February 17: Saint Alexis Falconieri and the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

Saint Alexis Falconieri, whose feast day we celebrate on February 17, is also known as one of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servants of Mary, or the Servite Order. Together, these seven prominent men in Florentine society, gave up their influential lives, fortunes, and oftentimes marriages, to consecrate themselves to Our Blessed Mother, and serve others at her direction.


Alexis Falconieri (born 1200, died 1310) was born the son of a Florentine merchant prince and leader of government. He enjoyed the privilege and status of the rich and powerful, but instead of embracing those privileges, chose a life of profound humility and piety.

At that time, Florence was a prosperous city, the center of government and art in Italy. It was also a time period of great political strife, and religious heresy. It was in that climate that Saint Alexis joined the Laudesi, a pious confraternity of the Blessed Virgin. Here he met six other young men, all members of the most prominent Florentine families, who would come to be known as the Seven Holy Founders. Their ranks included Saints Buonfiglio Monaldi , John Bonagiunta, Benedict dell’Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Gerard Sostegni, and Ricoverus Uguccione.

Together, on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in 1240, Our Lady appeared to them carrying a black habit, and a nearby angel bore a scroll reading Servants of Mary. She told them:

“You will found a new Order, and you will be my witnesses throughout the world. This is your name: Servants of Mary. This is your rule: that of Saint Augustine. And here is your distinctive sign: the black scapular, in memory of my sufferings at the foot of the Cross.”

The Seven promptly founded the Ordo fratrum Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis, the Servite Friars, or Servants of Mary. Servites make solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as instructed by Mary, following the Rule of Saint Augustine. Their mission is to sanctify all men through devotion to the Mother of God, especially in her desolation during the Passion of her Divine Son. The Servites give missions, have the care of souls, or teach in higher institutions of learning. Given their devotion to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin, the Rosary of the Seven Dolors (or Sorrows) is a common devotion within the order. During this devotion, one meditates on the seven moments of suffering enduring by the Blessed Virgin during the life of Jesus:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus during the Presentation in the Temple. (Luke 2:34)
2. The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family. (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days, and the finding of Him in the Temple. (Luke 2:43)
4. The Meeting of Jesus and Mary while He carried His cross. (Luke 23:26)
5. The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross. (John 19:25)
6. The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms. (Matthew 27:57)
7. The Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40)

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on September 15.

Following the founding of the Servite Order, six of the Seven Holy Founders took the vows of priesthood, as ordained by the bishop. Only Saint Alexis, due to his humility and feelings of unworthiness to serve, chose to remain a lay brother. He was the face of the Servite community within greater Florentine society, raising money through begging, tending to the buildling of new facilities due to the rapid expansion of the Order, and generally serving his brothers through seeing to even the most menial of tasks. Pope Benedict XI approved the order in 1304, with Saint Alexis being the only founding member still living. During that time, more than ten thousand members had joined the Order.

Today, the Servite Order has spread throughout the world, continuing through its devotion to Mary to serve and educate the poor. One of the five original mendicant orders, the Servites are 100% dependant on charitable contributions to survive, neither owning nor desiring to own any individual or group posessions. All they have, they give.

Saint Alexis Falconieri and his holy colleagues were granted the privilige of a vision of the Blessed Mother, specifically giving them direction on where to move the course of their lives. This, of course, happened only after they had committed themselves to the Lord, and given up the ties to their earthly lives—including possessions and even wives! While this may seem extreme to us, the influence of their sacrifices remains today in the flourishing Servite Order, begging us to ask the question: what might we accomplish if we turn from our material ties and focus our lives on God? How might we better serve Him and each other?









Year 2: Day 48 of 365

Prayer Intentions: Lives focused on the Lord
Requested Intentions: Financial freedom (J); Successful passing of occupational examination (S); Healing and conversion, sale of house (L); Occupational success for employee and colleagues (J); Employment for a son (C); Successful attainment of an important appointed position (J); Recovery from cancer for a friend (Z); For a family’s freedom from sin (M); For a daughter with Diabetes (A); Reconciliation of a marriage (D); Assistance with a legal matter, financial freedom (R); Healing for a friend (M); For a son in medical school (H); Financial assistance (M); Successful employment (N): Freedom from mental illness for a friend (L); For successful marriage (N); For friends having and recovering from surgery; for the reduction of a brain tumor (L); For resolution of a housing crisis (P); For a brother who is struggling financially, for a son who is struggling academically (B); For financial security for a friend (C); Success in business; familial happiness and health (J); Health and recovery of a sister (I); Healing of a father following stroke (S).