Osanna of Mantua

Osanna of Mantua (also "Hosanna") (17 January 1449 – 18 June 1505) was an Italian Dominican tertiary who gained notice as a stigmatic and mystic.

Life Osanna was the daughter of the nobles Niccolò Andreasi, whose family had originated in Hungary, and of Agnese Gonzaga. She was reported to have had a vision of angels at age six. Feeling called to consecrated life, she rejected a marriage arranged by her father. Unable to explain her attraction to religious life to her father, in 1463, at the age of 14, she secretly received the religious habit of the Third Order of St. Dominic. She had been drawn to this Order from her admiration of two members of the Order, Catherine of Siena, and her contemporary, Friar Girolamo Savonarola, who both represented to her lives of strict self-denial.

Returning home, Osanna explained that she had made a religious vow and had to wear it until she had fulfilled her promise., which is an ancient custom. She waited 37 years to complete her vows so she could care for her brothers and sisters after the death of her parents.

A legend states that Osanna, like Catherine of Siena, miraculously learned to read and write. One day, she saw a piece of paper with two words and said, "Those words are 'Jesus' and 'Mary.'" Allegedly, from that time on, anything relating to the spiritual was within her grasp.

Osanna was a mystic who would fall into ecstasies whenever she spoke of God, and a visionary who saw images of Christ bearing his cross. She bore stigmata along with red marks, but there was no bleeding. She helped the poor and sick and served as spiritual director for many, spending much of her family's considerable fortune to help the unfortunate. She spoke out against decadence and criticized the aristocracy for a lack of morality. She was a friend of another member of her Order, Columba of Rieti, and is recorded to have sought counsel from another, the Stephana de Quinzanis.

Relationship with Girolamo de Monte Oliveto Her confidant, Dom Jerome , wrote a vita (biography) of her life in 1507, very shortly after her death. Although Jerome noted that Osanna was not quick to discuss her spiritual experiences, in the last years of her life, she adopted Jerome as a "spiritual son", "conceived in the Blood of Christ".

Works The content of the literary corpus of the Blessed Osanna ranges from mystical reflection to considerations on contemporary social and political questions. Her works consist of: Lettere, an index of correspondence, addressed to a varied readership, including her fellow Dominicans and members of Mantua's ruling family; Colloqui Spirituali, or dialogues on spiritual subjects between the Blessed Osanna and Girolamo de Monte Oliveto Scolari.