The Catholic Church continues to promote a variety of devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary that can be traced to the Servite Order.
Such devotions include the Servite Rosary, also known as the “Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.”
The Servite Order was founded by the "Seven Holy Founders" in the 13th century and the official name of the order is the Order of Servants of Mary. This is why they are called the Servites, as they are servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
According to the website of the Servites, "The Order of Friar Servants of Mary is … a community gathered together in the name of Jesus the Lord. Moved by the Spirit, we commit ourselves to witness the gospel and be at the service of God and all people, drawing inspiration from Mary, Mother and Servant of the Lord (Servite Constitutions, art. #1)."
The Roman Martyrology provides the names of these founders:
Seven holy founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary: Bonfilio, Bartolomeo, Giovanni, Benedetto, Gerardino, Ricovero and Alessio. Having been merchants at Florence before, by mutual agreement, they handed themselves over to the hands of Blessed Mary on Mount Senario, establishing the Order under the rule of Saint Augustine. They are commemorated together on the day in which it is said that Alessio, the longest-lived, died as a centenarian.
Seven stars
An account of the origin of the Servite Order found in the Church's Office of Readings calls them "seven stars:"
There were seven men worthy of all our praise and veneration, whom our Lady brought into one community to form this order of hers and of her servants. They were like seven stars joined together to form a constellation.
They were devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary from the very beginning and it was one of the reasons why they joined together to found an order:
[C]oncerning their devotion and reverence to our Lady. In Florence there was an ancient guild dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Because of its age and the number and holiness of its members, both men and women, the guild had acquired a title of preeminence and was called the Major Guild of Our Blessed Lady. These seven men were devoted to our Lady and belonged to this guild before they established their own community.
The Seven Holy Founders remain an inspiration to many, for their unity of mission and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
