St. Zita of Lucca | Saint of the Day

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Saint of the Day | By Name | By Date | Patron Saints | FAQ

Saint for the Day
Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. Click here to receive Saint of the Day in your email.

April 27
St. Zita of Lucca
(1218-1278)

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Zita is a good saint for those of us who sometimes lose a chance to do some good by waiting to do something better.

St. Francis of Assisi was still living when Zita was born to poor, devout Italian parents. From the age of 12 until her death, she worked as a servant for the Fatinelli family in Lucca. She was a hard worker, pious and generous. Although that dedication provoked jealousy on the part of some other servants, Zita won them over by her patience.

As the years passed, she became famous for helping the sick, the poor and the imprisoned. She was regarded locally as a saint soon after her death; that title was officially given to her in 1696. Zita is the patroness of domestic workers.

Comment:

"You can’t take it with you," we say. Yet often people are afraid to perform the corporal works of mercy because they fear depleting their resources—time, money or energy. Zita is honored as a saint largely because of her charity. She might have compared herself with others having greater resources and excused herself from aiding Christ’s poor. She lived out Jesus’ story about the widow’s mite (see Luke 21:1-4).

Quote:

"Let us then have charity and humility; let us give alms since this washes our souls from the stains of [our] sins (see Tobit 4:11; 12:9). For people lose everything they leave behind in this world; but they carry with them the rewards of charity and the alms which they gave, for which they will have a reward and a suitable remuneration from the Lord" (St. Francis, Second Version of the Letter to the Faithful).

Patron Saint of:

Maids, domestic workers
Servants

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