Saint Zita and the miracle of the cloak

Synthèse :

Born in 1211 or 1218 in Bozzanello, a village on Monte Sagrati, about fifteen kilometres from Lucca in Tuscany, Zita was the daughter of poor but devout peasants. When she was twelve, they could no longer afford to feed her, so they asked her to look for work. Zita begged for a job and found one with a rich weaver named Fatinelli, a harsh man who soon took a dislike to this young employee who was too pious and virtuous for his taste and who, although so gentle, could defend herself fiercely against men who dared to make inappropriate advances.

Zita, declared patron saint of servants and domestic employees by Pius XII, is an exemplary servant who carried out her household duties so perfectly that the other servants were jealous of her, making her suffer abuse and ridicule. Zita endured all without complaining, seeing her inferior position and the need for obedience as a sure way of becoming a saint. When she reached adolescence, she took a vow of perpetual virginity.

The girl's only "weakness" was her good heart, which led her, in her charitable excesses, to give thoughtlessly in alms, not only of what she possessed, but sometimes of the property of her employers, beyond the permissions they granted her. So they kept an eye on her, even though on several occasions, rewarding her for her charity, Heaven intervened to replace what she had given, as on the day when she distributed beans from her master's supply of provisions during a time of famine. When her master decided to sell the beans and discovered what Zita had done, he went to check the bags and found them full; on another occasion she had filled her apron with bread for the poor and when she was ordered to show what she was hiding there, it was found that the apron was filled with flowers...which became bread again so that she could give alms.

Zita's fervour was such that she often lost track of time in prayer, which could be detrimental to her work, but the angels came to her rescue. One morning, for example, she stayed in church to pray after mass longer than she intended to and realised that she had forgotten to knead and bake the bread - an irreparable delay that would draw reproaches. But when she came home, she found the bread already made and baking in the oven. She attributed this help to her guardian angel, because nobody in the household said they had done her this favour.

Similarly, one winter evening, when she had gone on pilgrimage, as she did every week, to an angelic shrine and had not paid attention to the time, she was brought back to Lucca instantly. A horseman, who had set off well before her, testified that he was stunned to see her arrive before him, even though it was night and the road, lined with precipices, was dangerous. This was attributed to angelic help.

She was up before dawn every morning and never missed Mass, even when, in 1241, the Pope imposed an interdict on Lucca for several years, preventing the celebration of Mass and the sacraments in the town, Zita would go into Pisan territory to receive Holy Communion, a dangerous trip at the time, especially at night; but mysterious strangers befriended Zita on her way. 

This piety was soon rewarded, as mystical phenomena became commonplace in Zita's life. Although she had to spend the night outside in the pouring rain, in front of the church where she wanted to hear mass, she was protected from the downpour, which did not drench her or extinguish the candle she was carrying. On other occasions, closed church doors were opened to allow her to take shelter.

Her masters, belatedly recognising her holiness, eventually entrusted her with the household management and expenses.

Stricken with a serious case of influenza, Zita died on 27 April 1272 at the home of her masters. Just as she breathed her last, although it was broad daylight, a star appeared above the Palazzo Fatinelli, eclipsing the sun and warning the population that "the saint was dead". Miracles immediately began to multiply at her tomb.

Aller plus loin :

St.zita: Forgotten Saint of the Kitchen by Rev Tobias Hartwell, Independently published (February 12, 2025)

En savoir plus :

• Anonymous, Vita beatae Zitae, virginis Lucensis ex vetustissimo codice manuscripto fideliter transumpta,)1688 (published in Latin by Mgr Fatinelli).
• Anonymous, Vita e miracoli de santa Zita, vergine lucchese, 1752 (in Italian).
• Amerigo Guerra, Vita disanta Zita, vergine lucchese, Monza, Artigianelli, 1926 (in Italian).
• Giuseppe Cavalli, Santa Zita, patrona delle collaboratrici familiari, Edizioni Regnum Christi, 1978.
• Simonetta Simonetti, Santa Zita di Lucca, Pacini Fazz, "Appunti di viaggio" collection, 2006 (in Italian).
• The video on the Radio Immaculata YouTube channel: The Life of Saint Zita of Lucca.