St Francis Xavier

Born

Apr 7, 1506

St Francis Xavier was born in Javier, Kingdon of Navarre (present Spain). He was born​ Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta.

His Life

Period: Apr 7, 1506 to Dec 3, 1552

Friends:
- Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi, informally named as Francesco was an Italian Roman Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

Francis' dad died.

Jun 18, 1515

Francis was only nine when his father died.

Started University

Sep 1, 1525

Xavier went to study at the University of Paris. There he encountered St Ignatius of Loyola who had experienced a religious conversion while recovering from a war wound.

Xavier pledges himself to the Jesuits.

Aug 15, 1534

In the Montmartre section of Paris, Xavier, Loyola and five others pledged themselves to the Society of Jesus. In addition to vows of celibacy and poverty, they also promised to visit the Holy Land.

Xavier became a Priest

Jun 24, 1537

While waiting in Venice, Italy, to depart for the Holy Land, Xavier worked in a hospital, aiding those in need. He also became a priest, on June 24, 1537.

Xavier goes to Rome

Jul 1, 1537

When fighting between Venice and the Ottoman Empire made a trip to Jerusalem impossible, Xavier instead went to Rome, where he and others in the society offered their services to the pope.

Xavier left Rome

Mar 15, 1540

Impressed by the Jesuits, King John III of Portugal asked the order for missionaries to work in his empire. Though Loyola initially selected others for the task, Xavier stepped in when a fellow priest became ill. He left Rome on March 15, 1540.

Xavier leaves Lisbon.

Apr 7, 1541

Xavier left Lisbon for Portuguese Mozambique.

Xavier works in Portuguese Mozambique

Period: Aug 1, 1541 to Mar 2, 1542

Xavier arrives in Goa, India

May 6, 1542

Xavier arrived in Goa, India, on May 6, 1542. He came to be admired in that country for his ability to live and work side by side with the poor. Seeking more converts, Xavier continued to travel; his stops included Ceylon, the Molucca Islands, the Banda Islands and the Malay Peninsula.

Xavier set sail for Cape Comorin

Oct 1, 1542

Accompanied by several native clerics from the seminary at Goa, he set sail for Cape Comorin in October 1542.

Xavier sailed for Malacca (Indonesia)

Sep 11, 1545

n the spring of 1545 Xavier started for Portuguese Malacca. He laboured there for the last months of that year.

Xavier leaves Malacca.

Jan 15, 1546

Xavier left Malacca for the Malaku Islands, where the Portuguese had some settlements. For a year and a half he preached the Gospel there. He went first to Ambon Island, where he stayed until mid-June. He then visited other Maluku Islands, including Ternate, Baranura, and Morotai.

Xavier returns to Ambon Island.

Jun 8, 1547

Shortly after Easter 1547, he returned to Ambon Island.

Xavier returns to Malacca.

Aug 20, 1547

A few months after returning to Ambon Island, Xavier sets sail for Malacca.

Xavier meets Anjirō

Dec 11, 1547

In Malacca in December 1547, Francis Xavier met a Japanese man named Anjirō. Anjirō had heard of Francis in 1545 and had travelled from Kagoshima to Malacca to meet him. Having been charged with murder, Anjirō had fled Japan. He told Francis extensively about his former life and the customs and culture of his homeland. Anjirō became the first Japanese Christian and adopted the name of 'Paulo de Santa Fe'.

Xavier returns to Goa.

Jan 27, 1548

In January 1548 Francis returned to Goa to attend to his responsibilities as superior of the mission there

Xavier begins his travels to Japan

Apr 15, 1549

The next 15 months were occupied with various journeys and administrative measures. He left Goa on 15 April 1549, stopped at Malacca, and visited Canton. He was accompanied by Anjiro, two other Japanese men, Father Cosme de Torrès, and Brother João Fernandes. He had taken with him presents for the "King of Japan" since he was intending to introduce himself as the Apostolic Nuncio.

Xavier reaches Japan

Jul 27, 1549

Francis Xavier reached Japan on 27 July 1549, with Anjiro and three other Jesuits, but he was not permitted to enter any port his ship arrived at[36] until 15 August, when he went ashore at Kagoshima, the principal port of Satsuma Province on the island of Kyūshū.

Xavier arrives in Kagoshima, Japan.

Aug 15, 1549

On August 15, 1549, Xavier landed at Kagoshima, Japan. As he had at his other missions, Xavier adapted to local mores and arranged for the translation of religious texts. These steps helped him reach more converts in the year and a half he spent in Japan.

Daimyō Takahisa throws a reception for Xavier.

Sep 29, 1549

Shimazu Takahisa, daimyō of Satsuma, gave a friendly reception to Francis on 29 September 1549

Xavier leaves Japan.

Sep 1, 1551

During his trip, a tempest forced him to stop on an island near Guangzhou, China where he met Diogo Pereira, a rich merchant and an old friend from Cochin. Pereira showed him a letter from Portuguese prisoners in Guangzhou, asking for a Portuguese ambassador to speak to the Chinese Emperor on their behalf.

Xavier briefly stops in Malacca.

Dec 27, 1551

Later during the voyage, he stopped at Malacca on 27 December 1551.

Xavier arrived back in Goa.

Jan 1, 1552

Xavier set sail for China.

Apr 17, 1552

On 17 April he set sail with Diogo Pereira on the Santa Cruz for China.

Xavier reaches China.

Aug 29, 1552

In late August 1552, the Santa Cruz reached the Chinese island of Shangchuan, 14 km away from the southern coast of mainland China, near Taishan, Guangdong, 200 km south-west of what later became Hong Kong.

Xavier travels China

Oct 11, 1552

Xavier's next focus for missionary work was China. He travelled​ to Sancian (Shangchuan) Island, near Canton, but was not able to access the mainland because borders had been closed to foreigners. Before he could find a way inside the country, illness incapacitated Xavier. He died on the island on December 3, 1552, at the age of 46. His body was then taken to Goa.

Xavier died.

Dec 3, 1552

He died at Shangchuan, Taishan, China from a fever on 3 December 1552, while he was waiting for a boat that would take him to mainland China.

Xavier's Body is taken to Goa.

Dec 18, 1552

After dying Xavier's body was taken to Goa, India

Xavier was beatified.

Jan 1, 1619

Xavier was beatified by Pope Paul V

Xavier was Canonised

Jan 1, 1622

Xavier was canonised​ by Pope Gregory XV in 1622.