MANTLE-WEARING THIRD ORDER SERVITES OF MARY. — In the parish of Treppio, diocese of Pistoia, in 1861, three young women—Marianna Ferrari, Maria Mattioli, and Elena Rossi—desirous of dedicating themselves to the service of the Most Holy Mary of Sorrows, received the habit of the Servites of Mary in the church of the Most Holy Annunciation in Florence from the Servite Fathers and founded a hermitage with the intention of leading a contemplative life there.
Persuaded later that the times required works of social benefit as well, they opened schools with Sunday oratories and pious associations of Daughters of Mary. In 1868 they were aggregated to the Order of the Servites of Mary. The decree of praise was issued on 11 February 1909. The Constitutions were first approved on 8 June 1913 and definitively on 28 February 1920. To this Institute were united some convents of Mantellate, including that of Ladysmith (U.S.A.), those of Bologna, and that of Ascoli Piceno, founded in 1742.
The purpose of the Institute is the education and instruction of young women through boarding schools, workhouses, schools, kindergartens, oratories, etc.
In 1948 the sisters numbered 764, with 71 novices, distributed across 104 houses.
