Skip to main content

St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier

Feastday: December 3
1506 - 1552

FRANCIS XAVIER, ST. (1506-1552). Born in the family castle of Xavier, near Pamplona in the Basque area of Spanish Navarre on Apr. 7, he was sent to the University of Paris 1525, secured his licentiate in 1528, met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at Montmartre founded the Society of Jesus. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice, from whence they all in tended to go as missionaries to Palestine (a trip which never materialized), was ordained there in 1537, went to Rome in 1538, and in 1540, when the pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. King John III kept Fr. Simon in Lisbon, but Francis, after a year's voyage, six months of which were spent at Mozambique where he preached and gave aid to the sick eventually arrived in Goa, India in 1542 with Fr. Paul of Camerino an Italian, and Francis Mansihas, a Portuguese. There he began preaching to the natives and attempted to reform his fellow Europeans, living among the natives and adopting their customs on his travels. During the next decade he converted tens of thousands to Christianity. He visited the Paravas at the tip of India. near Cape Comorin, Tuticorin (1542), Malacca (1545), the Moluccas near New Guinea and Morotai near the Philippines (1546-47), and Japan (1549- 51). In 1551, India and the East were set up as a separate province and Ignatius made Francis its first provincial. In 1552 he set out for China, landed on the island of Sancian within sight of his goal, but died before he reached the mainland. Working against great difficulties, language problems ( contrary to legend, he had no proficiency in foreign tongues ), inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance, from European officials, he left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. F. D. Dec. 3.

 
from Wikipedia

Previous Saint
< St. Francis Xavier Can

Next Saint
St. Francis Trung >




St. Francis Xavier

Saint of the Day  

Learn about the lives of the saints and other saint resources, including a calendar, over 5,000 saint biographies, our most popular saints, and a list of patron saints. 7 days / week. See Sample

E-mail:       Zip Code:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z


Find Saint: Products | Books | Prayers | Saint of the Day


Search Saints:

Rate This Saint

Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

1 - 20 of 80 Comments

  1. Paulo Tuivuna
    1 week ago

    dear St Francis Xavier please pray for my son. He choose you to be his confirmation name.

  2. BA
    2 months ago

    Dear St Francis: Through your intercessions, I just got a temporary short term job. Please continue your intercession so that this temporary job will be a full time regular job. I also thank you for the prayer answered for my youngest sibling. Please continue your intercessions for him to choose the right path in his life. BA

  3. Mr.Blackmore
    2 months ago

    BEST SAINT EVAR

  4. joey
    3 months ago

    i am choosing this saint for confirmation because he is an example that all people no matter how cocky or self prided you are jesus will give you strength to be like him

  5. velington da silva
    4 months ago

    yes it helped me a lot and i believe he prayed for me for us and our families and relationship and for every goan and all the people in the world i want to thank god and to all the angels and the saints

  6. ben
    4 months ago

    Please pray for my brother that he finds the right path to college. He wants to go to Xavier University and i think that i want saint francis xavier as my confirmation name. Francis xavier is a very big inspiration because he does all of the things that a saint needs to do to devote their life to christ. Saint Francis Xavier... Pray for us!

  7. Debbie
    4 months ago

    Dear St Francis. You are indeed my patron saint. I remember having a dream where a voice was calling out to me to pray to St Francis. Didn't know which so consulted with a very devoted catholic lady who advised me to pray to St Francis Xavier. I have never forgotten this. Today, as I begin my novena to St Francis ... I pray for a good stable job, help in fixing the roof of my house and other repairs, help for my daughter, good health and for God to provide for our daily needs. I pray this in Jesus' wonderful name. Amen.

  8. john peter
    5 months ago

    st xavier he was the helpful to our nation of india to enlorge the society through serve
    the poor comunity to uplift,,pray for us and our childs

  9. Eustace
    5 months ago

    St Francis Xavier You converted alot of citizens in foreign countries lead our priest and all the clegy so that the may spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for me and my family to continue following the good news with all our strength in mind, soul and heart that we come to see the LORD Jesus in glory, Pray for us to our LORD JESUS that we should always have our hearts full of Love for our LORD and Neigbour as Christ Jesus taught us. we ask all these prayers through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. AMEN

  10. Joseph Mathew
    5 months ago

    St. Francis Xavier, Your name is firmly itched into our minds, since you landed at Cochin in 1524, and baptized many, until your hands became so limp, that they had to be propped up! Please pray for us to bear witness to Jesus in all circumstances.

  11. Francis Xavier
    5 months ago

    Dear saint Francis Xavier, pray for me,beg the Lord Jesus to have mercy on me

  12. sem. mark joseph
    5 months ago

    dear St. Francis,

    Pray for us seminarians especially I who desire also to become holy priest someday.

  13. chet bas
    5 months ago

    happy feast day St. Francis Xavier. you are a great role model for all of us

  14. Mona
    5 months ago

    Please pray for Jacob that he finds the right path, for his mother that the doctors can slow the progression on her disease, for his grandmother that she doesn't have breast cancer and for all cancer patients that they deal with their religion with grace and dignity. Thank you.

  15. Allinson
    5 months ago

    Dear St. Francis Xavier

    On the occasion of your feast day Bless me and my family. Keep us safe always.

  16. Francis Xavier
    5 months ago

    Saint Francis Xavier is my patron saint,I chose his name for my confirmation name because his life was worthy of living and to reward him, God did not let his body to see corruption. He has obtained many graces for me. As it was his obligation to bring chritianity to the exiled, we catholics should learn from him.

  17. Peter Miranda
    5 months ago

    pray for me.

  18. Antonyraj Rayappan
    5 months ago

    I owe to the saint in gaining my knowledge to lead a virtuous christian life though my studies dates back to the early sixties. Also I am indebted much to the members of the faculty and spiritual superiors. Routine and dedicated religious practices make one's life better and strong mentally. May the saint intercede for mentally poor students and make them useful to the society.

  19. MARY
    6 months ago

    I was in Javier in the Basque Country last summer and it was a very spiritual experience but nothing like having His Right arm relic in my home town of Ayr in Australia last week Bless all my family

  20. kay Matthews
    6 months ago

    My grandson was born prematurely in NYC, Oct 12 2012, he weighed 3 pounds, he is now almost five pounds and his name is Xavier, Please pray for my little grandson and keep him, healthy and well, Thank you BVM and St Francis Xavier..


Leave a Comment

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment

Previous Saint
< St. Francis Xavier Can

Next Saint
St. Francis Trung >




Find Saints

Catholic Online offers the largest searchable database of Catholic Saints on the internet.

Browse Saints
by Alphabet
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Patron Saints
by Alphabet
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Bless Yahweh, my soul, Yahweh, my God, how great you are! ... Read More

Gospel, John 20:19-23
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the ... Read More

Reading 2, First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 19 Saint of the Day

St. Celestine
May 19: When the father of this Italian saint died, his good mother ... Read More