ASIA/TAIWAN - To learn to imitate his missionary zeal and exemplary virtues Taiwan Catholics make pilgrimage to Island of Shang Chuan the place where Spanish missionary St Francis Xavier died

Taipei (Fides Service) - To thank God for the exemplary life of the Spanish Jesuit missionary St Francis Xavier and to learn to imitate his missionary zeal and virtues a group of Catholics from Taipei made a pilgrimage to the island of Shang where the saint died in 1552.
According to the bulletin of Taipei archdiocese Christian Life Weekly a group of 48 Catholics led by Jesuit Father Aloysius Chang decided to trace the footsteps of St Francis Xavier on the occasion of the Jubilee year called by the Society of Jesus to celebrate the 5th centenary of the birth of St Francis Xavier and Blessed Pedro Fabro (1506) and 450 years since of the death of St Ignatius of Loyola (1556).
The pilgrims prayed at the place where the tireless missionary died and Father Aloysius said: “God blessed the mission of St Francis Xavier. And it was providential that the day he died another great missionary was born. Father Matteo Ricci SJ destined to open the doors of China to Christianity. Fr Francis sowed the seed and other Jesuits harvested the fruits”.
St Francis died on 3 December 1552 on the Island of Shang Chuan (Guang Dong province) off the southern coast of China where he was buried. Two months later his remains were moved by his faithful companion Antonio to Goa, India where they are today. St Francis Xavier parish church in Shang Chuan was built in 1869 by Mgr Guillemani Apostolic Prefect of Guang Dong and Guang Xi. (Agenzia Fides 21/01/2006 Righe: 23 Parole: 371)