John Paul II – con Santa Maria, dall’ascolto di Dio al servizio della vita (2001): Letter to the Servants of Mary

The Letter “Con Santa Maria, dall’ascolto di Dio al servizio della vita” (September 29, 2001) of Saint John Paul II, addressed to the Most Reverend Father Hubert M. Moons, Prior General of the Order of Friar Servants of Mary (Servites), on the occasion of its General Chapter at Ariccia, is one of the most distilled texts of papal Marian spirituality. Text in Enchiridion Vaticanum vol. 20, paragraphs 1907ff.

Italian text

Al reverendissimo padre Hubert M. Moons, priore generale dell’Ordine dei Frati Servi di Maria.

1. “La grazia del Signore Gesù sia con voi. Il mio amore con tutti voi in Cristo Gesù!” (1 Cor 16:23). Con queste parole dell’apostolo Paolo, saluto cordialmente lei e l’intero Ordine dei Frati Servi di Maria in occasione del capitolo generale, in programma ad Ariccia dall’8 al 30 ottobre 2001. Il tema dei lavori è: “Con Santa Maria, dall’ascolto di Dio al servizio della vita”. Esso richiama la vostra riflessione sulla necessità di rendere la testimonianza dell’Istituto sempre più fedele al carisma delle origini e insieme vicina alle istanze dell’uomo contemporaneo.

English translation

To the Most Reverend Father Hubert M. Moons, Prior General of the Order of Friar Servants of Mary.

1. “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus!” (1 Cor 16:23). With these words of the apostle Paul, I cordially greet Your Reverence and the entire Order of Friar Servants of Mary on the occasion of the General Chapter, scheduled at Ariccia from October 8 to 30, 2001. The theme of the work is: “With Holy Mary, from listening to God to the service of life”. It calls your reflection to the need to make the witness of the Institute ever more faithful to the charism of its origins and at the same time close to the demands of contemporary man.

The Servite charism: Mary and the seven founders

The Order of Friar Servants of Mary (Servites) was founded in Florence in 1233 by the Seven Holy Founders (Bonfilio Monaldi, Bonajuncta Manetti, Manetto dell’Antella, Amadeu degli Amidei, Hugo dei Lippi-Uguccioni, Sostegno dei Sostegni, Alessio Falconieri), all canonized in 1888. The central charism of the Order is:

1. Service to the Lady Mary, hence the name “Servites”
2. Fraternal life in community according to the Rule of Saint Augustine
3. Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, Mary at the foot of the Cross as the privileged object
4. Theological study and preaching, especially of Mariology

“From listening to God to the service of life”

The thematic formula of the 2001 General Chapter, “from listening to God to the service of life”, is particularly significant:

• Listening to God: Mary as the woman of the Magnificat, the one who “pondered all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19)
• Service of life: Mary as mother of life (Magnificat: “exaltavit humiles”)
• Spiritual movement: from contemplation to action, from Marian interiority to the defense of threatened human life

This formula sums up the program of post-conciliar pastoral Mariology: not only prayer but also social service inspired by Marian spirituality.

Connection with other Marian orders

Other religious orders with a specifically Marian charism:

• Servites (1233): Our Lady of Sorrows
• Carmelites (12th century): Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Scapular
• Mercedarians (1218): Our Lady of Mercy, the ransoming of captives
• Society of Mary / Marianists (1817, Chaminade)
• Sons of Mary Immaculate / Oblates (1816, Eugene de Mazenod)
• Little Society of Mary / Salesians (1859, Saint John Bosco)
• Company of Mary of Montfort (1715, Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort)
• Marians (1670, Saint Stanislaus Papczynski)

Pastoral legacy

The 2001 Letter is an example of how John Paul II esteemed the charisms of the Marian religious orders as vital elements of the contemporary Church. Each Marian religious order has its own specific charism, but they all converge on the same goal: to bring the Church closer to Mary, and through Mary, to Christ.

Further reading

Vita Consecrata | Redemptoris Mater | Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort | Onore a Maria 1995