Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – St Francis Xavier, patron Saint of the Missions, will be one of the patron saints for World Youth Day WYD to take place in August 2011, in Madrid, Spain. According to the official WYD web site, the Holy See recently approved the list of Patron Saints, all of Spanish origin, chosen for the next edition of the WYD: San Isidro Labrador, Santa Maria de la Cabeza, San Juan dela Cruz, San Juan de Ávila, Santa Teresa de Ávila, Santa Rosa de Lima, San Ignacio de Loyola, San Rafael Arnaiz and, as already mentioned, San Francesco Javier. This list of Saints intends to retrace the history of the Catholic Church in Spain - we read in the presentation - starting with the first 'Madrileni' Saints, (San Isidro and Santa Maria), then on to the founders of the Discalced Carmelites and the Society of Jesus (Santa Teresa and San Ignacio), a great missionary to the Far East (St Francis Xavier), an eminent representative of mystical literature (Saint John of the Cross), a champion of diocesan priestly spirituality (San Juan de Ávila), the first Saint of Hispanic America (Santa Rosa) and a recently canonised young man of our times (San Rafael Arnaiz).
Francis Xavier was born of noble parents on 7 April 1506 at Xavier, in Navarra. He studied in Paris, France, where he met Ignatius of Loyola and in 1537 was ordained a priest. He was one of the small group of men who in 1539 founded the Society of Jesus. Appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Indies, in 1542 he landed in Goa, and then went to Tuticorin, to undertake his specific task, the evangelisation of pearl fishers, recently converted but without pastoral care. In Japan, which he reached in 1549, he also worked tenaciously at evangelisation. In 1552 he attempted to enter China, however, stricken with fever he died on the island of Sanchinan 3 December 1552. Beatified in 1619 and canonised in 1622, St Francis Xavier was named patron saint of the Far East in 1748, of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1904, of all missions together with St Teresa of the Child Jesus in 1927. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 5/05/2010)
