St. Francis Xavier, one of the founders of the Society of Jesus, is considered the greatest missionary of the Catholic Church after St. Paul. A young aristocrat and the son of the king’s privy counselor, he was born in the castle of Javier (Xavier, in the Basque language). Ambitious and full of plans, he set off for Paris to study. However, a fellow Spaniard, Ignatius of Loyola, changed Francis and his aspirations.
At first, Francis looked at his college roommate with scorn, but Ignatius’s words, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”, had a profound impact on him. He abandoned his selfish ambitions and, together with Ignatius and five others, became a priest, took vows, and founded the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.
Now free from any desire for worldly success, Francis was ready to live for others and for God. An opportunity soon arose when the King of Portugal requested two Jesuits to go to newly colonized India. Initially, Ignatius chose Simon Rodriguez and Nicholas Bobadilla, but just before their departure, Bobadilla fell ill. When Ignatius asked Francis to go instead, he readily replied, “Of course, right away!” The very next day, Francis repaired an old pair of pants, bade farewell to his friends, and departed.
He arrived in Goa, India, 13 months later, beginning his ministry by caring for the sick. From there, he traveled across India. In Travancore, he baptized 10,000 people in a single month, working so tirelessly that his arm went numb and he lost his voice from the constant instruction he provided.
From India, Francis sailed first to Indonesia and then to Japan, where he struggled to master the language. When someone asked him, “How can Christianity be true if China has never heard of it?” he realized that China must be his next destination. However, he never reached it. On Shangchuan Island, off the coast of China, the 46-year-old Francis Xavier fell ill and died.
Around 30,000 baptisms are attributed to Francis Xavier, which is why, after St. Paul, he is considered the greatest missionary of the Catholic Church. His life marks a turning point in the Church’s missionary work, as he provided such a powerful impetus that it can only be compared to the momentum of St. Paul.
Pope Gregory XV declared him a saint in 1622. In February 1553, his body was transferred from China to Malacca, Malaysia, where it was buried for eight months before being transported by ship to Goa, India. His body, which remains incorrupt, is still venerated there today. His hand is enshrined on an altar in the Church of the Gesù in Rome. He is the patron saint of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, and prayer communities dedicated to the Precious Blood.
