St. Francis was born in 1506 of noble birth in the country of Spain. He went to school and became a teacher. He is a founding member of the Jesuit order with St. Ignatius; he vowed to dedicate his life to the conversion of souls.
The King of Portugal sent Francis and six other missionaries to preach the faith in India. Francis lived with the poor people and taught them about Jesus.
Francis left India and went to Japan. Other missionaries joined him there and thousands of people who had never heard about Jesus were told the “Good News.” Francis then sailed to China and on the way he became very ill. He died on December 2nd, 1552.
St. Francis Xavier is the patron of foreign missions. His flaming heart is a symbol of his great love of God. His feast day is December 3rd.