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)
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 Servite Order by Saint Philip Benizi. He lived in the communities of Siena and Arezzo and there he gave an admirable example…
Blessed James was born in Citta' della Pieve, in central Italy, about 1270. trained in law, he became a defender of the poor and oppressed. At his own expense he restored a church and hospice outside the gate of Vecciano, where he cared for the poor and sick with great love.
When in 1304 James defended the rights of the poor he incurred the hatred of a powerful man who then had him killed. The townspeople gave him the title of "Almsgiver", and in 1806, Pope Pius VII approved his cult.