Xavier, Francis ................................ X
(1506–1552)
Missionary who converted thousands to
Christianity in India, the East Indies, and
the Far East. Born Francisco de Jasso y Az-
pilcueta to a noble family of Navarre, he
was the son of a counselor to the king of
Navarre. He studied at the University of
Paris, where in 1534 became one of the
seven founding members of the Jesuit Or-
der founded by Ignatius of Loyola. Xavier
traveled to Venice in 1536 and was or-
dained a priest in 1537. He worked for
several years to establish Jesuit institutions
in Rome and in 1540 was recruited into a
Portuguese mission to Goa, India. The
Christianizing mission of the Jesuits was
well suited to accompany the voyages to
the Indies by Portuguese explorers, who
saw as their duty not only the establish-
ment of trading posts and colonies but the
harvest of souls for the greater glory of
the Christian church. Appointed a papal
nuncio, or representative, Xavier left for
India and the East Indies in 1542. His per-
suasive speaking and preaching gained
converts at Goa, and he successfully estab-
lished Christian missions along the coasts
of India and in the Malay Archipelago. In
1549 he arrived at Kagoshima, Japan,
where he became the first to introduce
Christianity. Xavier set up several missions
in Japan before returning to India in 1551.
He left with a Portuguese embassy for
China and in 1552 died on the island of
Changcheun while seeking entry to China,
then ruled by a Ming dynasty emperor.
Xavier’s body was collected and laid to rest
at a Christian church in Goa, which be-
came a popular shrine and place of pil-
grimage for Christians throughout Asia.
He was canonized along with Ignatius
Loyola in 1622; Xavier eventually became
the patron saint of India, the Philippines,
Japan, China, New Zealand, and of all
Christian missionaries.SEEALSO: Loyola, Saint Ignatius