Leonardi rented the Church of Santa Maria della Rosa in Lucca and, in a quarter close by, something like community life was started.

It was here, when it became evident that his lay helpers were preparing for the priesthood and that something like a religious order was in process of formation, that a storm of persecution broke out against the devoted founder.

The leaders of the Republic or Lucca seem to have had a real fear that a native religious order, if spread over Italy, would cause the affairs of the little state to become too well known to its neighbours.

The persecution, however, was so effective and lasting, that Leonardi practically spent the rest of his life in banished from Lucca, only being now and again admitted by special decree of the Senate, unwillingly extracted under papal pressure.

[3] In 1583, the congregation was canonically erected at the instigation of Pope Gregory XIII by Alessandro Guidiccioni, Bishop of Lucca, and confirmed by the papal Brief of Clement VIII "Ex quo divina majestas", 13 October 1595.

It was not until 3 November 1621 that Pope Gregory XV, carrying out what was always in the founder's mind, erected the congregation into a religious order proper by permitting its members to take solemn vows, and it then became the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God.

Leonardi received many offers of churches during his life, but, hoping to reconcile with the governing body of the Republic, thought it better to refuse them.

The coat of arms of the Order are azure, representing Our Lady Assumed into Heaven; and its badge and seal the monogram of the Mother of God in Greek characters.