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109-455: San Xavier may refer to: Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Roman Catholic missionary San Javier, Ñuflo de Chávez , Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia San Xavier, Arizona , a town San Xavier Indian Reservation , near Tucson, Arizona, United States Mission San Xavier del Bac , a historic Spanish Catholic mission on San Xavier Indian Reservation San Xavier talus snail or Sonorella eremita ,

218-715: A breviary , a catechism , and De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum (Instructions for a Virtuous Life According to the Examples of the Saints) by Croatian humanist Marko Marulić , a Latin book that had become popular in the Counter-Reformation . According to a 1549 letter of F. Balthasar Gago from Goa, it was the only book that Francis read or studied. Francis reached Lisbon in June 1540 and, four days after his arrival, he and Rodrigues were summoned to

327-456: 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

436-711: A Portuguese merchant, ... who had been for many days in Anjirō's country of Japan, to give me ... some information on that land and its people from what he had seen and heard. ...All the Portuguese merchants coming from Japan tell me that if I go there I shall do great service for God our Lord, more than with the pagans of India, for they are a very reasonable people." (To His Companions Residing in Rome, From Cochin, 20 January 1548, no. 18, p. 178). Francis Xavier reached Japan on 27 July 1549, with Anjirō and three other Jesuits, but he

545-697: A coffin, aware that 80% of them would die within two years. Missionary activity in China was undertaken by the Protestant churches, as well as the French Catholic Church. According to John K. Fairbank : The opening of the country in the 1860s facilitated the great effort to Christianize China. Building on old foundations, the Roman Catholic establishment totaled by 1894 some 750 European missionaries, 400 native priests, and over half

654-493: A leader of a key missionary agency focused on Muslims claimed that the world is living in a "day of salvation for Muslims everywhere." Theologically conservative evangelical, Pentecostal, Adventist and Mormon missionaries typically avoid cultural imperialism , and focus on spreading the gospel and translating the Bible. In the process of translating local languages, missionaries have often been vital in preserving and documenting

763-457: A million communicants. By 1894 the newer Protestant mission effort supported over 1300 missionaries, mainly British and American, and maintained some 500 stations-each with a church, residences, street chapels, and usually a small school and possibly a hospital or dispensary-in about 350 different cities and towns. Yet they had made fewer than 60,000 Chinese Christian converts. There was limited success in terms of converts and establishing schools in

872-599: A mission trip to India, but his legacy among Methodists – his passion for missions – continues. Missionary organizations favored the development of the Baptist movement on all continents. In England , there was the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792 at Kettering, England . William Carey write a pamphlet in 1792, "An Enquiry into the Obligation of Christians to use Means for

981-480: A nation of about 400 million people , but there was escalating anger at the threat of cultural imperialism. The main result was the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), in which missions were attacked and thousands of Chinese Christians were massacred in order to destroy Western influences. Some Europeans were killed and many others threatened, Britain joined the other powers in a military invasion that suppressed

1090-401: A preexisting translation of the Bible and higher pastoral education are already available, perhaps left over from earlier, less effective missions. One strategy is to let indigenous cultural groups decide to adopt Christian doctrines and benefits, when (as in most cultures) such major decisions are normally made by groups. In this way, opinion leaders in the groups can persuade much or most of

1199-603: A private audience with King John and Queen Catherine . Francis Xavier devoted much of his life to missions in Asia, mainly in four centres: Malacca, Amboina and Ternate (in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia), Japan, and off-shore China. His growing information about new places indicated to him that he had to go to what he understood were centres of influence for the whole region. China loomed large from his days in India. Japan

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1308-426: A public role, especially in promoting sanitation and public health. Many were trained as physicians, or took special courses in public health and tropical medicine at Livingstone College, London. By the 1870s, Protestant missions around the world generally acknowledged the long-term material goal was the formation of independent, self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating churches. The rise of nationalism in

1417-464: A representative of the king of Portugal, he was also the first major Christian missionary to venture into Borneo , the Maluku Islands , Japan , and other areas. In those areas, struggling to learn the local languages and in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India. Xavier was about to extend his mission to Ming China , when he died on Shangchuan Island . He

1526-577: A species of air-breathing land snail See also [ edit ] San Javier (disambiguation) St. Xavier (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title San Xavier . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Xavier&oldid=830048540 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

1635-485: A time that a Portuguese ship had arrived at a port in the province of Bungo in Kyushu and that the prince there would like to see him, Xavier now set out southward. The Jesuit, in a fine cassock, surplice, and stole, was attended by thirty gentlemen and as many servants, all in their best clothes. Five of them bore on cushions valuable articles, including a portrait of Our Lady and a pair of velvet slippers, these not gifts for

1744-543: Is designed "to form a viable indigenous church -planting and world changing movement." This definition is motivated by a theologically imperative theme of the Bible to make God known, as outlined in the Great Commission . The definition is claimed to summarize the acts of Jesus ' ministry, which is taken as a model motivation for all ministries. This Christian missionary movement seeks to implement churches after

1853-424: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Francis Xavier Francis Xavier , SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta ; Latin : Franciscus Xaverius ; Basque : Xabierkoa ; French: François Xavier ; Spanish: Francisco Javier ; Portuguese : Francisco Xavier ; 7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier ,

1962-838: Is discretionary. The sacred relics went on display starting on 22 November 2014 at the XVII Solemn Exposition. The display closed on 4 January 2015. The previous exposition, the sixteenth, was held from 21 November 2004 to 2 January 2005. Relics of Saint Francis Xavier are also found in the Espirito Santo (Holy Spirit) Church, Margão , in Sanv Fransiku Xavierachi Igorz (Church of St. Francis Xavier), Batpal , Canacona , Goa, and at St. Francis Xavier Chapel, Portais, Panjim. Other pilgrimage centres include Xavier's birthplace in Navarre;

2071-761: Is not characteristic of Ignatius and there is no evidence that he employed it at all. In 1530, Francis received the degree of Master of Arts, and afterwards taught Aristotelian philosophy at the Collège de Beauvais , University of Paris. On 15 August 1534, seven students met in a crypt beneath the Church of Saint Denis (now Saint Pierre de Montmartre ), on the hill of Montmartre , overlooking Paris. They were Francis, Ignatius of Loyola , Alfonso Salmeron , Diego Laínez , Nicolás Bobadilla from Spain , Peter Faber from Savoy , and Simão Rodrigues from Portugal . They made private vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to

2180-540: Is now co-patron saint of Navarre, with Fermin . The Day of Navarre in Navarre, Spain, marks the anniversary of Francis Xavier's death, on 3 December. Hindu extremists such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) , are attempting to cancel Francis Xavier's patronage of Goa , where his body rests, in order to replace him with the Parshuram of Hindu mythology . Francis Xavier was born in

2289-470: Is selection and training of leadership. Classically, leadership training required an expensive stay at a seminary, a Bible college. Modern church planters deprecate this because it substantially slows the growth of the church without much immediate benefit. Modern mission doctrines replace the seminary with programmed curricula or (even less expensive) books of discussion questions, and access to real theological books. The materials are usually made available in

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2398-517: Is the famous "three-self" formula formulated by Henry Venn of the London Church Missionary Society in the 19th century. Cross-cultural missionaries are persons who accept church-planting duties to evangelize people outside their culture, as Christ commanded in the Great Commission ( Matthew 28:18–20 , Mark 16:15–18 ). The objective of these missionaries is to give an understandable presentation of their beliefs with

2507-639: The Acehnese from Sumatra , and through preaching Xavier inspired the Portuguese to seek battle, achieving a victory at the Battle of Perlis River , despite being heavily outnumbered. In Malacca in December 1547, Francis Xavier met a Japanese man named Anjirō . Anjirō had heard of Francis in 1545 and had travelled from Kagoshima to Malacca to meet him. Having been charged with murder, Anjirō had fled Japan. He told Francis extensively about his former life, and

2616-673: The American Methodists , was "the Father of Methodist Missions". After spending time in the newly formed United States of America strengthening the infant Methodist Church alongside Episcopal colleague Francis Asbury , the British-born Coke left for mission work. During his time in America, Coke worked vigorously to increase Methodist support of Christian missions and of raising up mission workers. Coke died while on

2725-558: The American War of Independence , colonial officials decided to enhance the power and wealth of the Church of England in all British colonies, including British North America . Missionary societies funded their own operations that were not supervised or directed by the Colonial Office. Tensions emerged between the missionaries and the colonial officials. The latter feared that missionaries might stir up trouble or encourage

2834-514: The Castle of Xavier (related to the theologian and philosopher Martín de Azpilcueta ). His brother Miguel de Jasso (later known as Miguel de Javier) became Lord of Xavier and Idocín at the death of his parents (a direct ancestor of the Counts of Javier). Basque and Romance were his two mother tongues . In 1512, Ferdinand , King of Aragon and regent of Castile , invaded Navarre, initiating

2943-803: The Castle of Xavier , in the Kingdom of Navarre , on 7 April 1506 into an influential noble family. He was the youngest son of Don Juan de Jasso y Atondo, Lord of Idocín, president of the Royal Council of the Kingdom of Navarre, and seneschal of the Castle of Xavier (a doctor in law by the University of Bologna , belonging to a prosperous noble family of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port , later privy counsellor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre ) and Doña María de Azpilcueta y Aznárez, sole heiress to

3052-614: The Church of the Gesù , Rome; Malacca (where he was buried for two years, before being brought to Goa); and Sancian (place of death). Christian missionary Missionaries preach the Christian faith and sometimes administer the sacraments , and provide humanitarian aid or services. Christian doctrines (such as the "Doctrine of Love" professed by many missions) permit the provision of aid without requiring religious conversion. Nonetheless,

3161-546: The Church of the Gesù . Francis Xavier was beatified by Pope Paul V on 25 October 1619, and was canonized by Pope Gregory XV on 12 March 1622, at the same time as Ignatius Loyola . Pope Pius XI proclaimed him the "Patron of Catholic Missions". His feast day is 3 December. Saint Francis Xavier's relics are kept in a silver casket, elevated inside the Bom Jesus Basilica and are exposed (being brought to ground level) generally every ten years, but this

3270-835: The Guarani Reductions , a theocratic semi-independent region established by the Jesuits in the region of the future Paraguay between the early 17th century and 1767. From 1732 onwards the Moravian Church began sending out missionaries. In the United States, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was chartered in 1812. Protestant missionaries from the Anglican, Lutheran and Presbyterian traditions starting arriving in what

3379-730: The Holy See , request Jesuit missionaries to spread the faith in his new possessions in India , where the king believed that Christian values were eroding among the Portuguese. After successive appeals to the Pope asking for missionaries for the East Indies under the Padroado agreement, John III was encouraged by Diogo de Gouveia , rector of the Collège Sainte-Barbe , to recruit the newly graduated students who had established

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3488-460: The Maluku Islands , where the Portuguese had some settlements. For a year and a half, he preached the Gospel there. He went first to Ambon Island , where he stayed until mid-June. He then visited the other Maluku Islands, including Ternate , Baranura, and Morotai . Shortly after Easter 1547, he returned to Ambon Island; a few months later he returned to Malacca. While there, Malacca was attacked by

3597-806: The Portuguese Empire in the East , and was influential in evangelization work, most notably in early modern India . He was extensively involved in the missionary activity in Portuguese India . In 1546, Francis Xavier proposed the establishment of the Goan Inquisition in a letter addressed to King John III of Portugal . While some sources claim that he actually asked for a special minister whose sole office would be to further Christianity in Goa , others disagree with this assertion. As

3706-495: The Third World provoked challenges from critics who complained that the missionaries were teaching Western ways, and ignoring the indigenous culture. The Boxer Rebellion in China in 1899–1901 involved bloody attacks on Christian missions and especially their converts. The First World War diverted resources, and pulled most Germans out of missionary work when that country lost its empire. The worldwide Great Depression of

3815-794: The Timeline of Christian missions . Major nations not only send and fund missionaries abroad, but also receive them from other countries. In 2010, the United States sent out 127,000 missionaries, while 32,400 came to the United States. Brazil was second, sending out 34,000, and receiving 20,000. France sent out 21,000 and received 10,000. Britain sent out 15,000 and received 10,000. India sent out 10,000 and received 8000. Other major exporters included Spain at 21,000 sent out, Italy at 20,000, South Korea at 20,000, Germany at 14,000, and Canada at 8,500. Large recipient nations included Russia, receiving 20,000; Congo receiving 15,000; South Africa, 12,000; Argentina, 10,000; and Chile, 8,500. The largest sending agency in

3924-541: The Treaty of Tordesillas , the two powers divided the world between them into exclusive spheres of influence, trade and colonization. The proselytization of Asia became linked to Portuguese colonial policy . From 1499 onward, Portuguese trade with Asia rapidly proved profitable. As Jesuits arrived in India around 1540 the colonial government in Goa supported the mission with incentives for baptized Christians. Beginning in 1552,

4033-645: The 1930s was a major blow to funding mission activities. In 1910, the Edinburgh Missionary Conference was presided over by active SVM and YMCA leader John R. Mott , an American Methodist layperson, the conference reviewed the state of evangelism, Bible translation, mobilization of church support, and the training of indigenous leadership. Looking to the future, conferees worked on strategies for worldwide evangelism and cooperation. The conference not only established greater ecumenical cooperation in missions, but also essentially launched

4142-667: The 21st century there were more Anglicans in Nigeria than in England. Christian missions in Australia played a part in both indoctrinating Aboriginal Australians into Christianity, and in controlling their movements and removing children from families, leading to the Stolen Generations . German missionaries ran Lutheran and other mission stations and schools, from the earliest days of colonisation of Australia . One of

4251-479: The Bible into native languages. McGavran concentrated on finding bridges to cross the class and cultural barriers in places like India, which has upwards of 4,600 peoples, separated by a combination of language, culture, and caste . Despite democratic reforms, caste and class differences are still fundamental in many cultures. An equally important dimension of missions strategy is the indigenous method of nationals reaching their own people. In Asia this wave of missions

4360-800: The Boxers. In the 18th century, and even more so in the 19th century, missionaries based in Britain saw the British Empire as a fertile field for proselytizing for Christianity. All the main denominations were involved, including the Church of England , Scottish Presbyterian, and Nonconformists. Much of the enthusiasm emerged from the Evangelical revival. Within the Church of England, the Church Mission Society (CMS) originated in 1799 and went on to undertake activity all around

4469-533: The Church sent Jesuits to China and to other countries in Asia. During the time of the Holland (Batavia) Mission (1592–1853), when the Roman Catholic church in the country was suppressed, there were neither parishes nor dioceses, and the country effectively became a mission area in which congregations were called "stations" ( staties ) . Statie , usually called a clandestine church in English, refers to both

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4578-482: The Conversion of Heathen" and was the first missionary of the Baptist Missionary Society . He went to Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1793. Far from a dry book of theology, Carey's work used the best available geographic and ethnographic data to map and count the number of people who had never heard the Gospel. He has been referred to as the "father of modern missions", and as "India's first cultural anthropologist." In

4687-483: The East. From August until March 1542 he remained in Portuguese Mozambique , and arrived in Goa , then the capital of Portuguese India , on 6 May 1542, thirteen months after leaving Lisbon. The Portuguese, following quickly on the great voyages of discovery, had established themselves at Goa thirty years earlier. Francis's primary mission, as ordered by King John III, was to restore Christianity among

4796-796: The Near and Far East. Their travels took them as far as China in an attempt to convert the advancing Mongols , especially the Great Khans of the Mongol Empire (related to Medieval Roman Catholic Missions in China). In the later part of the fifteenth century, Portuguese missionaries had success in spreading Christianity to the Kingdom of Kongo in West Africa. In 1491, King João I of Kongo converted to Christianity and his nobility and peasants followed suit. The Kongo kingdom remained Christian for

4905-733: The Pearl Fishery Coast, which extends from Cape Comorin on the southern tip of India to the island of Mannar , off Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ), there was a Jāti of people called Paravas . Many of them had been baptised ten years before, merely 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

5014-603: The Pope, and also vowed to go to the Holy Land to convert infidels. Francis began his study of theology in 1534 and was ordained on 24 June 1537. In 1539, after long discussions, Ignatius drew up a formula for a new religious order, the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Ignatius's plan for the order was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. In 1540, King John III of Portugal had Pedro Mascarenhas , Portuguese ambassador to

5123-425: The Portuguese settlers. According to Teotonio R. DeSouza, recent critical accounts indicate that apart from the posted civil servants, "the great majority of those who were dispatched as 'discoverers' were the riff-raff of Portuguese society, picked up from Portuguese jails." Nor did the soldiers, sailors, or merchants come to do missionary work, and Imperial policy permitted the outflow of disaffected nobility. Many of

5232-589: The Society of Jesus. Ignatius promptly appointed Nicholas Bobadilla and Simão Rodrigues . At the last moment, however, Bobadilla became seriously ill. With some hesitance and uneasiness, Ignatius asked Francis to go in Bobadilla's place. Thus, Francis Xavier began his life as the first Jesuit missionary almost accidentally. Leaving Rome on 15 March 1540, in the Ambassador's train, Francis took with him

5341-403: The Southern Baptist foreign missionary operation (the International Mission Board) has operated at a deficit, and it is cutting operations by 15 percent. It is encouraging older missionaries to retire and return to the United States. The Lausanne Congress of 1974, birthed a movement that supports evangelical mission among non-Christians and nominal Christians. It regards "mission" as that which

5450-433: The United States is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who, at this date 2019, has 67,000 full time proselytizing young missionaries all over the world with many more elder missionaries serving in similar circumstances. The Southern Baptist Convention, has 4,800 missionaries, plus 450 support staff working inside the United States. The annual budget is about $ 50,000 per year per missionary. In recent years, however,

5559-488: The United States, " Hard Shell Baptists ", " Anti-Mission Baptists ", or " Old School Baptists " adhering to strict Calvinism rejected all mission boards, Bible tract societies, and temperance societies as nonbiblical. This faction was strongest in the American South. The mainstream of the Baptist denomination, however, supported missionary work, by the founding of International Ministries in 1814 and International Mission Board in 1845. A wave of missions, starting in

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5668-417: The arrivals formed liaisons with local women and adopted Indian culture. Missionaries often wrote against the "scandalous and undisciplined" behaviour of their fellow Christians. The Christian population had churches, clergy, and a bishop, but there were few preachers and no priests beyond the walls of Goa. Xavier decided that he must begin by instructing the Portuguese themselves, and gave much of his time to

5777-483: The boundaries of the old Roman Empire. In the seventh century Gregory the Great sent missionaries, including Augustine of Canterbury , into England, and in the eight century English Christians, notably Saint Boniface , spread Christianity into Germany. The Hiberno-Scottish mission began in 563. In the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, Franciscans such as William of Rubruck , John of Montecorvino , and Giovanni ed' Magnolia were sent as missionaries to

5886-501: The church to keep it in Macau's Cathedral of St. Paul . It was subsequently moved to St. Joseph's and in 1978 to the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier on Coloane Island . More recently the relic was moved to St. Joseph's Church. A relic from the right hand of St Francis Xavier is on display at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney . In 2006, on the 500th anniversary of his birth, the Xavier Tomb Monument and Chapel on Shangchuan Island, in ruins after years of neglect under communist rule in China,

5995-581: The coast, including St. Stephen's Church, Kombuthurai , mentioned in his letters dated 1544. During this time, he was able to visit the tomb of Thomas the Apostle in Mylapore (now part of Madras/ Chennai then in Portuguese India). He set his sights eastward in 1545 and planned a missionary journey to Makassar on the island of Celebes (today's Indonesia ). As the first Jesuit in India, Francis had difficulty achieving much success in his missionary trips. His successors, such as Roberto de Nobili , Matteo Ricci , and Constanzo Beschi , attempted to convert

6104-408: The congregation's church and its seat or location. The Reformation unfolded in Europe in the early 16th century. For over a hundred years, occupied by their struggle with the Catholic Church, the early Protestant churches as a body were not strongly focused on missions to "heathen" lands. Instead, the focus was initially more on Christian lands in the hope to spread the Protestant faith, identifying

6213-413: The conversion of his subjects to Christianity under penalty of death; Christians in Kagoshima could not be given any catechism in the following years. The Portuguese missionary Pedro de Alcáçova would later write in 1554: In Cangoxima, the first place Father Master Francisco stopped at, there were a good number of Christians, although there was no one there to teach them; the shortage of labourers prevented

6322-446: The culture of the peoples among whom they live. The word "mission" was historically often applied to the building, the " mission station " in which the missionary lives or works. In some colonies, these mission stations became a focus of settlement of displaced or formerly nomadic people. Particularly in rural Australia, mission stations (known as missions) became home to many Indigenous Australians . Additional events can be found at

6431-509: The customs and culture of his homeland. Anjirō became the first Japanese Christian and adopted the name 'Paulo de Santa Fe'. He later helped Xavier as a mediator and interpreter for the mission to Japan that now seemed much more possible. In January 1548 Francis returned to Goa to attend to his responsibilities as superior of the mission there. The next 15 months were occupied with various journeys and administrative measures. He left Goa on 15 April 1549, stopped at Malacca, and visited Canton . He

6540-418: The early 1850s, targeted inland areas, led by a Briton Hudson Taylor (1832–1905) with his China Inland Mission (1865– ). Taylor was later supported by Henry Grattan Guinness (1835–1910) who founded (1883) Cliff College , which continues as of 2014 to train and equip for local and global mission. The missions inspired by Taylor and Guinness have collectively been called " faith missions " and owe much to

6649-463: The emperor. For forty-five years the Jesuits were the only missionaries in Asia, but the Franciscans began proselytizing in Asia, as well. Christian missionaries were later forced into exile, along with their assistants. However, some were able to stay behind. Christianity was then kept underground so as to not be persecuted. The Japanese people were not easily converted; many of the people were already Buddhist or Shinto . Francis tried to combat

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6758-401: The expansion of the Christian mission beyond Judaism to those who were not Jewish became a contested issue, notably at the Council of Jerusalem . The Apostle Paul was an early proponent of this expansion, and contextualized the Christian message for the Greek and Roman cultures, allowing it to reach beyond its Hebrew and Jewish roots. From Late Antiquity onward, much missionary activity

6867-501: The groups to convert. When combined with training in discipleship, church planting and other modern missionary doctrine , the result is an accelerating, self-propelled conversion of large portions of the culture. A typical modern mission is a co-operative effort by many different ministries, often including several coordinating ministries, such as the Faith2Share network, often with separate funding sources. One typical effort proceeded as follows: The most crucial part of church planting

6976-453: The harbour. The captain refused to recognize his title of Nuncio, asked Pereira to resign from his title of ambassador, named a new crew for the ship, and demanded the gifts for the Chinese Emperor be left in Malacca. In late August 1552, the Santa Cruz reached the Chinese island of Shangchuan , 14 km away from the southern coast of mainland China, near Taishan , Guangdong, 200 km south-west of what later became Hong Kong . At this time, he

7085-408: The high-caste Brahmins remained unavailing. The Brahmin and Muslim authorities in Travancore opposed Xavier with violence; time and again his hut was burned down over his head, and once he saved his life only by hiding among the branches of a large tree. 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

7194-400: The hope that people will choose to following the teaching of Jesus Christ and live their lives as His disciples. As a matter of strategy, many evangelical Christians around the world now focus on what they call the "10/40 window", a band of countries between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude and reaching from western Africa through Asia. Christian missions strategist Luis Bush pinpointed

7303-455: The hostility of the daimyo. During his trip from Japan back to India, a tempest forced him to stop on an island near Guangzhou , Guangdong , China, where he met Diogo Pereira, a rich merchant and an old friend from Cochin . Pereira showed him a letter from Portuguese prisoners in Guangzhou, asking for a Portuguese ambassador to speak to the Jiajing Emperor on their behalf. Later during the voyage, he stopped at Malacca on 27 December 1551 and

7412-569: The ideas and example of Anthony Norris Groves (1795–1853). Taylor, a thorough-going nativist , offended the missionaries of his era by wearing Chinese clothing and speaking Chinese at home. His books, speaking, and examples led to the formation of numerous inland missions and of the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM, founded in 1886), which from 1850 to about 1950 sent nearly 10,000 missionaries to inland areas, often at great personal sacrifice. Many early SVM missionaries traveling to areas with endemic tropical diseases left with their belongings packed in

7521-479: The language. He was hosted by Anjirō's family until October 1550. From October to December 1550, he resided in Yamaguchi . Shortly before Christmas, he left for Kyoto but failed to meet with Emperor Go-Nara . He returned to Yamaguchi in March 1551, where the daimyō of the province gave him permission to preach. Having learned that evangelical poverty did not have the appeal in Japan that it had in Europe and in India, he decided to change his approach. Hearing after

7630-432: The largest organisations was the United Aborigines Mission , which ran dozens of missionaries and stations in Western Australia , New South Wales and South Australia in the 1900s. Missionaries increasingly came to focus on education, medical help, and long-term modernization of the native personality to inculcate European middle-class values. They established schools and medical clinics. Christian missionaries played

7739-429: The life of Xavier: The right forearm , which Xavier used to bless and baptise his converts, was detached by Superior General Claudio Acquaviva in 1614. It has been displayed since in a silver reliquary at the main Jesuit church in Rome, Il Gesù . Another of Xavier's arm bones was brought to Macau where it was kept in a silver reliquary . The relic was destined for Japan but religious persecution there persuaded

7848-687: 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

7957-418: The modern ecumenical movement . The next wave of missions was started by two missionaries, Cameron Townsend and Donald McGavran , around 1935. These men realized that although earlier missionaries had reached geographic areas, there were numerous ethnographic groups that were isolated by language, or class from the groups that missionaries had reached. Cameron formed Wycliffe Bible Translators to translate

8066-527: The most well-known missions in history. While some of these missions were associated with imperialism and oppression, others (notably Matteo Ricci 's Jesuit mission to China) were relatively peaceful and focused on inculturation rather than cultural imperialism . In both Portugal and Spain, religion was an integral part of the state and evangelization was seen as having both secular and spiritual benefits. Wherever these powers attempted to expand their territories or influence, missionaries would soon follow. By

8175-639: The native population, including the royalty. In the course of the Spanish colonization of the Americas , the Catholic missionaries learned the languages of the Amerindians and devised writing systems for them. Then they preached to indigenous people in those languages ( Quechua , Guarani , Nahuatl ) instead of Spanish, to keep Indians away from "sinful" whites. An extreme case of segregation occurred in

8284-416: The natives to challenge colonial authority. In general, colonial officials were much more comfortable with working with the established local leadership, including the native religions, rather than introducing the divisive force of Christianity. This proved especially troublesome in India, were very few local elites were attracted to Christianity. In Africa, especially, the missionaries made many converts. As of

8393-648: The need for a major focus of evangelism in the " 10/40 Window ", a phrase he coined in his presentation at the missionary conference Lausanne 1989 in Manila. Sometimes referred to as the "Resistant Belt", it is an area that includes 35% of the world's land mass, 90% of the world's poorest peoples and 95% of those who have yet to hear anything about Christianity. Modern mission techniques are sufficiently refined that within ten to fifteen years, most indigenous churches are locally pastored, managed, taught, self-supporting and evangelizing. The process can be substantially faster if

8502-431: 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?" However, according to James Broderick such method

8611-472: 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 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

8720-536: The next two centuries. One of the main goals of the Christopher Columbus expedition financed by Queen Isabella of Spain was to spread Christianity. During the Age of Discovery , Spain and Portugal established many missions in their American and Asian colonies. The most active orders were the Jesuits , Augustinians , Franciscans and Dominicans . The Portuguese sent missions into Africa. These are some of

8829-507: The noblemen first as a means to influence more people, while Francis had initially interacted most with the lower classes; (later though, in Japan, Francis changed tack by paying tribute to the Emperor and seeking an audience with him). In the spring of 1545, Xavier started for Portuguese Malacca . He laboured there for the last months of that year. About January 1546, Xavier left Malacca for

8938-614: The papacy with the Antichrist . In the centuries that followed, Protestant churches began sending out missionaries in increasing numbers, spreading the proclamation of the Christian message to previously unreached people . In North America, missionaries to the Native Americans included Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), the well-known preacher of the Great Awakening (c. 1731–1755), who in his later years retired from

9047-534: The passage of time, his sojourn in Japan could be considered somewhat fruitful as attested by congregations established in Hirado , Yamaguchi, and Bungo . Xavier worked for more than two years in Japan and saw his successor-Jesuits established. He then decided to return to India. Historians debate the exact path by which he returned, but from evidence attributed to the captain of his ship, he may have travelled through Tanegeshima and Minato, and avoided Kagoshima because of

9156-463: The pattern of the first century Apostles. The process of forming disciples is necessarily social. "Church" should be understood in the widest sense, as a body of believers of Christ rather than simply a building. In this view, even those who are already culturally Christian must be "evangelized". Church planting by cross-cultural missionaries leads to the establishment of self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating communities of believers. This

9265-418: The prince, but solemn offerings to Xavier, to impress the onlookers with his eminence. Handsomely dressed, with his companions acting as attendants, he presented himself before Oshindono, the ruler of Nagate, and as a representative of the great Kingdom of Portugal, offered him letters and presents: a musical instrument, a watch, and other attractive objects which had been given him by the authorities in India for

9374-628: The prospect of converting the country. Xavier was welcomed by the Shingon monks since he used the word Dainichi for the Christian God; attempting to adapt the concept to local traditions. As Xavier learned more about the religious nuances of the word, he changed to Deusu from the Latin and Portuguese Deus . The monks later realised that Xavier was preaching a rival religion and grew more resistant towards his attempts at conversion. With

9483-539: The provision of help has always been closely tied to evangelization efforts. The earliest Christian mission, the Great Commission and Dispersion of the Apostles , was active within Second Temple Judaism . Whether a Jewish proselytism existed or not that would have served as a model for the early Christians is unclear; see Circumcision controversy in early Christianity#Background for details. Soon,

9592-645: The relics. The tour continued to every city where CCO and/or the Jesuits are present in Canada: Quebec City, St. John's, Halifax, St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish (neither CCO nor the Jesuits are present here), Kingston, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, and Montreal before returning to Ottawa. The relic was then returned to Rome with a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Archbishop Terrence Prendergast at

9701-574: The reservations of some of the Japanese. Many mistakenly interpreted Catholic doctrine as teaching that demons had been created evil, and they thus concluded the God who had created them could not be good. Much of Francis' preaching was devoted to providing answers to this and other such challenges. In the course of these discussions, Francis grew to respect the rationality and general literacy of those Japanese people whom he encountered. He expressed optimism at

9810-439: The teaching of children. The first five months he spent in preaching and ministering to the sick in the hospitals. After that, he walked through the streets ringing a bell to summon the children and servants to catechism. 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. Conversion efforts Xavier soon learned that along

9919-730: The very public life of his early career. He became a missionary to the Housatonic Native Americans (1751) and a staunch advocate for them against cultural imperialism . As European culture has been established in the midst of indigenous peoples, the cultural distance between Christians of differing cultures has been difficult to overcome. One early solution was the creation of segregated "praying towns" of Christian natives. This pattern of grudging acceptance of converts played out again later in Hawaii when Congregational missionaries from New England went there and converted

10028-525: The whole kingdom from becoming Christian. Francis was the first Jesuit to go to Japan as a missionary. He brought with him paintings of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child . These paintings were used to help teach the Japanese about Christianity. There was a huge language barrier as Japanese was unlike other languages the missionaries had previously encountered. For a long time, Francis struggled to learn

10137-780: The world, including in what became known as "the Middle East". Before the American Revolution , British Anglican and Methodist missionaries were active in the Thirteen Colonies . The Methodists, led by George Whitefield , were the most successful and after the Revolution an entirely distinct American Methodist denomination emerged that became the largest Protestant denomination in the United States . A major problem for British colonial officials

10246-459: Was a Basque cleric . He was a Catholic missionary and saint who co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative of the Portuguese Empire , led the first Christian mission to Japan . Born in the town of Xavier , Kingdom of Navarre , he was a companion of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre , Paris in 1534. He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly

10355-569: Was accompanied by Anjirō, two other Japanese men, Father Cosme de Torres and Brother Juan Fernández . He had taken with him presents for the " King of Japan " since he intended to introduce himself as the Apostolic Nuncio . Europeans had already come to Japan; the Portuguese had landed in 1543 on the island of Tanegashima , where they introduced matchlock firearms to Japan. From Amboina, he wrote to his companions in Europe: "I asked

10464-412: Was accompanied only by a Jesuit student, Álvaro Ferreira, a Chinese man called António, and a Malabar servant called Christopher. Around mid-November, he sent a letter saying that a man had agreed to take him to the mainland in exchange for a large sum of money. Having sent back Álvaro Ferreira, he remained alone with António. He died from a fever at Shangchuan, Taishan, China, on 3 December 1552, while he

10573-686: Was active in Wales. During the Middle Ages , Ramon Llull advanced the concept of preaching to Muslims and converting them to Christianity by means of non-violent argument. A vision for large-scale mission to Muslims would die with him, not to be revived until the 19th century. Additional events can be found at the timeline of Christian missions . During the Middle Ages, Christian monasteries and missionaries such as Saint Patrick , and Adalbert of Prague propagated learning and religion beyond

10682-526: Was back in Goa by January 1552. On 17 April he set sail with Diogo Pereira on the Santa Cruz for China. He planned to introduce himself as Apostolic Nuncio and Pereira as the ambassador of the king of Portugal. But then he realized that he had forgotten his testimonial letters as an Apostolic Nuncio. Back in Malacca, he was confronted by the captain Álvaro de Ataíde da Gama who now had total control over

10791-738: Was beatified by Pope Paul V on 25 October 1619 and canonized by Pope Gregory XV on 12 March 1622. In 1624, he was made co-patron of Navarre . Known as the "Apostle of the Indies ", "Apostle of the Far East ", "Apostle of China" and "Apostle of Japan", he is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries since Paul the Apostle . In 1927, Pope Pius XI published the decree "Apostolicorum in Missionibus" naming Francis Xavier, along with Thérèse of Lisieux , co-patron of all foreign missions. He

10900-590: Was carried out by members of religious orders . Monasteries followed disciplines and supported missions, libraries, and practical research, all of which were perceived as works to reduce human misery and suffering and glorify the Christian God. For example, Nestorian communities evangelized parts of Central Asia, as well as Tibet, China, and India. Cistercians evangelized much of Northern Europe , as well as developing most of European agriculture's classic techniques. St Patrick evangelized many in Ireland. St David

11009-410: Was not permitted to enter any port his ship arrived at until 15 August, when he went ashore at Kagoshima , the principal port of Satsuma Province on the island of Kyūshū . As a representative of the Portuguese king, he was received in a friendly manner. Shimazu Takahisa (1514–1571), daimyō of Satsuma, gave a friendly reception to Francis on 29 September 1549, but in the following year he forbade

11118-462: Was particularly attractive because of its culture. For him, these areas were interconnected; they could not be evangelised separately. Francis Xavier left Lisbon on 7 April 1541, his thirty-fifth birthday, along with two other Jesuits and the new viceroy Martim Afonso de Sousa , on board the Santiago . As he departed, Francis was given a brief from the pope appointing him apostolic nuncio to

11227-446: Was pioneered by men like Dr G. D. James of Singapore , Rev Theodore Williams of India and Dr David Cho of Korea . The "two thirds missions movement" as it is referred to, is today a major force in missions. Often, missionaries provide welfare and health services, as a good deed or to make friends with the locals. Thousands of schools, orphanages, and hospitals have been established by missions. One service provided by missionaries

11336-582: Was restored with support from the alumni of Wah Yan College , a Jesuit high school in Hong Kong. From December 2017 to February 2018, Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) in cooperation with the Jesuits, and the Archdiocese of Ottawa (Canada) brought Xavier's right forearm to tour throughout Canada. The faithful, especially university students participating with CCO at Rise Up 2017 in Ottawa, venerated

11445-478: Was shipped to Goa. The mostly-incorruptible body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on 2 December 1637. This casket, constructed by Goan silversmiths between 1636 and 1637, was an exemplary blend of Italian and Indian aesthetic sensibilities. There are 32 silver plates on all four sides of the casket, depicting different episodes from

11554-549: Was the Each one, teach one literacy program begun by Dr. Frank Laubach in the Philippines in 1935. The program has since spread around the world and brought literacy to the least enabled members of many societies. During this period missionaries, especially evangelical and Pentecostal missionaries, witnessed a substantial increase in the number of conversions of Muslims to Christianity. In an interview published in 2013

11663-465: Was the demand of the Church of England to set up an American bishop; this was strongly opposed by most of the Americans colonists, as it had never happened before. Colonial officials increasingly took a neutral position on religious matters, even in those colonies such as Virginia where the Church of England was officially established, but in practice controlled by laymen in the local vestries. After

11772-789: Was then the Ottoman Empire in the first half of the 19th Century. This eventually let to the creation of what are today the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the see of the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem . Furthermore, it was during this time that the Christian and Missionary Alliance started their missionary activity in Jerusalem. Thomas Coke (1747–1814), the first bishop of

11881-662: Was waiting for a boat that would take him to mainland China. Xavier was first buried on a beach at Shangchuan Island , Taishan , Guangdong. His body was taken from the island in February 1553 and temporarily buried in St. Paul's Church in Portuguese Malacca on 22 March 1553. An open grave in the church now marks the place of Xavier's burial. Pereira came back from Goa, removed the corpse shortly after 15 April 1553, and moved it to his house. On 11 December 1553, Xavier's body

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