Description
HOLY PICTURE CARD PRAYER OF ST FRANCIS OF XAVIER – Made in Italy –
St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was a Spanish Basque Roman Catholic missionary and a co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Renowned as the “Apostle of the Indies” and “Apostle of Japan,” he is considered one of the greatest missionaries in history, second only to St. Paul.
Key Life Facts
Early Life: Born into a noble family at the Castle of Xavier in Navarre.
The Jesuit Turning Point: While studying at the University of Paris, he met St. Ignatius of Loyola, who famously challenged him with the question: “What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”.
Missionary Journeys: He travelled over 45,000 kilometres, establishing Christian communities in India, Southeast Asia, and Japan.
Death & Legacy: He died of fever on Shangchuan Island while trying to enter China. His body, noted for its extraordinary preservation, is enshrined in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, India
Patronage and Veneration
Patron Saint of: All foreign missions, Japan, Goa (India), sailors, and jewellers.
Feast Day: 3 December.
Canonisation: He was canonised on 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, along with Ignatius of Loyola.
