General Description:

A superb novel of St. Francis Xavier - apostle to the Orient.

Saint Francis Xavier's life is, in itself, a dramatic story. With humility and deep religious conviction, the famous Catholic novelist Louis de Wohl takes us into the mind and heart of this great missionary and saint who went by order of St. Ignatius of Loyola to "set all afire" in the Orient. Louis de Wohl captivates the reader as he follows Xavier's life from student days in Paris, through his meeting with Ignatius, his rather reluctant conversion, and his travels as one of the first Jesuits. The story takes the reader from Europe to Goa, India, Malaysia, Japan, and finally, to an island off the coast of China, where the exiled Xavier dies virtually alone. The book captures the dramatic struggles and inspiring zeal of this remarkable saint, giving at the same time an enthralling picture of the age in which he lived.

"... written with fine understanding ... Xavier's generosity speaks to every age, and seldom so clearly and compellingly as in this book."
- New York Times Book Review

"Francis Xavier took the admonition to go to all nations seriously. His life remains one of the lessons of what it means to leave all to follow Christ, that nothing else profits a man but this. De Wohl's novel brings the drama of Xavier alive again to a point where we can begin to catch the flavor of Xavier's zeal and drama."
- James V. Schall, S.J., Georgetown University

Born in Germany in 1903, Louis de Wohl was a distinguished and internationally respected Catholic writer whose books on Catholic saints were best-sellers worldwide. Sixteen of his books were made into films. Pope John XXIII conferred on him the title of Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

St. Francis Xavier

Feast Day: Roman Rite Calendar - 12/03 Tridentine Calendar - 12/03 Patron Of: Apostleship Of Prayer, Australia, Borneo, China, Emigrants, Hospital Administrators, Immigrants, Missionaries, Missions, Domestic, Missions, Foreign, New Zealand, Winemakers Profile     Nobleman from the Basque reqion. Studied and taught philosophy at the University of Paris, and planned a career as a professor. Friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola who convinced him to use his talents to spread the Gospel. One of the founding Jesuits, and the first Jesuit missionary. Priest.     In Goa, while waiting to take ship, India, he preached in the street, worked with the sick, and taught children their catechism. He would walk through the streets ringing a bell to call the children to their studies. Said to have converted the entire city.     He scolded his patron, King John of Portugal, over the slave trade: "You have no right to spread the Catholic faith while you take away all the country's riches. It upsets me to know that at the hour of your death you may be ordered out of paradise."     Tremendously successful missionary for ten years in India, the East Indies, and Japan, baptizing more than 40,000. His epic finds him dining with head hunters, washing sores of lepers in Venice, teaching catechism to Indian children, baptizing 10,000 in a single month. He tolerated the most appalling conditions on long sea voyages, enduring extremes of heat and cold. Wherever he went he would seek out and help the poor and forgotten. He traveled thousands of miles, most on his bare feet, and he saw the greater part of the Far East. Had the gift of tongues. Miracle worker. Raised people from the dead. Calmed storms. Prophet. Healer. Born     1506 at Javier, Spanish Navarre Died     2 December 1552 at Sancian, China of a fever contracted on a mission journey Beatified     25 October 1619 by Pope Paul V Canonized     12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV All information used with permission of the Patron Saint Index.

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