The Seven Sorrows Rosary

This devotion to the Our Sorrowful Mother was originated in the thirteenth century, when seven professional men from Florence, which was an important commercial center of Europe, were influenced by the penitential spirit common to the Brothers of Penance with whom they were in close contact. In 1240 they withdrew from the world to pray and serve the Lord, leading a life of penance, prayer and service to Mary. Because of so many visitors, they retreated again to Monte Senario, where the Servites (Servants of Mary) was formed. By 1244, under the direction of St. Peter of Verona, they began to wear a religious habit similar to the Dominicans and began to live under the rule of Saint Augustine. The Servites devoted their prayer to the rosary of the Seven Sorrows. The choice of the number was derived from the symbolic value of he number seven, suggesting fullness, completeness, and abundance. Consequently only the principal sorrows are listed.[2] The chaplet recalls the Sorrows the Virgin Mother of God endu