Australia / Francis Xavier, 1506–1552, Feast Day: December 3
A friend of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, Francis became one of the most successful missionaries in history. Dedicated to working in the Far East, he converted over forty thousand people in Goa, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the outer islands of Japan. He died before he could reach China. After his death, he often became the patron of territories in newly discovered regions of the world.
Other patronages: Borneo, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Portugal; foreign missions; sailors, tourists Invoked: against hurricanes, plague
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