Francis Xavier

Who they were

Francis was born in 1506 in the castle of Xavier in Navarre, son of the president of Navarre's royal council. At Paris, where he became master of arts in 1530, he met Peter Faber and Ignatius of Loyola, who called him 'the toughest dough I ever kneaded', and in 1539 he helped found the Society of Jesus.

At Pope Paul III's request he sailed for the Indies on 7 April 1541, reaching Goa in May 1542 after thirteen months at sea. He lived in the hospital beside the sickest patient and cared for prisoners, slaves and abandoned children, ringing a bell in the streets to gather children and teaching them the faith in song. He evangelised the pearl-fishers of South India, reached Japan in 1549 and founded a community of hundreds despite the death penalty for baptising. Trying to enter China, he fell ill on the island of Shangchuan and died at dawn on 3 December 1552. His body, found incorrupt, lies at Goa.

The miracles

He was named patron of the East in 1748 and of all missions, with St Thérèse of Lisieux, in 1927. The miracles examined for his causes are not described in the sources we have used.

Why that counted as sanctity

In eleven years Francis carried the Gospel from India to Japan, adapting it to each people and spending himself for the poorest. His prayer: 'Lord, I love you not because you can give me heaven or send me to hell, but because you are my God.'

Connected on this site

• Francis Bianchi Saint
  “Francis Xavier Mary Bianchi (Italian: Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi; ) (December 2, 1743 – January 31, 1815), was an Italian Barnabite priest and noted scholar, who also gained a reputation for sanctity during his lifetime from both his commitment to his students and to the poor of Naples.” — Wikipedia
• Fransisko Nguyen Saint
  “At Hanoi in Tonkin, now Vietnam, Saint Francis Xavier Can, martyr, who, a catechist, was strangled and beheaded for his faith under the Emperor Minh Mang.” — this site's research
• Guido Maria Conforti Saint
  “He founded the Pious Society of St Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions.” — this site's research
• Ignatius of Loyola Saint
  “Born in the town of Xavier, Kingdom of Navarre, he was a companion of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534.” — Wikipedia
• John de Brito Saint
  “Francis Xavier" by Indian Catholics.” — Wikipedia
• Mother Teresa Saint
  “Her authorized biography, written by Navin Chawla, was published in 1992, and on 6 September 2017, she was named a co-patron of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta alongside St Francis Xavier.” — Wikipedia
• Paul Miki Saint
  “Paul Miki was born in 1556 near Osaka, probably into a family converted by St Francis Xavier, was baptised at five and educated by the Jesuits, whom he never left.” — this site's research
• Paul the Apostle Saint
  “Known as the "Apostle of the Indies", "Apostle of the Far East", "Apostle of China" and "Apostle of Japan", he is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle.” — Wikipedia
• Peter Faber Saint
  “At Paris, where he became master of arts in 1530, he met Peter Faber and Ignatius of Loyola, who called him 'the toughest dough I ever kneaded', and in 1539 he helped found the Society of Jesus.” — this site's research
• Philip Neri Saint
  “Philip was canonised in the great ceremony of 12 March 1622, together with Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila and Isidore the Farmer.” — this site's research
• Thérèse of Lisieux Saint
  “In 1927, Pope Pius XI published the decree Apostolicorum in Missionibus naming Francis Xavier, along with Thérèse of Lisieux, co-patron of all foreign missions.” — Wikipedia
• John Sullivan Blessed
  “He died at St Vincent's Nursing Home in Dublin on 19 February 1933 and is entombed in St Francis Xavier's Church, Gardiner Street.” — this site's research