Early life Xavier was born Francisco de Jaso y Azpilcueta in the Castle of Xavier (modern Spanish Javier, Basque Xabier) near Sangüesa and Pamplona, in Navarre, Spain. He sprang from an aristocratic Basque family of Navarre. In 1512, Castile invaded Navarre. Many fortresses were devastated, including the family castle, and land was confiscated. Francis' father died in 1515.
At the age of 19, Francis Xavier went to study at the University of Paris, where he received a licence ès arts in 1530. He furthered his studies there in theology, and became acquainted with Ignatius Loyola. Along with Ignatius, Pierre Favre and four others, Xavier was one of those who on August 15, 1534 bound themselves by a vow at Montmartre and formed the Society of Jesus.
Missionary work Francis Xavier devoted much of his life to missions to remote countries. As King John III of Portugal desired Jesuit missionaries for the Portuguese East Indies, he was ordered there in 1540. He left Lisbon on April 7, 1541, together with two other Jesuits and the new viceroy Martin de Sousa, on board the Santiago. From August of that year until March 1542, he remained in Mozambique, and reached Goa, India, the capital of the then Portuguese colonies, on May 6. His official role in Goa was Apostolic Nuncio. He spent the following three years operating out of Goa.
On September 20, 1542, he left for his first missionary activity among the Paravas, pearl-fishers along the east coast of southern India, north of Cape Comorin. He then exerted himself to convert the king of Travancore to Christianity, on the west coast, and also visited Ceylon. Dissatisfied with the results of his activity, he turned eastward in 1545, and planned a missionary journey to Macassar, on the island of Celebes, in today's Indonesia.
After arriving in Malacca in October of that year and waiting there three months in vain for a ship to Macassar, he gave up the goal of his voyage. He left Malacca on January 1, 1546 and landed on Amboyna, where he stayed until mid-June. He then visited other Molucca Islands, including Ternate and More. Shortly after Easter 1546, he returned to Ambon Island, and then Malacca.
In December 1547, in Malacca, Francis Xavier met a Japanese nobleman from Kagoshima called Anjiro. Anjiro had heard from Francis in 1545 and had travelled from Kagoshima to Malacca with the purpose of meeting him. Following their conversations, Xavier decided to travel to Japan.
He returned to India in January 1548. The next fifteen months were occupied with various journeys and administrative measures in India.
Then due to displeasure at the unchristian life and manners of the Portuguese, which impeded proselyting work, he went forth once again into the unknown Far East. He left Goa on April 15, 1549, stopped at Malacca, and visited Canton. He was accompanied by Anjiro, two other Japanese men, the father Cosme de Torrès and Brother Juan Fernandez. He had taken with him presents for the "King of Japan", since he was intending to introduce himself as the Apostolic Nuncio.
Xavier reached Japan on August 15, 1549. He landed at Kagoshima, the principal port of the province of Satsuma, on the island of Kyushu. He was received in a friendly manner and was the host of Ajiro's family until October 1550. From October to December 1550, he resided in Yamaguchi. Shortly before Christmas, he left for Kyoto, but failed at meeting with the Emperor. He returned to Yamaguchi in March 1551. There he was permitted to preach by the daimyo, but not knowing the Japanese language he had to limit himself to reading aloud the translation of a catechism.
Memorial to St. Francis Xavier, Hirado, Nagasaki, JapanUltimately his sojourn was fruitful, as attested by congregations established in Hirado, Yamaguchi, and Bungo. Xavier worked for more than two years in Japan and saw his successor-Jesuits established. He then decided to return to India. During his trip, a tempest forced him to stop on an island near Guangzhou, China. There he saw the rich merchant Diégo Pereira, an old friend from Cochin, who showed him a letter of Portuguese being held prisoners in Guangzhou asking for a Portuguese ambassador to talk to the Chinese Emperor in their favor. Later, he stopped at Malacca on December 27, 1551 and was back in Goa by January, 1552.
On April 17 he was again under way, together with Diégo Pereira, leaving Goa on board of the Santa Cruz and aiming for China. He introduced himself as Apostolic Nuncio, and Pereira as ambassador of the King of Portugal. Shortly thereafter, he realized that he had forgotten his testimonial letters as an Apostolic Nuncio. Back in Malacca, he was confronted by the capitan Alvaro de Ataide de Gama, who now had total control over the harbor. The capitan refused to recognize his title of Nuncio, asked Pereira to resign from his title of ambassador, named a new crew for the ship, and demanded that the gifts for the Emperor be left in Malacca.
In early September 1552, the Santa Cruz reached the Chinese island of Shangchuan, 10 km away from the southern coast of mainland China, near Taishan, Guangdong, 200 km south-west of what later became Hong Kong. At this time, he was only accompanied by a Jesuit student, Alvaro Ferreira, a Chinese man called Antonio, and a Malabar servant called Christopher. Around mid-November he sent a letter saying that a man had agreed to take him to the mainland in exchange for a large sum of money. Having sent back Alvaro Ferreira, he remained alone with Antonio.
Death On November 21, he fainted after celebrating a mass. He died on the island on December 2, 1552, at age 46, without having reached mainland China.
He was first buried on Shangchuan Daos beach. His intact body was taken from the island in February 1553. It was temporarily buried in St. Paul's church in Malacca on March 22, 1553. An open grave in the church now marks the place of Xavier's burial. Pereira came back from Goa, removed the corpse shortly after April 15, 1553, and moved it to his house.
On December 11, 1553, Xavier's body was shipped to Goa. The body, having resisted extensive decay, is now in the Basilica of Bom Jésus in Goa, where it was placed into a silver casket on December 2, 1637. The silver casket is lowered for public viewing only during the public exposition, which most recently took place in 1994. There is a debate as to how the body could have remained incorrupt for so long. Some say that Francis Xavier was mummified, while others argue that the incorruptible body is evidence of a miracle.
Legacy Francis Xavier accomplished a great deal of missionary work, both as organizer and as pioneer. By his compromises in India with the Christians of St. Thomas he developed the Jesuit missionary methods along lines that subsequently became fateful for his order. The instruction he dispensed in connection with baptism was superficial. He combined missions with politics, and approved of the extension of Christianity by force (cf. his letter to King John III. of Portugal, Cochin, Jan. 20, 1548).
He had high qualifications as missionary: he was animated with glowing zeal; he was endowed with great linguistic gifts, and his activity was marked by restless pushing forward. His efforts left a significant impression upon the missionary history of India, and by pointing out the way to East India to the Jesuits, his work is of fundamental significance with regard to the history of the propagation of Christianity in China and Japan.
He himself witnessed many of the results of his labor, but still greater were the tasks he proposed. Since the Roman Catholic Church responded to his call, the effects of his efforts reach far beyond the Jesuit order; the entire systematic and aggressive incorporation of great masses of people on broad lines of policy by the Roman Catholic Church in modern times dates back to Xavier.
Recognition Francis Xavier is an Anglican and a Catholic saint. He was beatified by Paul V on October 25, 1619, and was canonized by Gregory XV on March 12, 1622, at the same time as Ignatius Loyola.
In 1839, Theodore James Ryken founded the Xaverian Brothers, or Congregation of St. Francis Xavier (CFX). Currently, over twenty colleges or high schools in the United States are Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS).
He is the patron saint of Australia, Borneo, China, East Indies, Goa, Japan, New Zealand.
Many churches all over the world have been named in honor of Xavier. One notable church is the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, Iowa. It is one of only 52 minor basilicas in the United States, and the only one outside a metropolitan area.
His feast day is December 3.
The Javierada is an annual peregrination from Pamplona to Xavier instituted in the 1940s.
Xavier is one of the few English names starting with X.
Francis Xavier (Roman Catholic Missionary) ~ Bio Wiki
Francis Xavier, a Biography
Francis Xavier Biography
PPT
VIDEO
General Francis Ogolla Biography
Francis Kimemia life History, biography, education, career, wife, children, controversies
St. Francis Xavier Youth Choir Mikindani
Investigator Francis Ridge on the different phases of the UFO and alien abduction phenomenon, 1988
Pope Francis: A Life of Service and Compassion
COMMENTS
Saint Francis Xavier
Summarize this Article St. Francis Xavier (born April 7, 1506, Xavier (Javier) Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre [Spain]—died December 3, 1552, Sancian [now Shangchuan] Island, China; canonized March 12, 1622; feast day December 3) was the greatest Roman Catholic missionary of modern times who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan.
Francis Xavier
t. e. Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: Franciscus Xaverius; Basque: Frantzisko Xabierkoa; French: François Xavier; Spanish: Francisco Javier; Portuguese: Francisco Xavier; 7 April 1506 - 3 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was born in [Navarra] Spain [3] [4] Catholic missionary and saint who ...
Saint Francis Xavier
Name: Francis Xavier. Birth Year: 1506. Birth date: April 7, 1506. Birth City: Xavier Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre. Birth Country: Spain. Gender: Male. Best Known For: The patron saint of ...
Saint Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier. Saint. Death:12/03/1552. Nationality (place of birth):Spain. Francis Xavier (Francisco de Jassu y Javier, 1506-1552), was the first Jesuit missionary and the prototype who inspired many men to enter the Society of Jesus and evangelize far off nations. One of the original group of seven men who founded the Jesuits, he was sent to ...
St. Francis Xavier
Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the college de Sainte-Barbe. Here he met the Savoyard, Pierre Favre, and a ...
Saint Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier gave his to others. Saint Francis Xavier is a Patron Saint of: Includes Saint of the Day, Minute Meditations, and Pause + Pray. Saint Francis Xavier was won over to Christ by the gentle persuasion of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He then joined the Jesuits and soon after set off for the East, where he labored the rest of his life.
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier: His Life, His Times, 4 vols., by Georg Schurhammer (Rome, 1973 - 1982) is the definitive biography by the leading authority on Xavier, the result of decades of study. Schurhammer's Saint Francis Xavier : The Apostle of India and Japan ( Saint Louis , Mo., 1928) and Margaret Yeo's Saint Francis Xavier: Apostle of the East ( New ...
Saint Francis Xavier, 1506-1552
In 1525, Francis left Xavier, his mother's castle near Pamplona in Navarre, to study at the University of Paris. He enrolled at the College of St. Barbara, where he pursued an unwaveringly successful academic career. Within three short years he had earned his degree and was lecturing in philosophy. At St. Barbara, circumstances put Xavier's ...
St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis Xavier The Spanish Jesuit St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was a pioneer of Catholic missions in eastern Asia. Known as the Apostle of the East Indies, he has been acclaimed as one of the greatest missionaries in history.. Francis Xavier was born Francisco de Jasso y Xavier of a noble family of Basque stock on April 7, 1506.
Saint Francis Xavier summary
Saint Francis Xavier, (born April 7, 1506, Xavier Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre—died Dec. 3, 1552, Sancian Island, China; canonized March 12, 1622; feast day December 3), Spanish-born French missionary to the Far East.Born into a noble Basque family, he was educated at the University of Paris, where he met Ignatius of Loyola and became one of the first seven members of the Jesuits.
Who was Francis Xavier?
St. Francis Xavier, one of St. Ignatius Loyola's closest friends and an original founding companion of the Society of Jesus, is most honored by the Catholic Church, other Christian churches, and the Jesuit order for his missionary accomplishments particularly in India, Southeast Asia and Japan. He was born in 1506 in the family castle in the ...
St. Francis Xavier: Life & Major Accomplishments
Francis Xavier's death on December 3, 1552, on Shangchuan Island, China, marked the end of an extraordinary life dedicated to missionary work. He was canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622, alongside Ignatius of Loyola. His feast day is celebrated on December 3. Xavier's legacy is not just in the communities he founded or the people ...
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Francis Xavier
Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the Collège de Sainte-Barbe. Here he met the Savoyard, Pierre Favre, and a ...
St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis Xavier was a Navarrese-Basque Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre on April 7, 1506. His father was a privy counselor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre. He was the youngest in his family and resided in a castle which still partially stands today and is in the possession of the Jesuit order.
St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis Xavier. On Dec. 3, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits who went on to evangelize vast portions of Asia. Francis Xavier was born during 1506 in ...
St. Francis Xavier Resources
Francis Xavier was one of the first companions and founders of the Society of Jesus. He became a close friend of Ignatius Loyola at the University of Paris. Xavier came to share Ignatius' vision through making the Spiritual Exercises, and realized that vision through missionary labors in India, Indonesian archipelago and Japan. He was the first Jesuit to go out to people of non-European culture.
St. Francis Xavier: A Modern View of His Life and Work
St. Francis Xavier, one of St. Ignatius Loyola's closest friends and an original founding companion of the Society of Jesus, is most honored by the Catholic Church, other Christian churches, and the Jesuit order for his missionary accomplishments particularly in India, Southeast Asia and Japan. He was born in 1506 in the family castle in the Basque region of northern Spain, the fifth and ...
St. Francis Xavier
St. Francis Xavier. Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the collège de Sainte-Barbe.
Francis Xavier Biography
Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506 at the castle of Xavier in the Kingdom of Navarre, to Juan de Jasso y Atondo and Dona Maria de Azpilcueta y Aznarez. The family was one of the most prosperous in the kingdom. Francis Xavier's father died in 1515, and Francis was taught by his mother and a parish priest in his early years.
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier. (1506-52). The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier was a Spanish missionary priest who spent 11 years preaching and teaching in India and Japan. He became known as the Apostle of the Indies and was eventually canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic church. Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506, in the Spanish kingdom of Navarre.
St. Francis Xavier
Almost everywhere he traveled, Xavier was the first Christian missionary the people had met. Although he struggled with languages, he worked with native interpreters and used both art and culture to introduce thousands to the Gospel. By the time, Francis Xavier died — at age 46, in 1552, on Shangchuan — he had baptized at least 30,000 people.
The Life And Letters Of St. Francis Xavier, Volume 1
CONTENTS BOOK I. FROM THE BIRTH OF FRANCIS TO HIS SAILING FOR INDIA. 1506-1541. CHAPTER I. FRANCIS XAVIER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS. Manifold diversity of vocations 1 Importance of the old Universities 2 Universities and religious movements 3 Ignatius at Paris 4 His attraction to great cities 5 Acquaintance with Francis Xavier 7 Pierre Leftvre 8 Parentage and early life of Francis Xavier 9 ...
Francis Xavier Biography
Francis Xavier Biography. Saint Francis Xavier (April 7, 1506 - December 2, 1552) was a pioneering Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order). The Xaverian Brothers are named after him. The Catholic church considers him to have converted more people to Christianity then anyone else since St. Paul. Xavier was born ...
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Summarize this Article St. Francis Xavier (born April 7, 1506, Xavier (Javier) Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre [Spain]—died December 3, 1552, Sancian [now Shangchuan] Island, China; canonized March 12, 1622; feast day December 3) was the greatest Roman Catholic missionary of modern times who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan.
t. e. Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: Franciscus Xaverius; Basque: Frantzisko Xabierkoa; French: François Xavier; Spanish: Francisco Javier; Portuguese: Francisco Xavier; 7 April 1506 - 3 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was born in [Navarra] Spain [3] [4] Catholic missionary and saint who ...
Name: Francis Xavier. Birth Year: 1506. Birth date: April 7, 1506. Birth City: Xavier Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre. Birth Country: Spain. Gender: Male. Best Known For: The patron saint of ...
Francis Xavier. Saint. Death:12/03/1552. Nationality (place of birth):Spain. Francis Xavier (Francisco de Jassu y Javier, 1506-1552), was the first Jesuit missionary and the prototype who inspired many men to enter the Society of Jesus and evangelize far off nations. One of the original group of seven men who founded the Jesuits, he was sent to ...
Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the college de Sainte-Barbe. Here he met the Savoyard, Pierre Favre, and a ...
Francis Xavier gave his to others. Saint Francis Xavier is a Patron Saint of: Includes Saint of the Day, Minute Meditations, and Pause + Pray. Saint Francis Xavier was won over to Christ by the gentle persuasion of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He then joined the Jesuits and soon after set off for the East, where he labored the rest of his life.
Francis Xavier: His Life, His Times, 4 vols., by Georg Schurhammer (Rome, 1973 - 1982) is the definitive biography by the leading authority on Xavier, the result of decades of study. Schurhammer's Saint Francis Xavier : The Apostle of India and Japan ( Saint Louis , Mo., 1928) and Margaret Yeo's Saint Francis Xavier: Apostle of the East ( New ...
In 1525, Francis left Xavier, his mother's castle near Pamplona in Navarre, to study at the University of Paris. He enrolled at the College of St. Barbara, where he pursued an unwaveringly successful academic career. Within three short years he had earned his degree and was lecturing in philosophy. At St. Barbara, circumstances put Xavier's ...
St. Francis Xavier The Spanish Jesuit St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was a pioneer of Catholic missions in eastern Asia. Known as the Apostle of the East Indies, he has been acclaimed as one of the greatest missionaries in history.. Francis Xavier was born Francisco de Jasso y Xavier of a noble family of Basque stock on April 7, 1506.
Saint Francis Xavier, (born April 7, 1506, Xavier Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre—died Dec. 3, 1552, Sancian Island, China; canonized March 12, 1622; feast day December 3), Spanish-born French missionary to the Far East.Born into a noble Basque family, he was educated at the University of Paris, where he met Ignatius of Loyola and became one of the first seven members of the Jesuits.
St. Francis Xavier, one of St. Ignatius Loyola's closest friends and an original founding companion of the Society of Jesus, is most honored by the Catholic Church, other Christian churches, and the Jesuit order for his missionary accomplishments particularly in India, Southeast Asia and Japan. He was born in 1506 in the family castle in the ...
Francis Xavier's death on December 3, 1552, on Shangchuan Island, China, marked the end of an extraordinary life dedicated to missionary work. He was canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622, alongside Ignatius of Loyola. His feast day is celebrated on December 3. Xavier's legacy is not just in the communities he founded or the people ...
Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the Collège de Sainte-Barbe. Here he met the Savoyard, Pierre Favre, and a ...
St. Francis Xavier was a Navarrese-Basque Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre on April 7, 1506. His father was a privy counselor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre. He was the youngest in his family and resided in a castle which still partially stands today and is in the possession of the Jesuit order.
St. Francis Xavier. On Dec. 3, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits who went on to evangelize vast portions of Asia. Francis Xavier was born during 1506 in ...
Francis Xavier was one of the first companions and founders of the Society of Jesus. He became a close friend of Ignatius Loyola at the University of Paris. Xavier came to share Ignatius' vision through making the Spiritual Exercises, and realized that vision through missionary labors in India, Indonesian archipelago and Japan. He was the first Jesuit to go out to people of non-European culture.
St. Francis Xavier, one of St. Ignatius Loyola's closest friends and an original founding companion of the Society of Jesus, is most honored by the Catholic Church, other Christian churches, and the Jesuit order for his missionary accomplishments particularly in India, Southeast Asia and Japan. He was born in 1506 in the family castle in the Basque region of northern Spain, the fifth and ...
St. Francis Xavier. Born in the Castle of Xavier near Sanguesa, in Navarre, 7 April, 1506; died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China, 2 December, 1552. In 1525, having completed a preliminary course of studies in his own country, Francis Xavier went to Paris, where he entered the collège de Sainte-Barbe.
Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506 at the castle of Xavier in the Kingdom of Navarre, to Juan de Jasso y Atondo and Dona Maria de Azpilcueta y Aznarez. The family was one of the most prosperous in the kingdom. Francis Xavier's father died in 1515, and Francis was taught by his mother and a parish priest in his early years.
Francis Xavier. (1506-52). The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier was a Spanish missionary priest who spent 11 years preaching and teaching in India and Japan. He became known as the Apostle of the Indies and was eventually canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic church. Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506, in the Spanish kingdom of Navarre.
Almost everywhere he traveled, Xavier was the first Christian missionary the people had met. Although he struggled with languages, he worked with native interpreters and used both art and culture to introduce thousands to the Gospel. By the time, Francis Xavier died — at age 46, in 1552, on Shangchuan — he had baptized at least 30,000 people.
CONTENTS BOOK I. FROM THE BIRTH OF FRANCIS TO HIS SAILING FOR INDIA. 1506-1541. CHAPTER I. FRANCIS XAVIER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS. Manifold diversity of vocations 1 Importance of the old Universities 2 Universities and religious movements 3 Ignatius at Paris 4 His attraction to great cities 5 Acquaintance with Francis Xavier 7 Pierre Leftvre 8 Parentage and early life of Francis Xavier 9 ...
Francis Xavier Biography. Saint Francis Xavier (April 7, 1506 - December 2, 1552) was a pioneering Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order). The Xaverian Brothers are named after him. The Catholic church considers him to have converted more people to Christianity then anyone else since St. Paul. Xavier was born ...