April 27
Saint Zita
Layperson
(1212 – 1272)
“A servant is not pious if she is not industrious.”
Saint Zita
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Saint’s Life Story
Her Early Life
Zita was born in Tuscany in the village of Monsagrati, not far from Lucca, Italy. She was reared in a poor, devout Catholic family and was a joyful person. Her elder sister became a Cistercian nun and her uncle Graziano was a hermit whom the local people regarded as a saint.
Live as a Servant
Zita was only 12 years old when she went to work as a servant for the Fatinellis, a family of well-to-do wool merchants in Lucca, Italy. She found time every day to attend Mass at the Church of St. Frediano and recite her many prayers, as well as carry out her household duties so punctiliously that she earned the resentment of other servants. She was not interested in pleasing man, but God; and by serving God, she naturally would be serving others in humility. She maintained her joyful character even when mistreated by her fellow workers and sometimes her employers as well.
At first, her employers were upset with her lavish gifts of food to the poor. With the passage of the years, Zita’s fellow servants and the Fatinellis came to realize that she was not a hypocrite or a cheat, but a genuine saint. They were completely won over by Zita’s patience and goodness. The family made her in charge of the house, entrusted with its keys and eventually governess of the Fatinelli children.
Stories of Kindness
There is a story of Zita giving her own food or that of her master to the poor. On one morning, Zita left her chore of baking bread to tend to someone in need. Some of the other servants ensured the Fatinelli family was aware of what happened; when they went to investigate, they claimed to have found angels in the Fatinelli kitchen, baking the bread for her.
Another recorded event was just as dramatic, if not more so. On Christmas Eve, Zita had given away a prized and treasured family cloak to a shivering man at the doorway of St. Fredaino, the local church. While the elder Fatinelli was in the midst of a fit of fury, an elderly man came to the door and returned the heirloom. When townsfolk heard of the event, they decided that the man must have been an angel. From that point on, the doorway of the St. Fredaino church in Lucca has been called the “Angel Portal”.
Zita ended up staying with the Fatinelli family for forty-eight years. She became like a member of the family to them. Her employers even allowed her to share food from their household with those who were poverty stricken. Zita not only helped the poor but also visited the sick and those in prison, giving all hope and spreading the gospel message. She became well known in the Lucca area for all her works of charity and her joyful nature. It is said that she also had heavenly visions.
Her Death
Zita died peacefully in the Fatinelli house on April 27, 1272. Numerous miracles were reported to have taken place by her intercession. Her body was exhumed in 1580, discovered to be incorrupt. St Zita’s body is currently on display for public veneration in the Basilica di San Frediano in Lucca. In 1748, Pope Benedict XIV added her name to the Roman Martyrology. To this day, families bake a loaf of bread in celebration of St. Zita’s feast day.
Born: 1212 in Monsagrati, Tuscany, Italy
Died: April 27, 1272 in Lucca, Italy
Beatified: 1652 by Pope Innocent X
Canonized: September 5, 1696 by Pope Innocent XII
Feast Day: April 27
Patron Saint: Bakers; Butlers; Domestic Servants; Housemaids; Household Chores; Lost Keys; Lucca, Italy; Maids; Servers; Waiters; Waitresses
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Reflection
Most of our lives are not filled with activities like starting a new Catholic religious order or going off as a missionary to proclaim the Good News. Instead, we have our daily chores like cleaning the house or cooking dinner, that at face value, do not seem like saintly tasks. Saint Zita spent nearly her entire life working as a servant for one family in the city of Lucca, Italy. Though some initially treated her harshly, her patience and generosity gradually won the admiration of those around her. She rose early to attend Mass before beginning her work and often shared food with the poor, trusting that God would provide.
Her duties were simple and repetitive, such as cleaning, cooking, and caring for the household. Yet, Saint Zita approached every task with prayerful devotion and kindness. As a “lowly” household servant, Saint Zita shows us that we also can be an example of Christ on Earth in the humble way we interact with others, dedicating the task to God.
Holiness does not require extraordinary circumstances. Saint Zita reminds us that when daily work is done with love, humility, and kindness, it becomes a path to sanctity. No task is too small to offer up to God to fulfill his will.
What “lowly” daily task today can you offer up to God to help make “his will be done”?
Prayers
Saint Zita,
You were a faithful and humble servant who transformed ordinary daily household tasks into acts of love for God, while also serving the poor and the sick.
Intercede for us so that we may carry out our daily responsibilities with patience, generosity, and joy.
Help us to see Christ in those we serve and to offer our work as a gift to God.
Teach us that no duty is small when it is done with a loving heart.
Help us to imitate Saint Zita’s virtues during our earthly life in our daily household tasks and enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven.
Saint Zita, pray for us. Amen.
Saint Links
A Dictionary Of Saintly Women, Volume 2 by Agnes B. C. Dunbar – St. Zita
All Saints & Martyrs – All Saints & Martyrs – Saint Zita of Lucca
AnaStpaul – Saint of the Day – 27 April – St Zita of Lucca
Angelus News – Saint of the day: Zita of Lucca
Catholic Culture – St. Zita
CatholicSaints.Info – Saint Zita of Lucca
Daily Prayers – Zita of Lucca (Sitha or Citha)
Dynamic Catholic – Saint Zita of Lucca
Editions Magnificant – Saint Zita Virgin († 1278)
Independent Catholic News – St. Zita
Rev Alban Butler’s Lives Of The Saints Complete Edition – St Zita, Virgin
Saint for a Minute – Saint Zita of Lucca
Saint Mary Press – Saint Zita (1212-1272)
Saint of the Day – St. Zita
Saints Alive – St. Zita
uCatholic – Catholic Saint of the Day – Saint Zita
University of Notre Dame – St. Zita
Wikipedia – Zita