The first chapter of this work provides a description of the ideal of the Order of the Servants of Mary and its significance, highlighting basic sources, such as the Legenda de Origine and other historical works. In this introductory part of the dissertation I refer to situations and events that occurred in the period from 1233, when the Order was founded, to the year 1495.
The second chapter presents studies and references to significant topics in the various written works of the Order dating back to the XIV and XV centuries. The historical period considered extends to the time of the foundation of the confraternity of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows in Flanders in 1490.
In chapter 3 of the dissertation I focus on the development of devotion to the Sorrowful Mother, which became the principal devotion of the Order in the XVII century C.E., and the manner in which it evolved until the time of the second Vatican Council. Various ‘landmarks’ in the Constitutions of the order and religious practices involving devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows are referred to.
The novena in honor of the Sorrowful Mother (Via Matris) is part of the spiritual heritage of the Order and has been one of the most popular practices reflecting our devotion to The Sorrowful Mother since the XIX century. In chapter 4 of the dissertation I refer to the views of Fr. James Keane, who promoted the Via Matris in the United States, and, in particular, The Sorrowful Mother novena of Chicago, its beginning, evolution, and eventual waning popularity. The strengths and limits of Fr. John M. Huels’ dissertation on the novena are also discussed.
From the Sorrowful Mother to the Mother of Compassion. Bearing in mind the meaning and significance of compassion, may we affirm that Our Lady of Sorrows of yesterday corresponds to the Mother of Compassion of today? In this final section I concentrate on the significance of Compassion in our present age, in the realm of spirituality, in various movements, and in social life. The Mother of Compassion is both an ancient and current expression of this virtue and a numinous response to the spiritual needs of our time in the Order of the Servants of Mary.