Virgin and Mystic
Feast: June 18
Born: January 17, 1449 – Mantua, Italy
Died: June 18, 1505 – Mantua, Italy
Beatified: January 24, 1694 by Pope Innocent XII
Life and Virtues
Blessed Osanna Andreasi was born into a noble family in Mantua, a city renowned for its cultural refinement and civic distinction in Renaissance Italy. Though surrounded by wealth and privilege, the young Osanna displayed an unusual gravity and recollection of spirit from her earliest years. She received a refined education, yet her heart yearned not for worldly pursuits, but for the things of God.
At the age of five, she was granted a vision of the Child Jesus in the arms of the Blessed Virgin, which awakened in her a lifelong devotion to the Passion and a deep longing for union with Christ. As she matured, she ardently desired to consecrate her virginity to the Lord, but out of obedience to her parents, she at first concealed this vow.
At the age of eighteen, Osanna experienced a profound mystical grace: a vision of her guardian angel, who appeared to her often and instructed her in the interior life. Around this time, she secretly received the habit of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, embracing a hidden life of penance, prayer, and service while continuing to live in the world.
Though she remained in the secular state, she lived a life akin to that of the great anchorites, practicing heroic mortifications, long vigils, and constant prayer. She partook in few earthly consolations and lived in mystical union with Christ, particularly in His sufferings. She bore the invisible stigmata, suffering the wounds of the Passion interiorly without outward marks, though they brought her intense pain and spiritual joy.
Mystical Gifts and Public Mission
Blessed Osanna’s life was marked by extraordinary mystical phenomena: she received ecstasies, visions of Christ, and prophetic insights into the future of the Church and of her native city. Despite her humble and retiring nature, the fame of her holiness spread, and even learned men and rulers sought her counsel.
Her sanctity drew the attention of the ruling Gonzaga family, especially Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, and his consort Isabella d’Este, who often consulted her on matters of state. She was a spiritual mother and advisor to many, offering guidance with firm clarity and divine insight. Her influence reached beyond the cloister walls into the very heart of Renaissance society, bearing witness to the transforming power of sanctity amidst the world.
Death and Veneration
Blessed Osanna passed from this life on June 18, 1505, her soul having been prepared by decades of suffering and intimate union with the Crucified. She died in the odor of sanctity, and miracles were reported at her tomb. Her reputation for holiness endured, and she was beatified by Pope Innocent XII in 1694.
Her incorrupt body rests in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Mantua, and her feast is observed on June 18, the day of her holy death.
Spiritual Legacy
Blessed Osanna stands as a model of the interior life amidst the world, a Dominican Tertiary whose example proves that union with God is possible outside the cloister, if the heart is wholly His. Her devotion to the Passion, her fidelity to divine inspiration, and her courageous witness in the tumultuous Renaissance period have made her a beloved figure in the history of Catholic mysticism.
Patronage
- Mystics
- Lay Dominicans
- The city of Mantua
Prayer to Blessed Osanna Andreasi
O God, who didst adorn Blessed Osanna with the singular grace of mystical union with Thy Son in His Passion, and didst call her to serve Thee in the world through the Dominican way of life: grant, we beseech Thee, that through her intercession and example, we may love Thee above all things and persevere in our vocation with fervent charity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.