Page 65 - Saints of the Month: February
P. 65
Saints of the Month: February
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Seven Holy Founders of the Order of
Servites
The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite
Order receiving their habit from Our Lady,
Italian painting, ca. 1700
The 17th of February is the feast day of the seven holy founders
of the Order of Servites .
Saint Manettus (d. 1268), also known as Saint Benedict
dell’Antella and 6 other men founded the Order of Servites on
15th of August 1233. They were cloth merchants in the city of
Florence, Italy who joined the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. They wanted to dedicate their lives under Our Lady’s title
of the Mother of Sorrows. On the feast of the Assumption in 1233,
Our Lady appeared to them asking them to live a life in seclusion
and in prayer. They obeyed, and Mary appeared again in 1240
giving them a black habit and a scroll with “Servants of Mary”
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