1545: Saint Francis Xavier (聖沙勿略)
Founder of the Society of Jesus
Statue of Father Francis Xavier at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Beijing [Zane Archives]
Saint Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was a Spanish Catholic who was canonised. With Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) and Peter Faber, Saint Xavier founded the religious order called Society of Jesus in 1540, dedicated to missionary work.
All members were bound by the vow of poverty, chastity, obedience, and readiness to fulfil Papal missions. One of their most significant contributions to history was their high regard for education and the schools they founded throughout the world.
Saint Xavier was known as one of the most well-known missionaries since St. Paul the Apostle.
Heard about the presence of Jews in China
Saint Xavier embarked on extensive missions into Asia; he was the first missionary to venture into Japan, Borneo and Maluku Islands. He was about to extend his journey into China when he passed away on St. John's Island (上川岛), of the coast of Guangdong Province, on 3rd December 1552.
In The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier, it was recorded that, in 1545, he was told about the presence of Jews in China; however, the details of the information conveyed was patchy.