- Alexis Falconieri
Infobox Saint
name=Saint Alexis Falconieri
birth_date=1200
death_date=death date|1310|2|17|df=y
feast_day=17 February
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church
imagesize=
caption=
birth_place=Florence
death_place=Mount Senario
titles=Founder and Mystic
beatified_date=1 December 1717
beatified_place=
beatified_by=Clement XI
canonized_date=15 January 1887
canonized_place=
canonized_by=Pope Leo XIII
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine=Santissima Annunziata, Florence
suppressed_date=
issues=
prayer=
prayer_attrib=Saint Alexis Falconieri ( _it. Alessio Falconieri) (
Florence , 1200 –Mount Senario ,17 February 1310 ) is one of the seven founders of the Order of the Servites and, as such, commemorated on their common feast day, 17 February — the day of Alexis' death.Life
Alexis was the son of Bernard Falconieri, a merchant prince of Florence, and one of the leaders of the Republic. His family belonged to the Guelph party, and opposed the Imperialists whenever they could consistently with their political principles.
Alexis grew up in the practice of the most profound humility. He joined the Laudesi, a pious confraternity of the Blessed Virgin, and there met the six future companions of his life of sanctity. He was favoured with an apparition of the Mother of God,
15 August ,1233 , as were these companions. The seven soon afterwards founded the Order of the Servites. Alexis at once abandoned all, and retired to La Camarzia, a house on the outskirts of the town, and the following year to Mt. Senario.With humility, he traversed, as a
mendicant , in quest of alms for his brethren, the streets of the city through which he had lately moved as a prominent citizen. So deep and sincere was his humility that, though he lived to the great age of hundred and ten years, he always refused to enter the priesthood, of which he deemed himself unworthy.His duties were confined principally to the material needs of the various communities in which he lived. In 1252 the new church at Cafaggio, on the outskirts of Florence, was completed under his care, with the financial assistance of Chiarissimo Falconieri. Saint
Juliana Falconieri , his niece, was trained in sanctity under his personal direction.The influence exerted on his countrymen by Alexis and his companions may be gathered from the fact that in a few years ten thousand persons had enrolled themselves under the banner of the Blessed Virgin in the Servite Order.
His body rests near the church of the Annunciation, in Florence.
Clement XI declared Alexis worthy of the veneration of the faithful,1 December ,1717 , and accorded the same honour to his six companions,3 July 1725 .References
*Holweck, F. G., "A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints". St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924.
* [http://saints.sqpn.com/sainta1h.htm Saint Alexis Falconieri] at Patron Saints IndexExternal links
* [http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0217.shtml 17 February saints] at St. Patrick Catholic Church
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