Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/830

 ZISKA

762

ZOARA

Tdrrenete (Odenburg, 1910) : Winter. Die Cisterciensis des Nordoes- lichen Deutschlands (Gotha, 1868) ; Catalogus personarum relig- iosnrum S. Ord. Cisterciensis (Rome, 1906) ; jANAnscHEK. Ongi- num Cislerciensum, I (Vienna, 1877).

Edmond M. Obrecht. Ziska, John. See Hus and Hussites.

Zita, Saint, model and heavenly patroness of domestic servants, b. early in the thirteenth century of a poor family at Montsegradi, a Uttle village near Lucca, in Tuscany; d. at Lucca, 27 April, 1271. A naturally happy disposition and the teaching of a virtuous mother, aided by Divine grace, developed in the child's soul that sweetness and modesty of char- acter and continual and conscientious application to work which constituted her especial virtues. At the age of twelve she entered the service of the Fatinelli family of Lucca. Her piety and the exactitude with which she discharged her domestic duties, in which she regarded herself as serving God rather than man, even supplying the deficiencies of her fellow servants, far from gaining for her their love and esteem and that of her employers rather brought upon her every manner of ill-treatment of both the former and, through their accusations, of the latter. The in- cessant iU-usage, however, was powerless to deprive her of her inward peace, her love of those who wronged her, and her respect for her employers. By this meek and humble self-restraint she at last suc- ceeded in overcoming the malice of her fellow-servants and her employers, so much so that she was placed in charge of all the affairs of the house.

In her position of command over all the servants she treated all with kindness, not exacting from them any reckoning for the wrongs she had for so many years suffered from them. She was always circum- spect, and only severe when there was question of checking the introduction of vice among the servants. On the other hand, if any of them had been guiltj- of shortcomings, she took upon herself to excuse or defend them to their employers. LTsing the ample authority given her by her employers, she was gener- ous in almsgiving, but careful to assist only those really in need. After her death numerous miracles were WTOught at her intercession, so that .she came to be venerated as a saint in the neighbourhood of Lucca, and the poets Fazio degli Uberti (Dittamonde, III, 6) and Dante (Inferno, XI, 38) both designate the city of Lucca simply as "Santa Zita". The office in her honour was approved by Leo X.

In 1.580 her tomb was discovered in the Church of S. Frediano; thus was suggested the solemn approba- tion of her cult, which was granted by Innocent XII in 1696. The earUest biography of the saint is pre- served in an anonymous MS. belonging to the Fatinelli family which was pubUshed at Ferrara in 1688 by Monsignor FatinelU, "Vita beatse Zitae virginis Lucensis ex vetustissimo codice manuscripto fideliter transumpta". For his fuller "Vita e miracoH di S. Zita vorgino lucchese" (Lucca, 1752) Bartolom- meo Fiorito has used this and other notices, espe- cially tho.se taken from the process drawn up to prove the immemorial cult.

U. Benioni.

Zita's Home for Friendless Women, Saint, founded at l.'iS East 21th Street, New York, bv I'Uen O'Keefe (Mother Zita) in ISitO. Born in County Limerick, Ireland, Miss O'Keefe emigrated to New York in 1864. , She selected nursing as a career, and during her two years' training at the city hospital, Blackwell's Island, first conceived the idea which was to give a direction to her life. Moved with pitj' for the unfortunate women with whom she there came in contact and whose previous records were 80 fatal an obstacle to their securing employment, she determined to found a home where they could find shelter and an opportunity to reform their lives.

With her personal savings she started single-handed the home in 24th Street, but was later joined by two friends (Mary Finnegan and Katherine Dunne). Every woman who sought admission was received without formal apphcation and regardless of her reUgious views or previous character. This charitable work had from the first the approval of the ecclesi- astical authorities, and as it became more widely known the greatly increased number of appUcants necessitated its transference to larger quarters.

Miss O'Keefe had always treasured the thought of forming a regular community for the perpetuation of her work and to make reparation to Our Saviour in the Blessed Sacrament. Archbishop (Cardinal) Farley approved her institute in September, 1903, under the title of the "Sisters of Reparation of the Congregation of Mary". Miss O'Keefe was named superioress of the congregation under the title of Mother Zita, Katherine Dunne (Sister Mary Mag- dalen) taking the habit on her death-bed. A postu- lancy of one year and a novitiate of two years must be served; perpetual vows are made after five years. In 1906 Mother Zita visited her native land and returned with six novices, and the community now (1912) numbers fifteen members. Since 1907 a branch house has existed at East 79th Street. A sister always sleeps near the door, since it is a rule of the community that no one is to be refused ad- mission at any hour, day or night; the observance of this rule frequently renders it necessary for the sisters to give up their own beds to their humble guests. The women are kept as long as they desire to stay; if able-bodied they must help in the laundry or at sewing, the sole support of the home; if ill, they aie cared for or sent to the hospital. Cathohc inmates are required to attend Mass on Sundays and holydays of obligation, but this is the sole distinction between the inmates of the different religions. The sisters also visit the poor in the hospitals, and supply free meals to men out of employment. The number of women accommodated each night is from 100 to 12.5; the meals supplied to men out of work averages daily 65.

MOIRA K. COTLE.

Zoara, a titular sec of Palestina Tertia. It is the ancient Bala or Segor, one of the five cities of the Pentapolis (Gen., xiv, 2, 8), which escaped the thunder and lightning for having sheltered Lot and his family (Gen., xix, 22, 30). It is mentioned by Josephus ("Ant. Jud.", XIII, x\', 4; "Bell. Jud. ", IV, viii, 4) ; Ptolemy (V, xvi, 4) ; and by Eusebius and Saint Jerome in the "Onomasticon". The "Notitiae dignitatum", 72, places at Zoara, as a garri.son, the resident equiies sagitkarii indigence; Stephen of Byzan- tium (De urbibus, s. v. Addana) speaks also of its fort, which is mentioned in a recently-discovered Byzan- tine edict of the fifth century (ReN-ue bibhque. 1909, 99). In a Mosaic map of ^iadaba, of the sixth cen- tury, it is represented in the midst of a grove of palm trees under the names of Balac or Segor, now Zoara; near the city is a sanctuary to St. Lot. Hierocles (Synecdemus) and George of C>-prus (Description of the Roman World) both mention it. Some bishops have been ascribed to Zoara: Musonius, at Ephesus (449), and at Chalcedon (451); Isidore in 518; and John in536(Le Quien, "Orienschrist.", 111,737-746). At the end of the fourth century one of its bishops accompanied the western pilgrim, vTongly named Silvia (Geyer, "Itinera hicrosolymitana", 54). The pseudo-Antoninus in the sixth century describes its monks, and extols its palm trees (op. cit., 166, 181). Owing to its tropical chmate and to the waters com- ing down from the mountains of Moab, Zoara is a flourisliing oa.>'is where the balsam, indigo, and date trees bloom luxuriantly. During the French occu- pation i' took the name of Palmer, or of Paumier.