ANDREW DOTTI, BL.

Servite preacher; b. San Sepolcro, Tuscany, Italy, 1256; d. Vallucola, Italy, Aug. 31, 1315. He belonged to the noble Italian family of Dotti, and he received an excellent education. Touched by a sermon of philip benizi, he entered the servite order in 1278 at Florence, where Alexis falconieri, one of the seven founders, was superior. His progress in religious virtue was rapid, and after his ordination he was sent to a convent near San Sepolcro, where his zeal manifested itself in preaching, prayer, and penance. He received permission to join a group of hermits at Vallucola, whom he united with the Servites in 1294. Between 1297 and 1310 Andrew preached with extraordinary results throughout Italy. After the death of Alexis Falconieri he returned to the hermitage of Vallucola, where he led a life of charity, mortification, and contemplation. He was buried in a church in his native town. Pope pius vii approved his cult on Nov. 29, 1806.

Feast: Sept. 3.

Bibliography: m. poccianti, Chronicon rerum totius sacri ordinis servorum beatae Mariae virginis (Florence 1567). c. battini, Vita del beato Andrea Dotti dei Servi di Maria (Bologna 1866). p. soulier, Vie de saint Philippe Benizi (Paris 1886); p. soulier et al., eds., Monumenta servorum sanctae Mariae, 20 v. (Brussels 1897–1930) v.2. s. m. ledoux, Histoire des sept saints fondateurs (Paris 1888). t. ortolan, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart (Paris 1912–) 2:1663–64.

[m. b. morris]