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The Southern Cross : October 2012
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October 2012 Page 13 www.thesoutherncross.org.au Relic of St Francis Xavier visit, October 14 - 18 The incorrupt body St Francis Xavier was only 46 when he died on a deserted island off the Chinese mainland on December 3 1552. Two months later a crew member on a merchant ship opened his grave and discovered Xavier's body to be "as fresh as on the day he died", according to biographer Rajan Narayan. After the sailor sliced off a piece of flesh to show his captain as proof, the body was taken to Malacca, where it was vandalised further. The body was secretly removed by a Jesuit superior and stored in a casket until its removal to a ship bound for Goa in December 1553, and it was here in India, where he began his missionary work, that his body was first demonstrated to the public in March 1554. In 1614 the Superior General of the Jesuits arranged for the right forearm to be detached so that this significant relic could be an object of devotion in the Church of Gesu, the principal church of the Jesuits in Rome. The relic has only been removed from Gesu on four other occasions. Narayan writes in his book Goencho Saib (Lord of God) that the phenomenon of the incorrupt body has confounded theologians, doctors and scientist from the time of the saint's death. "Over and over again, the scientists and rationalists have tried to debunk the miracle, suggesting that it was merely a case of chemical preservation. However, medical reports exist from as early as 1556 to prove that all the body's parts were intact." In April 1994 a forensic examination was carried out in the presence of a team from an English television network to certify the body's desiccated but largely intact state. St Francis Xavier and Australia When Australia was still considered mission territory, apart from our national patron -- Our Lady Help of Christians -- St Francis was one of our missionary patrons, along with St Therese of Lisieux. For this reason, apart from some Jesuit ministries named after him, three cathedrals (including our own here in Adelaide), many parish churches and schools around the country were named in Xavier's honour. His story was a popular part of catechesis and his intercession was sought for the needs of the country. Although we were not classified as mission territory after 1976, the connection of Xavier to the history of the Church in our country continues, along with affectiion for him in the hearts of many Australian Catholics. Beyond this mission history, the Australian Church has been blessed in recent decades with an influx of members from countries where Xavier evangelised, especially India and Sri Lanka. Recommended catechetical resources available online include: www.misyononline.com/new/nov- dec2006/assisted-by-grace-and-wind www.amdg.ie/2006/03/20/ exchanging-worldly-for-missionary- ambition/ www.amdg.ie/2006/03/20/if-francis- were-with-us-today www.express.org.au/article. aspx?aeid=185 SAINT IGNATIUS' COLLEGE Dear Jesus, Thank you for giving us St Francis Xavier as a great example of someone who loved you and followed whatever you called him to do. When he was a teenager, Francis wanted to be famous and rich. But you showed him that all of this was pointless if he was not doing your will. He opened his heart to you, Lord, and listened to your call. He helped hundreds of thousands of people to love you and to love others, and so to find their way to heaven. Through St Francis Xavier's prayers, help me to find my vocation. Help me to make you the centre of my life, to ask you what you want me to do with my life, and to listen to you. Help me to know that whatever you call me to do, you will give me the grace to do it. In this way, may I find peace in this life and complete happiness with you in heaven, with our Mother Mary, St Francis Xavier, and all the saints, for ever and ever. Image used with permission Fr Roy Thottam SJ Goan Catholics venerate the body of St Francis Xavier who brought the Christian faith to the western part of India. Francis Xavier
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