1.b. About SFX Exposition

The decennial Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier, popularly known as “Goencho Saib”, will be held between November 21, 2024, and January 5, 2025, at Sé Catedral in Old Goa

The incorruptible remains of the Spanish Jesuit missionary are encased in a four-century-old silver Mastrillian casket at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Every decade, the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier are brought down for the Exposition. During the Exposition, the mortal remains are taken in a procession to the Sé Catedral for veneration. The last solemn Exposition (XVII) occurred from November 22, 2014, to January 4, 2015.

The Church in Goa and Daman, along with the Universal Church, is preparing for the Jubilee Year 2025. Pope Francis chose the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” for this spiritual event. The theme chosen for the Solemn Exposition is “Xubhvortomanache Porgottnnar ami”/“We are Messengers of the Good News.”

A special Logo has been designed for the event. The Theme and Logo focus on every Christian’s responsibility to spread the message of Love, Hope, and Peace to the four corners of the world. A special “Prayer” has been prepared to be prayed every day by individuals and families in their homes, Churches, Chapels, Small Christian Communities, etc.

During the Exposition, an art exhibition on St. Francis Xavier will be held. Prominent artists from Goa and India have been invited to contribute. On the occasion of the Exposition, a souvenir in the form of a Book on the life story of St. Francis Xavier, as depicted beautifully on the Silver Casket in which the saint’s Sacred Relics are kept, will be released.

A special email ID has been created so people worldwide can write to seek more information about the Exposition. The email id is sfxexpo2024@gmail.com.

St. Francis Xavier, known as the “Apostle of the Indies,” passed away on December 3, 1552, on Shangchuan Island, China. Pope Paul V beatified him on October 25, 1619, and Pope Gregory XV canonised him on March 12, 1622. In 1624, St. Francis Xavier was designated co-patron of Navarre, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the greatest missionaries in history, often compared to Paul the Apostle.

a. About St. Francis Xavier

Francis Xavier was born in the royal castle of Xavier, in the Kingdom of Navarre, on 7 April 1506 according to a family register. He was the youngest son of Juan de Jasso y Atondo, seneschal of Xavier castle, who belonged to a prosperous farming family and had acquired a doctorate in law at the University of Bologna. Basque was his mother tongue. Juan later became a privy counsellor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre (Jean d'Albret). Francis's mother was Doña María de Azpilcueta y Aznárez, sole heiress of two noble Navarrese families. He was related through her to the great theologian and philosopher Martín de Azpilcueta.

In 1512, Ferdinand, King of Aragon and regent of Castile, invaded Navarre, initiating a war that lasted over 18 years. Three years later, Francis's father died when Francis was only nine years old. In 1516, Francis's brothers participated in a failed Navarrese-French attempt to expel the Spanish invaders from the kingdom. The Spanish Governor, Cardinal Cisneros, confiscated the family lands, demolished the outer wall, the gates, and two towers of the family castle, and filled in the moat. In addition, the height of the keep was reduced by half. Only the family residence inside the castle was left. In 1522, one of Francis's brothers participated with 200 Navarrese nobles in dogged but failed resistance against the Castilian Count of Miranda in Amaiur, Baztan, the last Navarrese territorial position south of the Pyrenees.

In 1525, Francis went to study in Paris at the Collège Sainte-Barbe, University of Paris, where he spent the next eleven years. In the early days he acquired some reputation as an athlete and a high-jumper.

In 1529, Francis shared lodgings with his friend Pierre Favre. A new student, Ignatius of Loyola, came to the room with them. At 38, Ignatius was much older than Pierre and Francis, who were both 23 at the time. Ignatius convinced Pierre to become a priest, but was unable to convince Francis, who had aspirations of worldly advancement. At first Francis regarded the new lodger as a joke and was sarcastic about his efforts to convert students. When Pierre left their lodgings to visit his family and Ignatius was alone with Francis, he was able to slowly break down Francis's resistance. According to most biographies Ignatius is said to have posed the question: What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

In 1530, Francis received the degree of Master of Arts, and afterwards taught Aristotelian philosophy at Beauvais College, University of Paris. In June 1539, Xavier whose health was then not so good, helped Ignatius in Rome with his correspondence. In 1539, Ignatius was asked by the Pope to send two men to the Portuguese colonies in the East. When Bobadilla fell ill, Ignatius asked Francis to substitute him. He left Lisbon on 7 April 1541 and reached Goa on 6 May 1542.

b. Works of St. Francis Xavier

The primary mission of Francis, as ordered by King John III, was to restore Christianity among the Portuguese settlers. Upon arrival in Goa, he gave much of his time to the teaching of children. He spent the first five months preaching and ministering to the sick in the hospitals. He walked through the streets ringing a bell to summon the children and servants of the rich families to teach them about Christian faith. (Note: Non-Christians will not understand what is catechism). He cared for the ill in the Royal hospital, and preached on the streets for the conversion and salvation of Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim souls. He was invited to head Saint Paul's College, a pioneer seminary for the education of secular priests, which became the first Jesuit headquarters in Asia.

Francis Xavier soon got to know that along the Pearl Fishery Coast, which extends along the southern part of Tamilnadu, connecting Tuticorin to Cape Comorin, there were people called Paravas. Many of them were baptised ten years before, in order to please the Portuguese who had helped them against the Moors, but remained uninstructed in the faith.

Accompanied by several native clerics from the seminary at Goa, he set sail for Cape Comorin in October 1542. He taught those who had already been baptised and preached to those who weren't. His efforts with the high-caste Brahmins remained unavailing. He devoted almost three years to the work of preaching to the people of southern India and Ceylon, converting many. He built nearly 40 churches along the coast, including St. Stephen's Church, Kombuthurai, mentioned in his letters dated 1544.

Francis Xavier also sailed to Cochin, the Malabar coast, Tamil Nadu, and as far as Malacca and Japan. During the journeys, many miracles were attributed to him. A few among these include turning casks of seawater into fresh water for sailors and bringing a boy back to life after he had fallen overboard.

Francis Xavier devoted much of his life to missions in Asia, mainly in the four centres of Malacca, Amboina and Ternate, Japan, and off-shore China.