St. Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) was a Navarrese Catholic missionary and saint who was a co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly the Portuguese Empire in the East, and was influential in evangelisation work, most notably in early modern India. He was also the first Christian missionary to venture into Borneo, the Maluku Islands, and other areas. In those areas, struggling to learn the local languages and in the face of opposition, he had less success than what he had enjoyed in India. Xavier was about to extend his mission to Ming China, when he died on Shangchuan Island.