Our Patroness - Saint Zita of Lucca
The patron saint of domestic workers, maids and cleanliness, she was born in 1212 and entered domestic service at the age of 12. She served the household of the Fatinellis, a well-to-do family of silk merchants, for almost 50 years. Even though they initially didn't care for her, interpreting her piety as posturing and submissiveness as stupidity, through her meekness and fidelity she overcame the malice of her masters and fellow servants. So much so that she became a trusted and valued servant, helping raise the family's children and managing their almsgiving.
Though she did not earn much herself, she very much cared for the poor. She gave one third of her wages to her parents, kept a third, and gave the rest to the poor. Often times she would give the little water or warm clothing she had with her to the down trodden in desperate conditions. The mistress of the house allowed her to visit the sick, house poor in their own home 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 attend Mass every morning before she began work. She attended to her tasks with diligence 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. She continued to serve the family after the death of Guglielmo Fatinelli in 1260, when his son Pagano became the head of the family.
She's associated with over 150 miracles. In her hometown of Lucca, Zita once had planned to bring bread from her master's family to the poor. Her fellow servants tattled on her, knowing that the master would disapprove and reprimand her. She said she was going to distribute flowers, and when revealing her cloak where the bread should've been, she revealed a beautiful bouquet of flowers. This was in the middle of winter. Her masters were astonished at the miracle, and truly began to see her as a living saint. Additionally, a few times while receiving water from the local well, she would witness a poor person in great hunger and thirst. Not having anything to offer but water, she would feed them from her jug. On a few occasions the water would miraculously transform into wine, filling the poor person with warmth and joy. When she died in 1272, the local townspeople witnessed a star appear above the attic where she passed.
She was canonized as a saint hundreds of years later in 1696 by Pope Innocent XII. Her body was discovered to be incorrupt, and is on display today for public veneration in the Basilica di San Frediano in Lucca, Italy.
