The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, by name Bonfilius, Alexis, Manettus, Amideus, Hugh, Sostene and Buonagiunta of Florence, were seven holy men of the town of Florence whom became bound to each other in a spiritual friendship that were eventually called by the Virgin Mother of God in a vision that they reportedly all shared in one and the same moment (though at first each was unaware that the other saw what he saw), whom they practised an intense devotion towards, to 'Leave the World, the Better to Serve Almighty God'.
Bonfilius of Florence was born Bonfilius Monaldi (Buonfiglio dei Monaldi), Alexis of Florence was born Alexis Falconieri ( it, Alessio Falconieri, italic=no) (1200 – 17 February 1310), Manettus of Florence was born Benedict dell'Antella (Benedetto dell' Antella), Amideus of Florence was born Bartholemew Amidei (also Bartolomeo degli Amidei; died 1265), Hugh of Florence was born Ricovero Uguccioni (Hugh dei Lippi Uggucioni (Ricovero dei Lippi-Ugguccioni)), Sostene of Florence was born Gerardino Sostegni (Gherardino di Sostegno) and Buonagiunta of Florence was born John Manetti (Giovanni di Buonagiunta (Bonajuncta)).
The founders
Alexis Falconieri
![Sant_Alessio_Falconieri](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Sant_Alessio_Falconieri.gif)
Falconieri was one of the seven founders of the
Servite Order, who are celebrated together on the anniversary of his death.
;Life
He was the son of Bernardo Falconieri, a merchant prince of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, and one of the leaders of the Republic. His family belonged to the
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
party, and opposed the Imperialists whenever they could consistently with their political principles.
[McGinnis, Charles. "St. Alexis Falconieri." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 20 Aug. 2013]
/ref>
Falconieri grew up in the practice of the most profound humility. He became a wealthy noble in one of Italy's most wealthy and cultured cities.["St. Alexis Falconieri", FaithND]
/ref> Falconieri joined the Laudesi, a pious confraternity of the Blessed Virgin, and there met the six future companions of his life of sanctity. According to tradition, he was favoured with an apparition of the Mother of God, 15 August 1233, as were these companions. The seven soon afterwards founded the Order of the Servites. Falconieri at once abandoned all, and retired to La Camarzia, a house on the outskirts of the town, and the following year to Monte Senario
Monte Senario is a Servite monastery in the comune of Vaglia, near Florence in Tuscany, in central Italy. It stands on the mountain of the same name, on the watershed between the Valdarno to the south and the Mugello
The Mugello is a histo ...
.[ Falconieri was bestowed the title of ''Founder and Mystic''.
With humility, he traversed, as a ]mendicant
A mendicant (from la, mendicans, "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many inst ...
, in quest of alms for his brethren, the streets of the city through which he had lately moved as a prominent citizen. So deep and sincere was his humility that, though he lived to the great age of hundred and ten years, he always refused to enter the priesthood, of which he deemed himself unworthy.[
His duties were confined principally to the material needs of the various communities in which he lived. In 1252 the new church at Cafaggio, on the outskirts of Florence, was completed under his care, with the financial assistance of Chiarissimo Falconieri. Giuliana Falconieri, his niece, was trained in sanctity under his personal direction.
The influence exerted on his countrymen by Falconieri and his companions may be gathered from the fact that in a few years ten thousand persons had enrolled themselves under the banner of the Blessed Virgin in the Servite Order.
He died in ]Monte Senario
Monte Senario is a Servite monastery in the comune of Vaglia, near Florence in Tuscany, in central Italy. It stands on the mountain of the same name, on the watershed between the Valdarno to the south and the Mugello
The Mugello is a histo ...
at about 110 years of age on 17 February 1310.
His shrine and entombed body is near the church of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence. Clement XI
Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721.
Clement XI w ...
declared Falconieri worthy of the veneration of the faithful, 1 December 1717, and accorded the same honour to his six companions on 3 July 1725.
Amadeus of the Amidei
Amadeus of the Amidei (died 1265) was also known as Bartolomeo degli Amidei. He was one of the seven founders of the Servite Order in 1233. He was born into the Amidei
Amidei was the name of a noble family from Florence, Italy. The family was of Roman descent but lived in Florence since its foundation. They have been described by Niccolò Machiavelli as being one of the most powerful families of its time, and ...
family in the Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...
, and died at Monte Senario
Monte Senario is a Servite monastery in the comune of Vaglia, near Florence in Tuscany, in central Italy. It stands on the mountain of the same name, on the watershed between the Valdarno to the south and the Mugello
The Mugello is a histo ...
in 1265. His feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is with the other six, on 17 February.
Hugh dei Lippi Ugguccioni
Hugh dei Lippi Ugguccioni was one of the founders of the Order, who were collectively known as the Seven Holy Founders. He served as the vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the Servites
The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...
in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, having initially followed Philip Benizi
Philip Benizi (sometimes St Philip Benitius, and in Italian Filippo Benizzi) (August 15, 1233 – August 22, 1285) was a general superior of the Order of the Servites, and credited with reviving the order. Pope Leo X recognised his cult 24 January ...
to France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. He died in Germany on 3 May 1282
Legacy
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
canonized them all on 15 January 1888.[Bartolomèo]
(in Italian). ''Enciclopedie on line''. Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. Accessed June 2018. After the canonization of the seven founders, their feast was inserted in the General Roman Calendar
The General Roman Calendar is the liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgical rite is in use. These celebra ...
for celebration on 11 February, the anniversary of the granting of canonical approval to the order in 1304. In 1909, 11 February became the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the feast of the seven founders was moved to 12 February. In the 1969 revision of the calendar, 17 February, the date of death of Alexis Falconieri was judged more appropriate.[''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), p. 88]
References
Bibliography
*Holweck, F. G.
Frederick George Holweck (born Friedrich Georg Holweck; 29 December 1856 – 15 February 1927) was a German-American Catholic parish priest and scholar, hagiographer and church historian. Monsignor Holweck contributed some articles to the ''Catho ...
, ''A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints''. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924.
*
External links
17 February saints
at St. Patrick Catholic Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Holy Founders Of The Servite Order
Servites
14th-century Christian saints
Medieval Italian saints
13th-century Christian saints
Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII
Beatifications by Pope Clement XI