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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
(SERVANTS OF MARY).
The Order of Servites is the fifth mendicant order, the objects of which are the sanctification of its members, preaching the Gospel, and the propagation ofdevotion to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. In this article we shall consider: (1) the foundation and history of the order; (2) devotions and manner of life; (3) affiliated associations; (4) Servites of distinction.
To the city of Florence belongs the glory of giving to theChurch the seven youths who formed the nucleus of the order: Buonfiglio dei Monaldi (Bonfilius), Giovanni di Buonagiunta (Bonajuncta), Bartolomeo degli Amidei (Amideus), Ricovero dei Lippi-Ugguccioni (Hugh), Benedetto dell' Antella (Manettus), Gherardino di Sostegno (Sosteneus), and Alessio de' Falconieri (Alexius); they belonged to seven patricianfamilies of that city, and had early formed a confraternity oflaymen, known as the Laudesi, or Praisers of Mary.
While engaged in the exercises of the confraternity on the feast of the Assumption, 1233, the Blessed Virgin appeared to them, advised them to withdraw from the world and devote themselves entirely to eternal things. They obeyed, and established themselves close to theconvent of theFriars Minor at La Camarzia, a suburb of Florence. Desiring stricter seclusion than that offered at La Camarzia, they withdrew to Monte Senario, eleven miles north of Florence. Here the Blessed Virgin again appeared to them, conferred on them a black habit, instructed them to follow theRule of St. Augustine and to found the order of her servants (15 April, 1240). The brethren elected a superior, took thevows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, and admitted associates.
In 1243,Peter of Verona (St. Peter Martyr), Inquisitor-General ofItaly, recommended the new foundation to thepope, but it was not until 13 March, 1249, that the first official approval of the order was obtained from Cardinal Raniero Capocci,papal legate inTuscany. About this time St. Bonfilius obtained permission to found the first branch of the order at Cafaggio outside the walls of Florence. Two years later (2 Oct., 1251)Innocent IV appointed Cardinal Guglielmo Fieschi first protector of the order. The nextpope,Alexander IV, favoured a plan for the amalgamation of all institutes following theRule of St. Augustine. This was accomplished in March, 1256, and about the same time a Rescript was issued confirming the Order of theServites as a separate body with power to elect a general. Four years later a general chapter was convened at which the order was divided into two provinces,Tuscany and Umbria, the former of which St. Manettus directed, while the latter was given into the care of St. Sostene. Within five years two new provinces were added, namely, Romagna andLombardy. After St. Philip Benizi was elected general (5 June, 1267) the order, which had long been the object ofunjust attack from jealous enemies, entered into the crisis of its existence. TheSecond Council of Lyons in 1274 put into execution the ordinance of theFourth Lateran Council, forbidding the foundation of newreligious orders, and absolutely suppressed allmendicant institutions not yet approved by theHoly See. The aggressors renewed their assaults, and in the year 1276Innocent V in a letter to St. Philip declared the order suppressed. St. Philip proceeded toRome, but before his arrival thereInnocent V had died. His successor lived but five weeks. FinallyJohn XXI, on the favourable opinion of three consistorial advocates, decided that the order should continue as before. The former dangers reappeared underMartin IV (1281), and though otherpopes continued to favour the order, it was not definitively approved untilBenedict IX issued theBull, "Dum levamus" (11 Feb., 1304). Of the seven founders, St. Alexis alone lived to see their foundation raised to the dignity of an order. He died in 1310.
We must here make mention of St. Peregrine Laziosi (Latiosi), whosesanctity of life did much towards increasing the repute of theServite Order inItaly. Born atForli in 1265, the son of aGhibelline leader, Peregrine, in his youth, bitterlyhated theChurch. He insulted and struck St. Philip Benizi, who, at the request ofMartin IV, had gone to preach peace to the Forlinese. Peregrine's generous nature was immediately aroused by the mildness with which St. Philip received the attack and he begged thesaint's forgiveness. In 1283 he was received into the order, and so great was hishumility it was only after much persuasion he consented to beordained apriest. He founded amonastery in his native city, where he devoted all his energies to the restoration of peace. Hishumility and patience were so great that he was called by his people a second Job. He died in 1345. His body remains incorrupt to the present day. He wascanonized byBenedict XIII in 1726, and hisfeast is celebrated on 30 April.
One of the most remarkable features of the new foundation was its wonderful growth. Even in the thirteenth century there were houses of the order inGermany,France, andSpain. Early in the fourteenth century the order had more than one hundredconvents including branch houses inHungary,Bohemia,Austria,Poland, andBelgium; there were also missions in Crete andIndia. The disturbances during theReformation caused the loss of manyServiteconvents inGermany, but in the South ofFrance the order met with much success. The Convent ofSanta Maria in Via (1563) was the second house of the order established inRome; San Marcello had been founded in 1369. Early in the eighteenth century the order sustained losses and confiscations from which it has scarcely yet recovered. The flourishing Province of Narbonne was almost totally destroyed by the plague which sweptMarseilles in 1720. In 1783 theServites were expelled from Prague and in 1785Joseph IIdesecrated the shrine of Maria Waldrast. Tenmonasteries were suppressed inSpain in 1835. A new foundation was made atBrussels in 1891, and atRome the College of St. Alexis was opened in 1895. At this period the order was introduced intoEngland and America chiefly through the efforts of Fathers Bosio and Morini. The latter, having gone toLondon (1864) as director of the affiliated Sisters of Compassion, obtained charge of aparish fromArchbishop Manning in 1867. His work prospered: besides St. Mary's Priory atLondon,convents were opened at Bognor (1882) and Begbroke (1886). In 1870 Fathers Morini, Ventura, Giribaldi, and Brother Joseph Camera, at the request of Rt. Rev. Bishop Melcher ofGreen Bay, took up a mission in America, at Neenah,Wisconsin. Father Morini founded atChicago (1874) themonastery of Our Lady of Sorrows. Anovitiate was opened at Granville,Wisconsin, in 1892. The American province, formally established in 1908, embracesconvents in thedioceses ofChicago, St. Louis,Milwaukee,Superior, andDenver. In 1910 the order numbered 700 members in 62monasteries, of which 36 were inItaly, 17 inAustria-Hungary, 4 inEngland, 4 in North America, 1 inBrussels.
In common with allreligious orders strictly so called, theServites make solemn profession of the threevows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The particular object of the order is to sanctify first its own members, and then all men throughdevotion to the Mother of God, especially in her desolation during the Passion of herDivine Son. TheServites give missions, have the care ofsouls, or teach in higher institutions of learning. TheRosary of the Seven Dolours is one of their devotions, as is also theVia Matris. Thefasts of the order areAdvent,Lent, and the vigils of certain feasts. All offices in the order are elective and continue for three years, except that of general and assistant- generals which are for six years. ThecanonizedServitesaints are: St. Philip Benizi (feast 23 Aug.), St. Peregrine Latiosi (30 April),St. Juliana Falconieri (19 June), and the Seven Holy Founders (12 Feb.).
Connected with the first order of men are thecloisterednuns of the second order, which originated with converts of St. Philip Benizi. These sisters haveconvents inSpain,Italy,England, The Tyrol, andGermany. The Mantellate, a third order ofwomen founded bySt. Juliana (seeSERVANTS OF MARY), have houses inItaly,France,Spain,England, andCanada. In theUnited States they are to be found in thedioceses ofSioux City and Belville. There is also a third order for seculars, as well as a confraternity of the Seven Dolours, branches of which may be erected in any church.
A few of the most distinguished members are here grouped under the heading of that particular subject to which they were especially devoted; the dates are those of their death. Ten members have beencanonized and severalbeatified.
Angelus Torsani (1562?); Felicianus Capitoni (1577), who wrote an explanation of all the passages misinterpreted byLuther; Jerome Quaini (1583); Angelus Montursius (1600), commentary in 5 vols.; James Tavanti (1607), whose "Ager Dominicus" comprises 25 vols.; Julius Anthony Roboredo (1728).
Laurence Optimus (1380), "Commentarium in Magistrum Sententiarum"; Ambrose Spiera (1454); Marian Salvini (1476); Jerome Amidei (1543); Laurence Mazzocchi (1560); Gherardus Baldi (1660), who was styled by his contemporaries "eminens inter theologos"; Amideus Chiroli (1700?), celebrated for his "Lumina fidei divinae"; Julius Arrighetti (1705); Callixtus Lodigerius (1710); Gerard Capassi (1737), who was byBenedict XIV called the most learned man of his day; Mark Struggl (1761); Caesar Sguanin (1769).
Paul Attavanti (1499), "Breviarium totius juris canonici"; Dominic Brancaccini (1689), "De jure doctoratus"; Paul Canciani (1795?), "Barbarorum leges antiquae"; Theodore Rupprecht, eighteenth-century jurist; Bonfilius Mura (1882), prefect of the Sapienza before 1870.
Urbanus Averroista, commentator ofAverroes; Andrew Zaini (1423); Paul Albertini (1475), better known as Paolo Veneto; Philip Mucagatta (1511); John Baptist Drusiani (1656), the "Italian Archimedes"; Benedict Canali (1745); Raymond Adami (1792); Angelus Ventura (1738).
James Philip Landrofilo (1528); Octavian Bagatti (1566);Raphael Maffei (1577); Archangelus Giani (1623); Philip Ferrari (1626); Archangelus Garbi (1722); Placidus Bonfrizieri (1732); Joseph Damiani (1842); Austin M. Morini (1910).
Alexander Mellino (1554), choirmaster at the Vatican; Elias Zoto, John Philip Dreyer (1772); Paul Bonfichi, who received a pension fromNapoleon Bonaparte for his musical compositions; Ambrose of Racconigi, Cornelius Candidus, Jilis ofMilan, Germanus Sardus, poets; Arsenius Mascagni and Gabriel Mattei,painters; Angelus Montursius (1563), architect andsculptor, among whose works are the Neptune ofMessina, the arm of Laocoon in the Vatican, and the Angels on the Ponte Sant' Angelo.
Mon. ord. Serv. (Brussels, 1897); GIANI-GARBI, Annales ord. serv. (Lucca, 1725); POCCIANTI, Chronicon ord. serv. (Florence, 1557); SPORR, Lebensbilder aus den Serviten-Orden (Innsbruck, 1892); SOULIER, Storia dei sette santi fondatori (Rome, 1888); IDEM, Vie de S. Philippe Benizi (Paris, 1886); LEPICIER, Sainte Julienne Falconieri (Brussels, 1907); LEDOUX, Hist. des sept saints fondateurs (Paris, 1888); DOURCHE, Roses et marguerites (Brussels, 1905).
APA citation.Griffin, P.(1912).Order of Servites. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13736a.htm
MLA citation.Griffin, Patrick."Order of Servites."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 13.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1912.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13736a.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Herman F. Holbrook.There stood by the cross of Jesus his Mother. John 19.25.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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