What is st francis xavier known for

With encouragement from his friend Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Francis Xavier devoted himself to religious service and became one of the founders of the Jesuit order.

St francis xavier story

Much of his life was spent tending to missions in areas such as India and Japan. He was 46 when he died on China's Shangchuan Island on December 3, He was a member of a noble family, and his childhood was one of privilege—however, it was disrupted by his father's death, as well as by outside efforts to take control of Navarre.

In , Xavier went to study at the University of Paris. There, he encountered Ignatius of Loyola, who had experienced a religious conversion while recovering from a war wound. Loyola did his utmost to convince Xavier to join him on the same path of devotion. Though at first hesitant, Xavier was eventually inspired by his friend's example.

St francis xavier hand story

In addition to vows of celibacy and poverty, they also promised to visit the Holy Land. 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, 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.

Though Loyola initially selected others for the task, Xavier stepped in when a fellow priest became ill. He left Rome on March 15, Xavier arrived in Goa, India, on May 6, He came to be admired in that country for his ability to live and work side by side with the poor. On August 15, , Xavier landed at Kagoshima, Japan.