51ºÚÁÏ

Saint Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta, was co-founder of the Society of Jesus and led first Christian mission to Japan.

He was born at the castle of Xavier (Javier) in Navarre.

He was a companion of Ignatius Loyola and was one of the first Jesuit priests to take vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534.

He led an extensive mission in Asia and was influential in evangelization work most notably in Portuguese India. For 7 years he worked among the Paravas in southern India. He went among the poor as a poor man himself, sleeping on the ground in a hut and eating mainly rice and just drinking water. He had immense success with the low-caste, almost non with the Brahmins.

He was the first major Christian missionary to venture into Borneo, the Maluke Islands and Japan. He had less success than he had enjoyed in India due to language problems. In Japan he changed tactics - he smartened up his appearance and gained protection and the use of an empty Buddhist monastery.

He was about to extend his mission to Ming China when he died, aged 48, on Shangchuan Island****. He had suffered extreme hardship, had worn himself out with ceaseless activity, yet enjoyed a high degree of union with God in prayer.**

His vast correspondence survives so it is possible to authentic a study of his character.

Francis Xavier is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle in the New Testament.

He was beatified by Pope Paul V on25th October 1619.
Canonized by Pope Gregory XV on12th March 1622
Declared Patron of Foreign Missions by Pius XI in 1927
Feast Day 3rd December.

*Society of Jesus * - separate notes

Sources
Wikipedia ( 17 pages)
Oxford Dictionary of Saints by David Farmer