Category: Servite Saints & Blesseds

Benincasa was born around 1375, probably in Montepulciano, Italy. He entered the Servite Order as...

In 1283 Saint Philip, Prior General of the Friar Servants of Saint Mary, attempted to lead back to obedience to the Apostolic See the citizens of Forlì then under interdict. He was driven out of the city with insults and violence. While this true follower of Christ was praying for his persecutors, one of the crowd, an eighteen year old by the name of Peregrine of the famous Laziosi family, repented and humbly asked Philip for forgiveness. The holy Father received him with love. From that moment the young man began to scorn the vanities of the world and to pray most fervently to the Blessed Virgin, asking that she show him the way of salvation. A few years later, guided by the Virgin,

Elizabeth was born around 1428, probably in Cremona, Italy. From her childhood, however, she lived near the Servite Church of St. Barnabas in Mantua and there became associated with the friars of our Order. She received the Servite habit and was distinguished for her chastity as well as her love for the Eucharist and the Mother of God. She died in 1468 and Pius VII approved devotion to her in 1804. From the Life of Blessed Elizabeth Picenardi (In Moniales OSM, I, [1963] pp. 29-32)

About the year 1240, while the struggle between Emperor Frederick II and the Apostolic See left Italian cities torn by rival factions, seven Florentine merchants decided to retire in solitude to live a common life marked by penance and prayer. They were already member of a lay group called Servants of Mary and were noted for their special devotion to Our Lady, and for a close adherence to the gospel ideal of fraternal love and service to one another and to others specially the poor and the sick.

Joachim was born about 1258 in Siena, Italy. At the age of thirteen he was received into the...