The Society of Jesus, which has always had many missionaries in its ranks, glories in possessing the great 16^th century apostle, St. Francis Xavier, among its founders. St. Ignatius, his fellow-student in Paris, won him to the cause of Christ. Sent to the Indies, he embarked on a wonderful and triumphal apostolic campaign. Alone and in spite of every sort of opposition but supported by God’s grace and working innumerable miracles, he converted great numbers of the peoples he visited. He passed from India to Japan and died in 1552, still scarcely 46 years old, at the gates of the enigmatical Chinese Empire, which it was his dream to win to the Gospel. St. Pius X named St. Francis Xavier patron of all works for the propagation of the Faith. His feast reminds all Christians of their missionary duty and urges them to aid the Church’s apostolate with their prayers and alms.