Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "Saint Francis Xavier - To the ends of the Earth" is a Docufilm that tells the story of the Patron saint of the missions, his university years at the Sorbonne, the troubled encounter with Ignatius of Loyola, until his total dedication to missions in the Far East.
"In reality this is not the first project we have dedicated to St. Francis Xavier", Daniela Gurrieri, Producer and Director of the work, told Fides: "Already in 2019, on the occasion of Pope Francis' trip to Japan, we had worked on the 'St. Francis Xavier and the Church in Japan' project". "What we are doing with Cristiana Video, the production company for our works, is 'missionary work' - explains the director we reached by phone -. Our objective is to make known the history of the Church through the lives of the Saints, to evangelize by presenting the figure of so many missionaries". "The idea of the Docufilm, which will be presented today, Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 5 p.m., at the Church of the Gesù in Rome, was born four years ago after the realization of a previous work dedicated to Saint Frances Cabrini , titled "Mother Cabrini". The director tells how Saint Francis Xavier himself played a crucial role in the formation of the Saint. "He was the spark that made Saint Frances Cabrini fall in love with the missions. In the evening, her father used to read the annals of Propaganda Fide to his daughter, making her missionary spirit grow and nourishing her entire life". Jean Paul Hernandez, SJ, tells the story of the Society of Jesus, its beginnings and the spirit that animated its founders. "Saint Francis Xavier led a radical and challenging life. We can learn a lot from him. I am delighted that we were able to produce such an excellent docudrama with Cristiana Video and present it in the church where he is buried", said Andreas Thonhauser, head of the EWTN office in the Vatican, which collaborated on the production. "Saint Ignatius of Loyola is probably the most important person in the life of Saint Francis Xavier. Our times need role models who inspire us to live a life entirely consecrated to Jesus.
Saints like Francis Xavier or Ignatius keep the Church alive through centuries and millennia. The event will see the participation, among others, of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Father Arturo Sosa, and the superiors of several religious congregations. This occasion is part of the celebrations of the fourth centenary of the canonization of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier, as well as Saint Thérèse of Jesus, Saint Isidore Labrador and Saint Philip Neri. (Agenzia Fides, 5/3/2022)
