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 Jesuit Jubilee Year: Blessed Peter Favre, St Ignatius Loyola, St Francis Xavier Scott 1322-1324 (2006) December 3 is the feast day for Saint Francis Xavier, who died on this date in 1552. A Spaniard, Francis Xavier was born in 1506 at Xavier Castle in Navarre and became a Jesuit missionary to the Far East. He was educated at the University of Paris where he met Ignatius Loyola. Xavier was part of the group of seven who took vows in 1534 (the year the order was founded) and became priests three years later. At the invitation of Portuguese King John III, in 1541 he sailed to Goa, requiring a long 13-month journey. Xavier carried with him a papal brief declaring he was ‘apostolic nuncio to the East.’ During the next ten years, Xavier reformed the Church in Goa where the practice of Christianity was ‘relaxed’, especially in terms of morality and the cruel behavior shown to slaves. Dawn Marie Beutner states: “He taught them about the Christian faith, cared for those who were sick or in prison, offered Mass for lepers, and put the truths of the faith into songs, which rapidly spread the Gospel.”In addition to Goa, Xavier was a missionary to the Paravas (pearl divers) in southern India, Ceylon, Malacca, the Molucca Islands, and the Malay Peninsula. David Farmer writes: “He went among the poor as a poor man himself sleeping on the ground in a hut and eating mainly rice and water. By and large he met with immense success among the low-caste but with almost none among the Brahmins.”Xavier established well-organized communities which led to the permanence in faith among those to whom he was a missionary. In 1549 Xavier travelled to Japan where he conducted successful missionary activities at Kagoshima and Hirado. He learned that he would have greater success if he abandoned poverty and adopted the practices of formal dress and making presents to local rulers. His work was successful, although 60 years later converts were persecuted, and some martyred (e.g. Paul Miki and companions). Xavier returned to Goa in 1552 and pressed on to China but, in poor health, fell ill and died on the island of Chang-Chuen-Shan, “worn out by ceaseless activity” (David Farmer). Chaunshan is the main island of the Chaunshan Archipelago, sometimes called São João in Portuguese (St. John Island). It was then not permissible for foreigners to enter China. His body was placed in quicklime and returned to Goa. His relics are enshrined in a silver casket at the Born Jesus Basilica of Goa. The right arm was detached in 1615 and enshrined at the Gesù in Rome (Jesuit headquarters). Pope Gregory XV canonized Xavier in 1622. Pius XI declared him patron of foreign missions in 1927. Currently, the 18th decennial exposition of the holy relics of Saint Francis Xavier is taking place at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, India. Once a decade, the event draws pilgrims and tourists to the site of his tomb for the exposition of his sacred relics. The exposition will run through the month of January, 2025. Below are photos of the Basilica at Goa, as well as the tomb of Saint Francis Xavier.  Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, India Photo by Aviatorjk From Wikimedia Commons Used under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license  Relics of Saint Francis Xavier Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, India Photo by Nagarjun Kandukuru From Wikimedia Commons Used under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license REFERENCES: |
