Servants of Mary

Who we are?

The Order of the Servants of Mary, also known as the Servites, in Latin Ordo Servorum Beatae Virginis Mariae (OSM), is a mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in Florence, probably in 1233, by a group of seven people later known as the Seven Holy Founders.

They were: Bonfiglio, the leader of the lay group and prior of the future community; Bonagiunta, future prior between 1256 and 1257; Manetto, the creator of the first foundations in France; Amadio, the soul of the group; Sostegno and Uguccione, friends of each other; and finally Alessio.

They first came together as a community at the Cafaggio, where the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata now stands, and then moved away from urban life, ascending to Mount Senario. The earliest documents date back to 1245 and are related to the Sacred Hermitage of Mount Senario.

The charisma of their spiritual testimony soon reaches a wide number of people who join the association, subsequently founding new communities, first in the cities of Tuscany and Umbria (Siena, Città di Castello, and Borgo Sansepolcro), and then spreading to the Emilia region where the Bologna convent was established, the first of a series of Emilia foundations.

Due to a decree of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), later reaffirmed by the Second Council of Lyons (1274), the Order faced the threat of suppression. The continuous efforts of the general superiors, Filippo Benizi first and Lottaringo da Firenze later, laid the groundwork for the papal recognition of the Order, which occurred in 1304 with the bull Dum levamus promulgated by Benedict XI. This bull approved the Rule and Constitutions of the Servants of Mary. At the time of approval, there were already twenty-seven convents in Italy, divided into four religious provinces, and four in Germany.

Portraits of the seven Holy founders and Saint Philip Benizi

Community of the Servants of Mary of Monte Berico, 1902, Convent Archive of Monte Berico.
Ambito veronese, San Filippo Benizi, XVII sec., Convento di Santa Maria di Monte Berico
Giacinto Brandi (attributed to), Saint Juliana Falconieri in Ecstasy, 17th century.
Venetian School, Saint Bonfiglio Monaldi (from the cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), first half of the 18th century.
Venetian School, Saint Manetto of Florence (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), 1959.
Venetian School, Saint Bonagiunta Manetti (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), first half of the 18th century.
Venetian School, Saint Amadio Amidei (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), 1959.
Venetian School, Saint Uguccione Uguccioni (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), first half of the 18th century.
Venetian School, Saint Sostegno Sostegni (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), 1959.
Ambito veneto, Sant'Alessio Falconieri (ciclo dei Sette Santi Fondatori),1959
Central European School, Madonna of the Seven Sorrows Protecting the Order of the Servants of Mary with Her Mantle, 18th century, Basilica of Santa Maria di Monte Berico (sacristy).
Rocco Pittaco, Vision of Friar Antonio da Bitetto, 1884, Basilica of Santa Maria di Monte Berico (ancient church).
Community of the Servants of Mary of Monte Berico, 1902, Convent Archive of Monte Berico.
Ambito veronese, San Filippo Benizi, XVII sec., Convento di Santa Maria di Monte Berico
Giacinto Brandi (attributed to), Saint Juliana Falconieri in Ecstasy, 17th century.
Venetian School, Saint Bonfiglio Monaldi (from the cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), first half of the 18th century.
Venetian School, Saint Manetto of Florence (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), 1959.
Venetian School, Saint Bonagiunta Manetti (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), first half of the 18th century.
Venetian School, Saint Amadio Amidei (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), 1959.
Venetian School, Saint Uguccione Uguccioni (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), first half of the 18th century.
Venetian School, Saint Sostegno Sostegni (from the Cycle of the Seven Holy Founders), 1959.
Ambito veneto, Sant'Alessio Falconieri (ciclo dei Sette Santi Fondatori),1959
Central European School, Madonna of the Seven Sorrows Protecting the Order of the Servants of Mary with Her Mantle, 18th century, Basilica of Santa Maria di Monte Berico (sacristy).
Rocco Pittaco, Vision of Friar Antonio da Bitetto, 1884, Basilica of Santa Maria di Monte Berico (ancient church).

Servants of Mary today

We, Servants of Mary—friars, nuns, religious, members of Secular Institutes, the Secular Order, and Lay Groups, as well as Deaconies—gathered in the UNIFAS Assembly, recognize ourselves as members of the same Family.

Our common vocation, rooted in baptism, is to follow Christ, to witness the Gospel, and to bring the commandment of charity to its fullness. Our common origin is in the Marian inspiration of the Seven Holy Founders and, through the centuries, in the Marian inspiration of other founders and foundresses: the search for God, the following of Christ, attention to the promptings of the Spirit, meditation on the Word of God, the loving service to the last, and the prophecy of the Kingdom.

The values we profess are common: faith and hope, fraternity and communion, devotion to the Mother of God, and service and mercy towards the Son of Man, still crucified in his brothers and sisters. Our commitment to growth in our vocation is shared: to live the vocation of servants of Santa Maria with a commitment to constant formation and joyful proposal. Our commitment to our service is common: to serve the Church and humanity, inspired by Santa Maria at the Cross; to create communion where division reigns, and to prioritize a service of mercy. This “common denominator” in life and service fosters relationships of knowledge, hospitality, communion, fraternity, friendship, and collaboration among us, members of the Servite Family.

It supports us in our intent and effort to prolong the presence of Santa Maria, the Servant of the Lord, in the world and in the Church, to spread our unique charism of unity and fraternal harmony in a society so in need of peace and mutual understanding. May this be the essential characteristic of our evangelizing service at the local, national, and international levels.

Secular order of the Servants of Mary (OSSM)

The Secular Order is the point of reference for the devout who identify with the spirituality of the Servants of Mary and who, acting in society, strive to live out the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ within the Catholic Church, guided by the brothers who are part of the “first” or conventual Order.

The Secular Order is composed of men and women and is especially characterized by devotion to the Mother of God. The essential elements of this spirituality are clearly expressed in the Rule of Life, approved by the Holy See on April 29, 1995. Its text is written according to the Church’s guidelines for the new times, especially regarding the active presence of laypeople, as encouraged by the Second Vatican Council.

As in other Servite convents, the Secular Fraternity is also active at Monte Berico, offering moments of prayer, meetings, and formation, both independently and at the provincial and national levels.

Read the “Rule of life”
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