Saint John Bonagiunta

Italian friar

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June 22, 2026

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Saint John Bonagiunta was one of the Seven Holy Founders who established the Servite order in Tuscany, Italy, in 1233. The Servites, formally known as the Order of Friar Servants of St. Mary, are a Roman Catholic congregation of mendicant friars dedicated to apostolic work.

According to tradition, the seven founders were originally Florentine merchants who lived a penitential life. They were devoted to the Virgin Mary, who is said to have appeared to them in a vision, guiding them to withdraw into solitude. They eventually founded a hermitage on Monte Senario, near Florence, which became the foundation for their order. The Servites received formal approval from Pope Alexander IV in 1256.12

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Seven Holy Founders
Saints Bonfilius, Alexis Falconieri, John Bonagiunta, Benedict dell’Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Gerard Sostegni, and Ricoverus Uguccione. Formally called the Ordo Fratrum Servorum Sanctae Mariae (“Order of Friar Servants of St. Mary”), the order is a Roman Catholic congregation of mendicant friars dedicated to apostolic work.
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Saints Bonfilius, Alexis Falconieri, John Bonagiunta, Benedict dell’Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Gerard Sostegni, and Ricoverus Uguccione. Formally called the Ordo Fratrum Servorum Sanctae Mariae (“Order of Friar Servants of St. Mary”), the order is a Roman Catholic congregation of mendicant friars dedicated to apostolic work.
Read More