Blessed Osanna of Mantua (also known as Hosanna Andreasi) was born on 17 January 1449 in Mantua, Italy, to noble parents Niccolò Andreasi and Agnese Gonzaga. From a young age, she was marked by deep piety — at age six she reportedly saw visions of angels and the Holy Trinity saintforaminute.com.
At 14, she secretly entered the Third Order of St. Dominic, becoming a lay Dominican, and told her father she had vowed to God rather than marry. She delayed taking her final vows for 37 years to care for her siblings after her parents’ deaths.
A mystic and visionary, Osanna often fell into ecstasies when speaking of God and saw Christ bearing His cross. At age 30, she received the stigmata — red marks resembling Christ’s wounds — without bleeding. She miraculously learned to read and write after seeing the words “Jesus” and “Mary” on a piece of paper.
She lived a life of charity and service, using her family’s wealth to help the poor and sick, serving as a spiritual director, and speaking out against moral decay in her society. She is remembered as a model of faith, humility, and selfless devotion.
Beatified: 24 November 1694 by Pope Innocent XII (and Pope Leo X).
Feast Day: June 20 (some calendars also June 18).
Patronage: Patroness of schoolgirls Dynamic Catholic.
Symbols of her life: Crown of thorns, rays of light, a broken heart with a crucifix, lilies, and angels.
Blessed Osanna’s legacy is one of quiet holiness, mystical union with Christ, and boundless compassion, showing that a life of prayer and service can be lived in the world without leaving home.