St. Francis Xavier, Spanish San Francisco Javier or Xavier, (born April 7, 1506, Xavier (Javier) Castle, near Sangüesa, Navarre [Spain]—died December 3, 1552, Sancian [now Shangchuan] Island, China; canonized March 12, 1622; feast day December 3), the greatest Roman Catholic missionary of modern times who was instrumental in the establishment of Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan. On August 15, 1549, Xavier landed at Kagoshima, Japan. The areas he evangelized in India have remained Catholic to the present day. On August 15, 1534, Francis Xavier along with Peter Favre, and several other friends, made vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. St. Francis Xavier is considered the greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles, and the zeal he displayed, the wonderful miracles he performed, and the great number of souls he brought to the light of true Faith, entitle him to this distinction. After all the members of the band had completed their studies, they reassembled in Venice, where Francis was ordained priest on June 24, 1537. Having for more than a year sought passage to the Holy Land in vain, the seven, along with fresh recruits, went to Rome to put themselves at the disposal of the pope. He is credited with a number of resurrections. On August 15, 1534, in the Montmartre section of Paris, Xavier, Loyola and five others pledged themselves to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He was one of the first seven members of the Jesuit order and travelled extensively, particularly in India, Southeast Asia, and Japan, to share his faith. His roommate was Peter Faber (Pierre Favre) from the Savoy region of France. In Goa the College of Holy Faith, founded several years previously, was turned over to the Jesuits, and Francis began to develop it into a centre for the education of native priests and catechists for the diocese of Goa, which stretched from the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa, to China. He left Rome on March 15, 1540. On April 7, 1506, Francis Xavier was born in Xavier Castle, located near Sangüesa, in the kingdom of Navarre (part of present-day Spain). According to the Bible, Saint Matthew was one of Jesus's 12 apostles and the first author of the New Testament. Learn more. His nights were taken up in prayer. Meanwhile, as a result of their preaching and care of the sick throughout central Italy, they had become so popular that many Catholic princes sought their services. They implanted in Francis the motivation that carried him for the rest of his life and prepared the way for his recurrent mystical experiences. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He was a member of a noble family, and his childhood was one of privilege—however, it was disrupted by his father's death, as well as by outside efforts to take control of Navarre. St. Francis Xavier, one of St. Ignatius Loyola's closest friends and an original founding companion of the Society of Jesus, is most honored by the Catholic Church, other Christian churches, and the Jesuit order for his missionary accomplishments particularly in India, Southeast Asia and Japan. Francis then performed the Spiritual Exercises, a series of meditations lasting about 30 days and devised by Ignatius in light of his own experience of conversion to guide the individual toward greater generosity in the service of God and humankind. After missionary work for more than two...…. 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