St. Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506, in the Castle of Xavier in the Kingdom of Navarre, Spain.
In 1524, he began studying philosophy in the University of Paris and later he obtained his degree. There, he met and became friends with Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola helped him turn his ambitions from a worldly fame to faith. His ambition was to become a professor of philosophy at the University.
But God had other plans for him. At the age of 28, he embraced Ignatius’s lofty ideals after having shared a room with him and Blessed Peter Faber at the University of Paris. In 1537, Francis was ordained a priest in Venice alongside St. Ignatius and four other Jesuits. He became one of the first six companions of St. Ignatius to take their vows at Montmartre in 1534.
In 1542, he travelled to Goa, India, where he ministered to the poor, visited prisoners and the sick, and baptized thousands of people. He made the Gospel accessible by translating teachings and setting prayers to music.
From 1545 to 1548, he went to Japan, where he continued his mission.
In 1549, Francis Xavier became the first Christian missionary to enter Japan, spending over two years adapting to local customs and establishing the foundations of a Christian community.
His great wish was to bring Christianity to China but at that time it was closed to foreigners. Consequently, Francis went to a small island near Hong Kong, just off the coast of China, waiting for a merchant who had promised to smuggle him into the country. But Francis fell ill and died on the 3 December 1552, at the age of 46.
St. Francis Xavier was canonized in 1622 at the same time as St. Ignatius of Loyola.
St. Therésè of Lisieux and St. Francis Xavier are the Patron Saints of the Missions.
St. Francis was born in Spain and together with St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuit Society. This missionary preached and spread the Word of God in Africa, India, Japan and the Philippines. Being Catholic in these countries was very difficult; however, St. Francis never gave up and wherever he was, he remained a living reminder of how to be faithful to the Lord, even in difficult situations.
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