Andrew was inspired by a sermon of St. Philip Benizi and so asked to receive the habit of the Servants of St. Mary in 1278 in the house of the Order in the city of Borgo Sansepolcro. He withdrew immediately to a hermitage near Borgo to live a life of penance and solitude. Both by his counsel and his works, he drew many others hermits to the Order of Servants.
Philip was born into the noble Florentine family of Benizi at the beginning of the thirteenth century, around the time of the founding of the Friar Servants of the blessed Virgin Mary. He studied both medicine and theology. The love of God was very strong in him, so that he fulfilled the divine law to perfection, by self-discipline, bringing help to the poor of Christ, praying, and particularly by reciting each day the office of the Holy Virgin.
Clelia Barbieri was born on 13 February 1847, at Le Budrie in the Diocese of Bologna, Italy. Her early years were passed in the great poverty.
In 1868, together with three companions, she founded a community to care for abandoned girls and to provide for their education. She died at the age of twenty-three on 13 july 1870, at Le Budrie where her body is venerated. She was canonize by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 1989. From the small group at Le Budrie was born the religious family of the Minims of the Sorrowful Virgin.
Ubald was born at Borgo Sansepolcro around the middle of the thirteenth century. He entered the Order of Servants an was ordained a priest.
As a Servite friar he was noted for the holiness of his life and works. He was a close friend of Saint Philip.
Thomas of Orvieto was drawn to enter the Servite Order by his great love of Our Lady and his desire to reach heaven. Because of his humility he asked to be admitted among the lay brothers. Often he was given…
James Philip was born in 1454 in Celle di Monte Chiaro in the diocese of Faenza, Italy. Because of a vow of his parents, he was associated with the Order at the age of nine. He was note for his…
Francis was born in Siena in 1266. Because of his love for the Blessed Virgin he entere the Order of Servants of Mary when he was twenty-two years old, and shortly after was ordained to the priesthood. He was noted…
Benincasa was born around 1375, probably in Montepulciano, Italy. He entered the Servite Order as a youth and lived a life of solitude and penance. He died about 1426 and his body is at present venerated in the parish church…
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)