The Patron Saint of Our School Saint Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506, in a castle near Sanguesa in Navarre (part of present-day Spain). With encouragement from his friend Ignatius of Loyola, Xavier devoted himself to religious service and became one of the founders of the Jesuit order. Much of his life was spent tending to missions in areas such as India and Japan. He was 46 when he died on China's Shangchuan Island on December 3, 1552. He was a member of a noble family, and his childhood was one of privilege-however, it was disrupted by his father's death, as well as by outside efforts to take control of Navarre. In 1525, Xavier went to study at the University of Paris.

There, he encountered Ignatius of Loyola, who did his utmost to convince Xavier to join him on the same path of devotion. Though at first hesitant, Xavier was eventually inspired by his friend's example. On August 15, 1534, in the Montmartre section of Paris, Xavier, Loyola and five others pledged themselves to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). In addition to vows of celibacy and poverty, they also promised to visit the Holy Land. While waiting in Venice, Italy, to depart for the Holy Land, Xavier worked in a hospital, aiding those in need. He also became a priest, on June 24, 1537. When fighting between Venice and the Ottoman Empire made a trip to Jerusalem impossible, Xavier instead went to Rome, where he and others in the society offered their services to the pope. Xavier arrived in Goa, India, on May 6, 1542.