Columba of Rieti

Columba of Rieti, born Angelella Guardagnoli on February 2, 1467, was an Italian religious sister of the Third Order of St. Dominic. She became known as a mystic, renowned for her profound spiritual counsel and deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Fantastic miracles were attributed to her throughout her life, and her sanctity was recognized with beatification by the Catholic Church in 1625.

Life and Historical Context

Born into a poor family in Rieti, legend surrounds her birth and baptism with angelic presences and a dove, leading to her name Columba, meaning 'dove'. As a child, she learned practical skills from the local Dominican friars and received her education from Dominican nuns. In her teenage years, she experienced a vision of Christ, which solidified her desire to dedicate her life to God, leading her to make a private vow of chastity. When her parents arranged a marriage for her, she defiantly cut off her hair to signal her commitment to a spiritual life.

At the age of 19, Columba became a Dominican tertiary. She was known for experiencing ecstasies, during which her spirit was said to have toured the Holy Land. Her reputation as a spiritual counselor grew, making her a sought-after figure. Accounts suggest attempts were made to abduct her to serve other towns, but she evaded such capture. Columba practiced rigorous fasting and asceticism, including wearing a hairshirt and sleeping on thorns. These practices, while ultimately contributing to her death at age 34, were viewed in her era not as illness but as profound piety. She may have been influenced by the example of Catherine of Siena, another Dominican saint known for extreme fasting and cutting her hair to avoid marriage.

Following an inner prompting, Columba left Rieti and eventually founded a Third Order convent in Perugia. This endeavor was undertaken against the wishes of citizens from Foligno and Rieti who wished to keep her within their own communities. In Perugia, she dedicated herself to working with the poor, a ministry that reportedly drew the ire of Lucrezia Borgia, who accused her of practicing magic. Conversely, Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father, held Columba in high regard, consulting her and receiving a strong admonition to repent.

Columba served as prioress in Perugia for eleven years. She died on May 20, 1501. Legend recounts that her friend, Osanna of Mantua, witnessed her soul ascending to heaven as a radiance at the moment of her death. Her funeral was a public event, with the city fathers funding her burial. Her beatification in 1625 by Pope Urban VIII affirmed her venerated status within the Church, and her feast day is observed by the Dominican Order on the anniversary of her death.