Our Patron Saint -
St. Francis Xavier An Educationist par Excellence
St. Xavier's College, Mapusa is named
after St. Francis Xavier, a world renowned Jesuit missionary from Spain, who was also an Educationist par excellence and whose
500th birth anniversary we are celebrating this year. Born in
Spain
in 1506, Francisco de Jaxu Xavier, as he was named, was one among the
outstanding students of the Sorbonne University, Paris. Awarded his Master's
Degree in Arts with distinction in 1530, he was appointed Professor of
Aristotelian Philosophy in the College
of Beauvais in Paris
in the same year. It was against this brilliant academic background and his
lofty ambition, that the seeds of missionary zeal were sown in him by Ignatius
of Loyola a fellow student of the same University, who placed before him the
spiritually haunting biblical maxim: “What doth it profit
a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul.” This
influenced Francis Xavier to such a great extent, that his worldly ambition gave
way to the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, when he was ordained to
priesthood in 1537. In 1542, Francis Xavier set foot on Goan soil. In the
following year, he was given charge of the College of Holy Faith (Santa Fe) at Velha
Goa. Under the Jesuits, it gained fame as the
College of St. Paul. Francis
Xavier was one of the illustrious professors of this Institution, which
eventually earned the reputation of a University, where scholars from as far as
Japan
came to pursue their studies. During his tenure as the head of the College, he
encouraged learning by establishing many other educational institutions, modeled on the most advanced
universities of Europe. St.Xavier' College, Mapusa, has chosen as its goals Virtue (virtute)
and knowledge (scientia) to truly reflect the inspiration it draws from
the very maxim that turned around the life of its Patron, St.Francis Xavier.