St. Francis Xavier, Patron Saint of Goa
Francis de Jasso Xavier, was born on April 7, 1506, at the aristocratic castle at Pampelona, Navarre, Spain. He was the youngest son of Dom Joao de Jasso Xavier and Maria Azplicueta e Xavier. The Xavier Castle was destroyed in a revolt in 1515, and the family left Spain and took up residence in France. Francis pursued his studies at the University of Paris.
After graduation, he came into contact with St. Ignatius of Loyola, who wielded a great influence on him. On completion of his priestly studies, he joined the Jesuit society, which received papal approval in 1540. It was on his 35th birthday in 1541 that Francis embarked for Goa in the company of the new governor of Goa, Martin Affonso de Souza in the boat “S. Tiago”. After a span of 13 months he reached Mormugao on May 6, 1542.
The governor insisted that he should reside in the governor’s palace as he was aware of miraculous deeds performed by him in Italy, but Francis preferred to reside in the Hospital Real and take care of the sick and lepers in the Hospital de S. Lazaro. It was from there that he started his missionary activities.
He was disgusted with the functioning of the administration The Portuguese rulers wallowed in immorality, greed, and usury. The social injustice, luxury, and licentiousness of the merchants, soldiers, and so-called “Fidalgos”; added to the general moral degradation. Male and female slaves were being sold at auction in marked place the women were being exploited for sensual purpose. There was no regard for spiritual values at all. He would say mass, take care of lepers, visit inmates of the prisons, he used to go begging for his favourites the poor, sick, lepers and prisoners; wherever he used to go people used to flock around him. And after a stay of 5 months and 10 days he left Goa for Cape Comorin, when he returned to Goa after 18 months and took up his residence at the Colegio ded. S. Paulo at old Goa.</p>
On his return to Goa, he wrote to the King of Portugal, informing him about the misdeeds of the governor and his administration and demanding his removal, which was granted as per his request, and the King of Portugal ordered the setting up of a special school attached to the churches in all the villages of Goa.
Not satisfied with spreading the faith in Goa and the other coasts of India, his missionary work led him to conquer more kingdoms for Christ. He envisaged the evangelization of China and Japan. Undaunted by his strenuous missionary work, he worked in Goa for about nine years, laying the foundation of the Christian expansion. Francis left for Japan, where he was well received and preached the Catholic faith. It was his ardent desire to preach the gospel in China and harvest for Christ, but god willed otherwise.
After working through the rigours of life through prayers, penance, and hard work, Francis was struck with fever on the island of Sancian on his way to China, which he never reached. Francis was dying with a lighted candle in his hands, and with the name of Jesus on his lips, he rendered his soul to his creator and lord. His indomitable spirit, which could no longer be caged in his frail mortal frame, left it and winged its flight to meet this lord and master on December 2, 1552.
After his death, Francis was put in a Chinese-style coffin, and his body was covered in two layers of line to accelerate the process of decomposition so that his bones could be taken to Goa when the ship set sail. </p>
Two months later, while the ship was on its way to Malacca, the body was exhumed, and when the lime was removed, it was found intact and as fresh as when it was buried. The body was then taken to Malacca where it was buried a second time. Five months later it was exhumed an found incorrupt. It was put on a board “S. Ana” en route to Goa but on reaching a place near baticola the boat could not proceed for reasons unknown. The news reached Goa and the governor sent another boat the Santa Crux with priests and dignitaries and bought the body to Goa. They anchored at Ribandar and the body was taken to the church where it remained for the night.
The next day it was taken to old Goa amidst great rejoicing. It is said that en route the bells pealed merrily of their own and cannons fired shots from all the forts mysteriously. The body was kept in the church of S. Paulo for 3 days for public veneration. This was the first public exposition of his body of the saint.
It was at this exposition that a Portuguese lady D. Isabel Crom in her desire to have a relic of the saint, bit off the little toe of the saint. She, however, returned it to the Jesuits when she felt her end was near.
1. 10th Feb 1782 to 12th Feb 1782
2. 3rd Dec 1859 to 8th Jan 1860
3. 3rd Dec 1878 to 8th Jan 1879
4. 3rd Dec 1890 to 8th Jan 1891
5. 7th Dec to 10th Dec 1900
6. 26th Nov to 28th Dec1910
7. 3rd Dec 1922 to 10th Jan 1923
8. 3rd Dec 1931 to 10th Jan 1932
9.6th May 1942 to 17th May 1942
10. 13th Dec 1952 to 6th Jan 1953
11. 14th Dec 1961 to 31st Dec 1961
12. 24th Nov 1964 to 6th Jan 1965
13. 23rd Nov 1974 to 5th Jan 1975
14. 21st Nov 1984 to 13th Jan 1985
15. 21st Nov 1994 to 6th Jan 1995
16. 21st Nov 2004 to 2nd Jan 2005
The church was slow to acknowledge it him as a saint, requiring a medical examination to establish that the body has not be embalmed. It was performed, in 1556, by the viceroys physician, who declared at all the internal organs were still intact an that no preservative agents had been used. He noticed a small wound in the chest an asked two Jesuits to put their finger into it, and noted, when they withdrew them, they were covered with the blood. It was said to be “absolutely untainted”; it was not until 1622 that canonization took place, by then, the holy relic hunters had started work on the incorrupt body in 1614 the right arm was removed and divided between the Jesuits in Japan an Rome and 1636 parts of one shoulder blade and all then internal organs had been scattered through South-East Asia, by the end of the 17th century the body was in an advanced state of desiccation and the miracle appeared to be over.
There have been several exposition of the body after both private and public. The former have been at the request of visiting royalty and dignitaries. The Jesuits now enclose the corpse in a glass coffin out of view and it was not until the 19th century that the current cycle of 10 yearly expositions began.
The body of St. Francis has undergone changes and can no longer be called incorrupt. During the exposition in 1974 Msgr. Raul Gonsalves the then Apostolic administrator held a press conference at bishops house and the following statement was disbursed “We cannot talk presently about and incorrupt body but only of sacred relics of the saint”
In commemoration of the fourth centenary of the death of St. Francis Xavier and in recognition of the work done by his successors in the missionary field Pope Pius XII is August 1953 conferred on the Arch diocese of Goa the Rosa d’oorro (Golden Rose). This way the most ancient and ennobling distinction of the catholic. it has a height of 94 cms and the entire gift consisting of metals and precious stoned weigh 40 Kgs. it was insured for $25000.
St. Francis was a great missionary of the 16th Century conditioned by his time, culture, temperament theological formation and spirituality. In today’s materialistic and hedonistic culture and consumerist society., Francis Xavier has a special attraction for the youth, the young people appreciate what is authentic and real, whenever calls for self sacrifice, freedom justice , fraternity, love, service and peace are not mere empty words for them the are potent concept which, when translate into action, give meaning to fie and urge youth to make important decision involving sacrifice. St. Francis Xavier is considered not only as a patron of Goa but also as the protector to all the Goan’s.
The church was slow to acknowledge him as a saint, requiring a medical examination to establish that the body had not been embalmed. It was performed in 1556 by the viceroy’s physician, who declared that all the internal organs were still intact and that no preservative agents had been used. He noticed a small wound in the chest and asked two Jesuits to put their fingers into it. He noted that when they withdrew them, they were covered with blood. It was said to be “absolutely untainted”; it was not until 1622 that canonization took place; by then, the holy relic hunters had started work on the incorrupt body; in 1614, the right arm was removed and divided between the Jesuits in Japan and Rome; and in 1636, parts of one shoulder blade and all the internal organs had been scattered through Southeast Asia, By the end of the 17th century, the body was in an advanced state of desiccation, and the miracle appeared to be over.
There have been several expositions of the body, both private and public. The former have been at the request of visiting royalty and dignitaries. The Jesuits now enclose the corpse in a glass coffin out of view, and it was not until the 19th century that the current cycle of 10 yearly expositions began.
The body of St. Francis has undergone changes and can no longer be called incorrupt. During the exposition in 1974, Msgr. Raul Gonsalves, the then Apostolic Administrator, held a press conference at the bishop’s house, and the following statement was disbursed “We cannot talk presently about an incorrupt body but only of sacred relics of the saint”
In commemoration of the fourth centenary of the death of St. Francis Xavier and in recognition of the work done by his successors in the missionary field, Pope Pius XII, in August 1953, conferred on the Archdiocese of Goa the Rosa d’oorro (Golden Rose). This way the most ancient and ennobling distinction of the Catholic Church. It has a height of 94 cm, and the entire gift, consisting of metals and precious stones, weighs 40 kg. It was insured for $25,000.
St. Francis was a great missionary of the 16th century, conditioned by his time, culture, temperament, theological formation, and spirituality. In today’s materialistic and hedonistic culture and consumerist society, Francis Xavier has a special attraction for the youth. The young people appreciate what is authentic and real whenever calls for self-sacrifice, freedom, justice, fraternity, love, service, and peace are not mere empty words for them; they are potent concepts that, when translated into action, give meaning to fie and urge youth to make important decisions involving sacrifice. St. Francis Xavier is considered not only the patron saint of Goa but also the protector of all Goans.
