"God into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature."
(Mk 16:15)

St. Francis Xavier was born in a castle in the kingdom of Navarre, Northern Spain, on April 7, 1506. His father, Don Juan de Jassu, was a doctor of laws of Bologna and his mother was Dona Maria de Azpilcueta y Xavier, a wealthy leady.

Xavier was a child of singular grace, charm and intellectual promise and it pleased his father that he had a bent toward learning rather than the soldier's life. In 1515, at the age of nine, his family fortune deteriorated due to the death of his father and the advent of war.

At the age of nineteen Xavier went to study in the University of Paris which in those days consisted of 40 colleges on the West Bank. There at the age of 24 he received the Master of Arts and his licentiate in philosophy. For a time he taught philosophy and studied theology. During this period he encountered Ignatius of Loyola who led him to accept the spirituality he expounded. And so, Francis Xavier joined a small group of men under the direction of Ignatius of Loyola, the beginning of the Religious Order now known as the the Jesuits.

Xavier Evangelizes India

At this time, John III of Portugal asked the Pope to send missionaries to his Indian Territories. The Pope asked Loyola for six Jesuits but Loyola could only spare two out of the ten members of his society.

Francis Xavier sailed from Lisbon in May 1542. The journey to Goa, due to bad weather, took 13 months under the uncomfortable conditions of those days and the sea sickness which Francis experienced. Goa was a meeting place between the Portugese colonizers and natives, a melting pot of many myths and beliefs. Francis helped out in the hospital, carried out his official duties and learned as many dialects as he could. He used to go around the streets of the city with a bell and when children, the idle and aged followed, he would stop to instruct them in the faith. In a letter from Coachin, January 27, 1545 he tells us how he evangelized the region of Trastevere where 10,000 were baptized.

When he got to a village, he would gather the people, teach them the Creed, Commandments and basic prayers. Then he would ask one by one if they believed without hesitation the truths of faith and they would answer holding their arms in the form of the cross together "yes" . Than he would baptize them and order the temples to the false gods to be destroyed. He states, "I can give you no idea of the joy a feel in seeing this done, witnessing the destruction of idols by the very people who but lately adored them." (www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/XAVIER2.htm)

Even in his lifetime, Xavier became known as a miracle worker. When he first arrived in Malacca among the people welcoming him were some mothers with their babies. He called the babies by their names while inquiring about their fathers. Many believed this to be a miracle. During his stay he raised to life a girl who had been in the grave for three days. He also called to life a boy, Francis de Chaves who later became a Franciscan and died as a missionary in China. (Webpage: St Francis Xavier and Malacca)

Xavier in Kogashima
(Note: statue of Xavier, Yajiro and Bernard in Kogashima)

While at Malacca, on an Indian island, Xavier met Yajiro, a samurai of Kagoshima and from him learned about the Japanese people. So in 1549 accompanied by two Europeans, three Japanese and two Indian servants set out for Kagoshima, Japan. While here Xavier, with the help of Yajiro, learned Japanese and wrote a catechism in Japanese. In instructing the Japanese Xavier emphasized God as Creator which they had no knowledge of. Unfortunately the bonze, Buddhist priests and monks, were opposed to the Christian law. He wrote, "The Japanese are certainly of remarkably good dispositions, and follow reason wonderfully. They see clearly that their ancestral law is false and the law of God true, but they are deterred by fear of their prince from submitting to the Christian religion." (Xavier letter from Japan to Jesuits at Goa, 1551) So xavier was forced to leave.

Xavier in Yamaguchi

From the beginning Xavier destination was Kyoto where he intended to ask the Emperor for permission to preach the Gospel in Japan. On the way he arrived at Yamaguchi in November 1549. He stayed in this city for a while. Two times a day they stood at some crossroad. Brother Fernandez would read from their handwritten catechism and denounced the major sins of the Japanese, idolatry, sodomy and infanticide while Xavier stood by praying fervently. Some people were impressed, others became angry and some ridiculed them.

One day through the influence of a noble Naito Takaharu, they obtained an audience with Ouchi Yoshitaka, a prince. The prince spoke kindly to them and after asking a few questions had Brother Fernandez read from the catechism. He listened attentively for a hour but when they came to the passage dealing with the unnatural vice of sodomy Ouchi became embarrassed and dismissed them. This became known and only very few asked for baptism. (Above summary from website - Francis Britto's Brittopia: Laures, "Xavier in Yamaguchi")

Xavier to Kyoto

After two months on the road suffering from the cold and dangers from robbers, Xavier arrive at Kyoto. They found the city mostly in ruin by war yet even now it contained more than 100,000 houses. They tried to see the emperor but to no avail. They also learned that the King's edict were generally disregarded by the princes and ruler, so he had no real power. Since the city was not at peace and unprepared to received the gospel, Xavier returned to Yamaguchi.

Return to Yamaguchi

Upon his return, Xavier dresses an an ambassador accompanied by Brother Fernandez and two Japanese Christians as his attendants, went to see Ouchi Yoshitaka. He offered gifts and the friendship of the King of Portugal. Ouchi gave him gifts and much gold in return which Xavier returned asking only to be allowed go preach the "Law of God". Ouchi had signboards posted in the streets of the city stating he was glad to have the "Law of God taught", that anyone who so desired could become a Christian and that anyone injuring the foreign preachers would be severely punished. He also gave to Xavier a former monastery and some land on which to build the Church. From that day on many Japanese flocked to see the missionaries.(Website - Francis Britto's Brittopia: Laures, "Xavier in Yamaguchi")

Death of Xavier

Death is never easy not even for a saint and especially under the medical conditions of his times and place.

Francis Xavier fell sick on the island of Sancian off the coast of China on Nov. 21, 1552 while waiting for a merchant to take him to Canton, China. They took him from land to the Santa Cruz, a nearby ship , but the next day he requested to be brought back to land because the rough tossing of the ship made him more sick. Diego Vaz de Aragao, his friend, took him into his straw hut open to the winds. They bled him two times and he lost consciousness for a time. He no longer felt like eating. During his days of sickness he prayed constantly "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."

On Saturday, Nov. 26 he lost his voice and for a time no longer recognized anyone. On December 2, Antonio could see that death was approaching. The dying priest had his eyes constantly fixed on a crucifix and Antonio placed a candle in his hands. "He died before dawn on Saturday, December 3, 1552, on the island and harbor of of Sanchon, in a straw hut that was not his own, ten years after he had come to these regions of India. His last word, as he was dying were: "In Thee, O Lord have I hoped; let me never be confounded."

He was buried in accordance with Chinese custom in a wooden coffin with a large amount of lie hoping that he would decompose quickly so as to take his bones to India. In the middle of February, 1553, the Santa Cruz was ready to return to Malacca. The grave was open but to their astonishment they found the body perfectly fresh and incorrupt just as it had been at death. (Webpage: The Death of St. Francis Xavier)

St. Louis of France