St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier was a Spanish Catholic missionary and saint who was one of the first seven members of the Society of Jesus and is considered one of the greatest Roman Catholic missionaries of modern times. Modern scholars estimated that he baptized some 30,000 converts during his lifetime. He is now co-patron saint of Navarre, with Fermin. The Day of Navarre in Navarre, Spain, marks the anniversary of Francis Xavier's death, on 3 December 1552.

In the span of only a few years, St. Francis Xavier worked with impoverished fishermen in India (1542-45) and headhunters in the Moluccas (1545–48). He was also astonished by the sophistication of the Japanese (1549–151), who had just recently been seen by Europeans at the time. Although he had difficulty speaking the languages of the peoples he tried to proselytize, he was a strong believer that missionaries should learn the traditions and languages of the people they are trying to evangelize, and he was also a major advocate for the education of native clergy—revolutionary ideas at the time.

Born: 7 April 1506

Died: 3 December 1552

Contribution: Co-founder of the Society of Jesus. His work established Christianity in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan and paved the way for other missionary ventures to Asia.