April 27th.

St. Zita.

She was born in Tuscany in 1218 and entered the domestic service of the Fatinelli family in the city of Lucca at the age of 12, remaining with them for the rest of her life (she died in 1272).  The Fatinellis seem to have taken their religious devotions respectfully but routinely, and initially found the piety of their new servant excessive and disturbing.  Many wonders were told of her, including the angels baking her loaves in the household kitchen while she was caught up in religious contemplation.  When she died she was buried in the fashionable Luccan church of St. Frediano, and a cult developed around her tomb, though her canonisation was only made ‘official’ in 1748.   She was venerated in other countries, including England – under the name of Sitha; some wall and screen paintings and stained glass representations of her have survived the Reformation – and  was particularly invoked by housewives and servants when they lost sets of keys.   Clearly a useful saint to know of.  In London prior to the 1666 Fire, there was a church dedicated to her.