The Roman Martyrology uniquely commemorates the supposed seven founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites) on the presumed dates of each of their deaths. After Pope Benedict XIV denied permission for a collective feast in their honor, Pope Leo XIII, in 1888—the year of their late canonization—allowed a shared feast day, assigning it to February 11, the date when the order received canonical approval in 1304.
However, the celebration of Our Lady of Lourdes later led to this feast being moved to February 12. In the new liturgical calendar, it was further shifted to February 17, believed to be the anniversary of the death of Alexis Falconieri (1310), one of the founders.
It is worth noting that the origins of the Servite Order, like those of many other religious orders from the second half of the Middle Ages—specifically the 13th century—remain somewhat obscure. The names of the Servite founders appear in two different lists that do not match. Some historians of the order have suggested that one list may include their religious names.
The order, which emerged in Italy in a hermit-like setting and followed the Rule of Saint Augustine, has a complex history.
