Story Highlights
- Historical event
- 27 April 1272
- St. Zita started to work at the age of 12. She was the Fatinelli family`s housemaid in Lucca. Apparently, her masters and colleagues exploited her, but she patiently endured all, and responded with love to their wrongdoings.
St. Zita died in the Italian city of Lucca on this day in 1272. She is the patron saint of maids, housekeepers and servers.
St. Zita was born in Tuscany in the early 13th century, which means that she was younger contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic. St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas were also her contemporaries.
She started to work at the age of 12. She was the Fatinelli family`s housemaid in Lucca.
Apparently, her masters and colleagues exploited her, but she patiently endured all, and responded with love to their wrongdoings. Suddenly, the lives of her former torturers were changed, and Zita became the head of the family`s servants.
St. Zita was especially kind to people in need. She was giving them her meal, helping them during her life, etc.
The saint died at the age of 60 at the Fatinelli family` s home. She had been worked there for about 48 years.
Apparently, they extremely respected her. St. Zita was proclaimed a saint of the Catholic Church after about 150 reports which testified God`s help after her intercession.
There is also a known custom – people who lost their keys, ask her for the intercession.
It is interesting to note that the famous Dante Alighieri mentioned the connection between St. Zita and city of Lucca.
Zita of Bourbon-Parma, the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the wife of Bl. Charles of Austria, was named after St. Zita (Empress Zita is known as the Servant of God – the first stage of canonization in the Catholic Church).
