Image: Saint Zita of Lucca

The novena to Saint Zita begins today.  Repeat the following prayer for 9 days in a row. Her feast day is April 27.

Saint Zita is the patron saint of housekeepers, domestic workers, servants, and waitresses. She is also invoked to help find lost keys.

Saint Zita came from a poor, but deeply pious family. To help support the family, she became a maid of the Fatinelli family, in the nearby Tuscan city of Lucca, serving them loyally for 48 years.

A member of the Third Order of St. Francis, Saint Zita considered her work as an employment assigned to her by God and obeyed her master and mistress in all things. She always rose several hours before the rest of the family and spent time in prayer while they slept. She started each day with Holy Mass before she began performing her duties.

She visited the sick and those in prison, giving them hope and spreading the gospel message. She was well – known for all her works of charity and her sweet, joyful disposition.

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.

Novena Prayer to Saint Zita

Saint Zita,
inspire us to take pride in our daily work
and do it to the best of our abilities
out of Love for God.
May we find Jesus in the most menial of tasks.
May we always embrace a spirit of obedience
and charity as you did.

Pray for us Saint Zita
that we may have a generous heart
that gives even when we have little.
Place a trust in Jesus deep in our heart
that we may never experience despair or loss of hope.
Please carry the petitions we hold in our heart
to Jesus on our behalf.

(Mention your intentions here…)

Amen.

Say one Our Father.

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