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St. Francis Xavier, born on April 7, 1506, in the Castle of Xavier, Navarre, Spain, was one of the first seven Jesuits and became renowned for his missionary work in Asia. Educated at the University of Paris, he met Ignatius of Loyola, which led to his conversion and ordination in 1537. His missionary journey took him to India, Malacca, the Moluccas, Japan, and he attempted to enter China, where he died on December 3, 1552, from a fever. His life was marked by numerous conversions and miracles, leading to his canonization in 1622 as the patron saint of missionaries and navigators.
{{Saints
|SaintName=Saint Francis Xavier
|SaintStage=Saint
|SaintBirthDate=04-07-1506
|SaintBirthPlace=Javier, Navarre, Kingdom of Spain
|SaintBirthCoordinates=42.5833, -1.4667
|SaintDeathDate=12-03-1552
|DeathPlace=Shangchuan Island, Guangdong, Ming Empire (now China)
|SaintDeathCoordinates=22.0833, 113.2667
|SaintCauseOfDeath=Natural causes
|NotableAddress1=Old Goa, Goa 403 402, India
|NotableLabel1=Basilica of Bom Jesus (relics and primary shrine)
|NotableCoordinates1=15.4989, 73.9278
|NotableAddress2=Porziuncola Nuova, San Francisco, California 94133, United States
|NotableLabel2=Replica of Porziuncola chapel (missionary devotion)
|NotableCoordinates2=37.8023, -122.4070
|NotableAddress3=National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, 600 Vallejo St, San Francisco, California 94133, United States
|NotableLabel3=Shrine dedicated to his Franciscan roots
|NotableCoordinates3=37.7980, -122.4070
|NotableAddress4=St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Malacca, Malaysia
|NotableLabel4=Site of his missionary work
|NotableCoordinates4=2.1950, 102.2486
|NotableAddress5=Shrine of St. Francis Xavier, Macao, China
|NotableLabel5=Ruins of St. Paul's (missionary legacy)
|NotableCoordinates5=22.1967, 113.5419
|BeatificationDate=10-25-1619
|Beatifier=Pope Paul V
|BeatificationLocation=Rome
|Canonized=Yes
|CanonizationDate=03-12-1622
|Canonizer=Pope Gregory XV
|CanonizationLocation=Rome
|SaintMiracle1=Boy bitten by poisonous snake healed
|SaintMiracle2=Child pulled from drowning
|SaintMiracle3=Young man and maid lost at sea saved
|FeastDay=December 03
|LiturgicalClass=
|Profession=Missionary; Jesuit priest
|ReligiousAffiliation=Jesuits
|Patronage=Missionaries; Africa; China; Goa; India; Japan; foreign missions; navigators; plague patients
|Attributes=Crucifix; lily; burning heart; globe; ship; Jesuit cassock
|PrimaryShrine=Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, India
|AdditionalVeneration=
|AssociatedCountries=Spain; India; Japan; China; Portugal
|AssociatedDioceses=[[Archdiocese of Goa and Daman]]
|ReviewLevel=0
}}


==Biography==
'''Saint Francis Xavier''' (Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; 7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552), also known as '''Francisco Javier''', was a Navarrese-Basque Jesuit priest and missionary who co-founded the [[Society of Jesus]] and became one of the first Christian missionaries to Asia, evangelizing in India, Japan, and the Moluccas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=423 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> According to contemporary Jesuit letters and records, born in Javier Castle, Navarre, to a noble family, Francis studied at the University of Paris, where he met Ignatius of Loyola in 1529, joining the Jesuits in 1534 and being ordained in 1537.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm |website=New Advent |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> Commissioned by King John III of Portugal, he arrived in Goa in 1542, baptizing thousands, establishing schools, and combating social ills, before missions to Malacca, the Moluccas, Japan (1549), and China, where he died on Shangchuan Island from fever while awaiting entry.
 
Beatified on 25 October 1619 by [[Pope Paul V]] and canonized on 12 March 1622 by [[Pope Gregory XV]] alongside Ignatius of Loyola, Francis is invoked as patron of missionaries and foreign missions for his tireless zeal, with his incorrupt right arm relic touring globally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Francis Xavier |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-francis-xavier/ |website=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> His feast day, December 3, is celebrated in the [[Roman Rite]]. While primary sources like his letters to Ignatius confirm his conversions (estimated 30,000 baptisms) and cultural adaptations, hagiographic traditions attribute miracles like resurrecting a crab or calming storms, which cannot be historically verified. Evidence from Goan archives and Japanese records supports his foundational role in Asian Christianity, positioning him as a model of cross-cultural evangelization.
 
== Biography ==


=== Birth ===
=== Birth ===
St. Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506, in the Castle of Xavier, Navarre, Spain.
Saint Francis Xavier was born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta on 7 April 1506 in Javier Castle, Navarre, Kingdom of Spain, the youngest son of Juan de Jasso, a privy councillor, and María de Azpilcueta y Aznárez.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=423 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> Baptized in the family chapel, he grew up amid the Italian Wars' instability. Hagiographic tradition emphasizes a pious childhood, but this originates from later biographies.
 
Probabilistic inferences from Navarrese nobility suggest early education in humanities.


=== Early Life ===
=== Early Life ===
Born into a noble family, Francis was the youngest of five sons. His early education was at the University of Paris where he studied philosophy and theology.
Francis studied at the University of Paris from 1525, earning a master's in philosophy, where he roomed with Peter Faber and met Ignatius of Loyola in 1529.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm |website=New Advent |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> Initially resistant, he joined the "Inigo's companions" by 1534, professing vows at Montmartre. Evidence from Jesuit foundational documents confirms his Montsorrate pilgrimage (1535) and ordination in Venice (1537).
 
His early life transitioned from ambition to spiritual companionship.


=== Occupation ===
=== Occupation ===
Before his religious vocation, Francis was a teacher of philosophy at the University of Paris.
Francis's initial occupation was academia, lecturing philosophy at Beauvais College, Paris.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Francis Xavier |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-francis-xavier/ |website=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> As Jesuit, he focused on missions: arriving in Goa (1542), he catechized fisherfolk, founded colleges in Cochin and Malacca, and reached Japan (1549), learning Japanese for preaching. Historical letters detail his 100,000+ baptisms.
 
This work embodied Jesuit "to the ends of the earth."


=== Vocation ===
=== Vocation ===
In 1534, he met St. Ignatius of Loyola, which led to his conversion and commitment to a religious life. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), founded by Ignatius. Francis was ordained in 1537.
Francis's vocation as Asia's apostle, ignited by Ignatius's "What profits a man?" (1529), culminated in papal commissioning (1540).<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=423 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> Hagiographic tradition notes bilocation visions, unverifiable. His calling demanded cultural immersion.
 
It transformed him into the "Apostle of the Indies."


=== Death ===
=== Death ===
St. Francis Xavier died on December 3, 1552, on Shangchuan Island, off the coast of China, from a fever.
Saint Francis met his end by natural causes on December 3, 1552, aged 46, from dysentery on Shangchuan Island while awaiting China entry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm |website=New Advent |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> Buried in Goa, his body incorrupt.
 
=== Significant events ===
* Born in Javier Castle (7 April 1506).<ref name="catholic">{{Cite web |title=St. Francis Xavier |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=423 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref>
* Met Ignatius of Loyola in Paris (1529).<ref name="catholic"/>
* Professed vows at Montmartre (1534).<ref name="newadvent"/>
* Ordained in Venice (1537).<ref name="newadvent"/>
* Arrived in Goa for mission (6 May 1542).<ref name="newadvent"/>
* First Mass in Japan (1549).<ref name="newadvent"/>
* Died on Shangchuan Island (3 December 1552).<ref name="newadvent"/>
* Beatified by Pope Paul V (25 October 1619).<ref name="newadvent"/>
* Canonized by Pope Gregory XV (12 March 1622).<ref name="newadvent"/>


==Parishes==
=== Significant locations ===
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==Media==
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==== Dynamic shrines ====
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==== List of shrines ====
 
===== Basilica of Bom Jesus =====
* 17th-century basilica enshrining Xavier's incorrupt body since 1637, designated a UNESCO site and pilgrimage basilica under Canon 1230 by the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman for missionary devotions and relic veneration, serving as a center for prayer, sacraments, and annual December 3 feasts with processions drawing millions.
* Pilgrimage details: Old Goa, Goa 403 402, India; founded 1594, body 1637; features silver casket, plenary indulgences on feast; Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
* Facts: "Body exhumed incorrupt in 1553; Goa's most visited site."


==Significant events==
===== Porziuncola Nuova =====
* Replica of Assisi's Porziuncola in San Francisco, designated under Canon 1230 by the Archdiocese of San Francisco for Franciscan-Jesuit pilgrimages honoring Xavier's Loyola ties, offering Masses and retreats.
* Pilgrimage details: San Francisco, California 94133, United States; founded 1924; December events; Archdiocese of San Francisco.
* Facts: "Xavier's Loyola connection; California mission echo."


* Became one of the first seven Jesuits.
===== National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi =====
* Sent by Ignatius to do missionary work in Asia, arriving in Goa, India, in 1542.
* Historic shrine in San Francisco's North Beach, qualifying under Canon 1230 as a pilgrimage site by the Archdiocese of San Francisco for Xavier's Franciscan roots devotions, with chapel and annual feasts.
* Evangelized in various regions including Malacca, the Moluccas, and Japan, where he introduced Christianity.
* Pilgrimage details: 600 Vallejo St, San Francisco, California 94133, United States; founded 1920s; November 26 liturgies; Archdiocese of San Francisco.
* Attempted to enter China but died before he could do so extensively.
* Facts: "Ties to California missions Xavier inspired."


==Death==
===== St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Malacca =====
* Portuguese-era cathedral on his mission site, designated under Canon 1230 by the Diocese of Malacca-Johor for Southeast Asian pilgrimages and relic expositions.
* Pilgrimage details: Jalan Kota Laksamana, Malacca, Malaysia; 16th century; December feasts; Diocese of Malacca-Johor.
* Facts: "Xavier preached here 1545; colonial heritage."


St. Francis Xavier died while trying to enter mainland China. He contracted a fever and passed away in isolation, but his body was found incorrupt upon exhumation.
===== Ruins of St. Paul's, Macao =====
* 17th-century church ruins with Xavier statue, serving as a UNESCO site and devotional shrine under Canon 1230 by the Diocese of Macau for his China mission legacy.
* Pilgrimage details: Rua de São Paulo, Macao, China; founded 1602; annual commemorations; Diocese of Macau.
* Facts: "Near where Xavier died; facade with saints."


==Canonization==
== Canonization ==


=== Servant of God ===
=== Servant of God ===
The process to recognize Francis Xavier as a Servant of God began shortly after his death, with local veneration.
The process to recognize Saint Francis Xavier as a Servant of God began shortly after his death in 1552, with initial investigation conducted in Goa by the Portuguese Inquisition.


===Venerable===
=== Venerable ===
Declared Venerable by the Catholic Church for his life of heroic virtue.
Declared Venerable through popular cult and reported miracles by 1605 for his life of heroic virtue in missionary zeal.


=== Beatification ===
=== Beatification ===
Beatified on October 25, 1619, by Pope Paul V after the confirmation of miracles attributed to his intercession.
Beatified on 25 October 1619 by Pope Paul V after confirmation of miracles attributed to his intercession, allowing limited veneration.
For beatification, one miracle attributed to his intercession was authenticated.


=== Canonization ===
=== Canonization ===
Canonized on March 12, 1622, by Pope Gregory XV alongside Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Ávila, and others.
Canonized on 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV following verification of additional miracles, extending universal veneration to the Church.
A second miracle, verified after beatification, was required for canonization.


==Miracles==
== Miracles ==
Saints like Francis Xavier are recognized for extraordinary intercessions, often healings and protections during missions. These events, from Jesuit records, became milestones in his cause. Four principal miracles were authenticated for canonization.


=== Miracle for beatification ===
=== Miracle for beatification ===
One of the miracles was the healing of a woman in Goa who was near death.
Healings and deliverances attributed to his intercession were verified for 1619 beatification, including protections for sailors.


=== Miracle for canonization ===
=== Miracle for canonization ===
Another miracle involved the healing of a man in the Philippines, who was cured of a severe illness.
1. A boy bitten by a poisonous snake in Goa was healed after Xavier's relics were applied, with the wound vanishing instantly.
2. A child drowned in India was revived upon Xavier's invocation by his nurse.
3. A young man and maid lost at sea in the Moluccas were miraculously saved, washing ashore unharmed after prayers to Xavier.
These were authenticated in 1622, confirming his sanctity.


=== Other notable miracles ===
=== Other notable miracles ===
Numerous accounts of healings and conversions attributed to his intercession.
* Resurrection of a crab that stole his crucifix, returning it unharmed.<ref name="catholic"/>
 
* Calming storms off Japan through cross blessing.<ref name="newadvent"/>
==Patronage==
 
St. Francis Xavier is the patron saint of missionaries, navigators, Goa, India, and several other places like the Archdiocese of Tokyo, Japan.
 
==Feast day==


The feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated on December 3.
== Patronage ==
Saint Francis Xavier is the patron saint of missionaries, Africa, China, Goa, India, Japan, foreign missions, navigators, and plague patients.


==Veneration==
== Feast day ==
December 03


St. Francis Xavier is venerated especially in regions where he evangelized, with numerous churches and schools named after him. His relics are venerated in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, India, where part of his body is preserved.
== Veneration ==
Saint Francis Xavier is venerated through mission novenas, relic tours, and pilgrimages to Goa. Relics are kept at Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa. Saint Francis Xavier has been depicted in numerous artworks, including Rubens's paintings. Literature and media often portray Saint Francis Xavier in Jesuit histories. Relics and shrines dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier are significant pilgrimage sites, influencing cultural or religious events such as Goa's feast processions.


==Cultural impact==
== Books ==


St. Francis Xavier is depicted in numerous artworks, often showing him in missionary attire, baptizing or preaching. His life has inspired literature, including books like "The Life and Missionary Labors of St. Francis Xavier." He has had a profound impact on the spread of Christianity in Asia, influencing cultural exchanges and conversions.
=== Written about the saint ===
* [https://www.amazon.com/Francis-Xavier-Saint-Missionary/dp/080912529X ''Francis Xavier: Saint of the East'' by James Brodrick]
* [https://www.amazon.com/Life-Saint-Francis-Xavier/dp/1105811601 ''The Life of Saint Francis Xavier'' by Francis Schwall]


==External links==
=== Written by the saint ===
* [https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Saint-Francis-Xavier/dp/0870612199 ''Letters of Saint Francis Xavier'']


[https://catholicsaints.info/saint-francis-xavier/ St. Francis Xavier on Catholicsaints.info]
== External links ==
[https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bxavier.html St. Francis Xavier on Catholic-Hierarchy.org]
* [https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=423 Catholic Online: St. Francis Xavier]
[https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5 St. Francis Xavier on Catholic.org]
* [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm New Advent: St. Francis Xavier]
* [https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-francis-xavier/ Franciscan Media: Saint Francis Xavier]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier Wikipedia: Francis Xavier]


==References==
== References ==
<references/>
{{Reflist}}
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