already a very important point: holiness lived in community. Secondly, they cultivated a strong devotion to the Virgin Mary, and this is another important point. The Servites are known as the “Servants of Mary” precisely because they have a special devotion to the Mother of God. This devotion is expressed above all in the contemplation of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Mater Dolorosa, at the foot of the Cross. This contemplation is the source of their inspiration and their strength. They contemplate the Mother of Jesus, who suffers with her Son, and they learn from her to be compassionate, to be merciful, to be humble. This is the third point: compassion, mercy, humility. These are the virtues that characterize the Servite Order.
Finally, a fourth characteristic: the seven Founders lived a life of evangelical poverty. They left everything, distributing their possessions to the poor, and they lived from the work of their hands, begging for alms. This is a very important point: evangelical poverty. They understood that the true treasure is God, and that to possess God, one must be free from all other possessions. They were men of prayer, men of contemplation, men of action. They were men who lived the Gospel in a radical way. They were men who loved the Church, and who served the Church with humility and dedication.
Dear brothers and sisters, the example of the Seven Holy Founders invites us to cultivate devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, to contemplate Jesus crucified and risen, and to persevere in prayer and service to God and neighbour. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows and Queen of Servants, accompany us on our journey of faith and help us to be true disciples of her Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you.
The primary tradition is the liturgical celebration of their feast day on February 17th, observed with Masses and special prayers in Catholic churches worldwide.
This is the official recognition and commemoration of their holiness and foundational role in the Church's calendar.
The Servite Order, founded by the Seven Holy Founders, actively promotes and encourages devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, often through the recitation of the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is the central charism and spiritual focus that the Blessed Virgin Mary herself revealed to the founders.
The wearing of the Black Scapular of Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as the Servite Scapular, is a popular devotion among the faithful who wish to associate themselves with the Servite charism.
The scapular is directly linked to the Servite Order and its Marian spirituality, originating from the founders' vision and mission to serve Mary.
Pilgrimages are made to Monte Senario, a mountain hermitage near Florence, Italy, which served as the first retreat and foundational site for the Seven Holy Founders.
Monte Senario is the historical location where the founders lived their initial eremitical life, experienced divine inspirations, and established the nascent community.