Saint St. Zita

Zita (c. 1218 – 27 April 1278), also known as Sitha or Citha, is an Italian saint, the patroness saint of maids and domestic servants. She is often appealed to in order to help find lost keys. Zita entered domestic service at the age of 12, and served the same family for almost 50 years. Through her diligence and fidelity, she became a trusted and valued servant. She spent her days doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Zita was known for her kindness and generosity to the poor. Zita was born in Tuscany in Monte Sagrati, a village not far from Lucca. Her parents were Giovanni and Buonissima Lombardo. Her maternal uncle, Graziano, was a hermit who dwelt on a neighbouring mountain where he had built a church and a shelter for travellers. At the age of 12, Zita became a servant in the household of the Fatinellis, a well-to-do family of silk merchants. Signora Fatinelli allowed Zita to attend school for a year and then put her to be trained under an older maid. The other servants did not care for Zita. They interpreted her piety as posturing, her submissiveness as stupidity. By her meek and humble self-restraint, Zita succeeded in overcoming the malice of her fellow-servants. She gave a third of her wages to her parents, kept a third, and gave the rest to the poor. The mistress of the house placed Zita in charge of the household almsgiving, and allowed her to visit the sick poor in their own homes and tend to their needs. A small room isolated from the rest of the house was put at Zita's disposal. She would venture out in the evenings and invite poor homeless women to supper. The room, which had a bed, was offered as safe shelter for the night. She always rose hours before the rest of the family and took care to hear Mass every morning before she began work. She attended to her tasks with diligence and fidelity, and studied when possible to anticipate what needed to be done. Signora Fatinelli's dying wish was that Zita be placed in charge of the household.