Consider the following statements : 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. 2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there. 3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Consider the following statements : 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. 2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there. 3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year. Which of the statements given above are correct? Correct Answer 1 and 3 only

The correct answer is 1 and 3 only

Key PointsSt. Francis Xavier:

• On April 7, 1506, Francis Xavier was born in Xavier Castle, located near Sanguesa, in the kingdom of Navarre (part of present-day Spain).
• A patron saint of missionaries and one of the founders of the Jesuit order, Saint Francis Xavier sought religious converts throughout Asia during the 1500s. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• He arrived in Goa, India, on May 6, 1542.
• Over the next 12 years, Francis led a series of overseas missions, mainly in the Portuguese Empire of the time - Mozambique, Malacca and notably Goa.
• He was the first Christian missionary to travel Japan and on to Borneo and the Moluccan Islands.
• On December 3, 1552, Francis died of fever on the island of Sancian (Shangchuan, off the Chinese coast). Hence statement 2 is incorrect.

Important Points

The Feast of St. Francis Xavier:

• The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is observed on December 3rd each year in Goa. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• It is a regional public holiday in the northern Spanish community of Navarra and the Indian state of Goa.