Saint Francis Xavier
Also known as
- Apostle to the Far East
- Francisco de Jaso y Azpilicueta
- Franciscus de Xabier
Profile
Born to the nobility of the Basque reqion. Studied and taught philosophy at the University of Paris, and planned a career as a professor. Friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola who convinced him to use his talents to spread the Gospel. One of the founding Jesuits, and the first Jesuit missionary. Priest.
In Goa, India, while waiting to take ship, he preached in the street, worked with the sick, and taught children their catechism. He would walk through the streets ringing a bell to call the children to their studies. Said to have converted the entire city.
He scolded his patron, King John of Portugal, over the slave trade: “You have no right to spread the Catholic faith while you take away all the country’s riches. It upsets me to know that at the hour of your death you may be ordered out of paradise.”
Tremendously successful missionary for ten years in India, the East Indies, and Japan, baptizing more than 40,000 converts. His epic finds him dining with head hunters, washing the sores of lepers in Venice, teaching catechism to Indian children, baptizing 10,000 in a single month. He tolerated the most appalling conditions on long sea voyages, enduring extremes of heat and cold. Wherever he went he would seek out and help the poor and forgotten. He traveled thousands of miles, most on his bare feet, and he saw the greater part of the Far East. Had the gift of tongues. Miracle worker. Raised people from the dead. Calmed storms. Prophet. Healer.
Born
- 2 December 1552 at Sancian, China of a fever contracted on a mission journey
- some relics enshrined in the Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Santhome, Chennai, India
- 25 October 1619 by Pope Paul V
- against plague epidemics
- –
- African missions
- black missions
- foreign missions (proclaimed on 25 March 1904 by Pope Pius X)
- missionaries (proclaimed on 14 December 1927 by Pope Pius XI)
- navigators
- parish missions
- travellers
- –
- Australia
- Borneo
- Brunei
- China
- East Indies
- India (proclaimed on 27 June 1962 by Pope John XXIII)
- Indonesia
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Pakistan (proclaimed on 16 August 1933 by Pope Pius XI, and on 1 March 1940 by Pope Pius XI)
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- –
- Agartala, India, diocese of
- Ahmedabad, India, diocese of
- Alexandria, Louisiana, diocese of
- Amravati, India, diocese of
- Calcutta, India, archdiocese of
- Caltanissetta, Italy, diocese of
- Cape Town, South Africa, archdiocese of
- Chicoutimi, Québec, diocese of
- Dinajpur, Bangladesh, diocese of
- Green Bay, Wisconsin, diocese of
- Grodno, Belarus, diocese of
- Hpa-an, Myanmar, diocese of
- Indianapolis, Indiana, archdiocese of
- Joiliet, Illinois, diocese of
- Kabankalan, Philippines, diocese of
- Macau, China, diocese of
- Malindi, Kenya, diocese of
- Mumbai, India, archdiocese of
- Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, diocese of
- –
- in India
- in Malaysia
- in the Philippines
- Freising, Germany
- Kalimantan, Indonesia
- Navarre, Spain
- Setúbal, Portugal
- Shangchuan Island, China
- –
- Apostleship of Prayer
- Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
- Fathers of the Precious Blood
- Missioners of the Precious Blood
- Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
- University of Saint Francis Xavier, Sucre, Bolivia
- Xaverian Brothers
- World Youth Day 2011
- crucifix
- preacher carrying a flaming heart
- bell
- globe
- vessel
- young bearded Jesuit in the company of Saint Ignatius Loyola
- young bearded Jesuit with a torch, flame, cross and lily
Readings
It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards a man’s progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken. – Saint Francis Xavier
The best way to acquire true dignity is to wash one’s own clothes and boil one’s own pot. – Saint Francis Xavier
We have visited the villages of the new converts who accepted the Christian religion a few years ago. The country is so utterly barren and poor. The native Christians have no priests. They know only that they are Christians. There is nobody to say Mass for them; nobody to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of God’s Law.
I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized. This means that I have purified a very large number of children so young that, as the saying goes, they could not tell their right hand from their left. The older children would not let me say my Office or eat or sleep until I taught them one prayer or another. Then I began to understand: “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
I could not refuse so devout a request without failing in devotion myself. I taught them, first the confession of faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; then the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, and Hail Mary. I noticed among them persons of great intelligence. If only someone could educate them in the Christian way of life, I have no doubt that they would make excellent Christians.
Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians.
I wish the university students would work as hard at converting these people as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.
This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God‘s will and his choice.
They would cry out with all their heart: “Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do?” Send me anywhere you like – even to India! – from letters to Saint Ignatius of Loyola from Saint Francis Xavier
MLA Citation
- “Saint Francis Xavier“. CatholicSaints.Info. 29 March 2024. Web. 26 April 2024. <>