Francis Xavier was born to nobility in Spain in 1506. He studied philosophy at the University of Paris and became a philosophy professor until St. Ignatius of Loyola befriended him and convinced him to use his talents to be a missionary and spread the Gospel. And indeed, he did. Frances Xavier’s missionary travels saw him journey from Venice to India to the East Indies to Japan. He baptized over 40,000 converts, taught the catechism, worked with lepers, and was one of the most notable missionaries of all time.
CHALLENGE
Most of St. Francis Xavier’s travels were barefoot. Your challenge for today is to rally your friends and together, contact your parish and help organize a shoe drive. Locally, donate them to your parish’s St. Vincent de Paul, or for international reach, Buckner International will accept your donation and send them around the world to children in need. Visit www.buckner.org/shoes for more information.
Our #1 best-seller, Letters From the Voyages of St. Frances Cabrini is a collection of 17 of Mother Cabrini’s letters to her missionary sisters, beautifully re-typeset from the original 1945 edition. Combining lessons of faith and wisdom with vivid descriptions of her adventures, it’s sure to be read again and again.
