St Francis Xavier Memorial Association
The Prospectus for the Memorial Association
of Francis Xavier's Landing at KagoshimaFrancis Xavier was born at the Xavier Castle in the Kingdom of Navarra(the present-day State of Navarra,Spain) on 7th April, 1506. One of the three sons of the Lord of Xavier Castle, he studied philosophy at the University of Paris, intending to embark on a career as a scholar. But influenced by Ignatius of Loyola, a friend from the same college, Francis joined a group of seven disciples Ignatius led, taking a vow at a small chapel in Montmartre in 1534, to observe poverty and chastity, and to make a prigrimage to the holy land. The group grew to become the religious association called Jesuits.
Xavier left Lisbon for India as a Christian missionary to the East in 1541, and stayed in Goa, going to surrounding countries to teach the good news of Jesus Christ. In 1547 he met Anjiro, a young man from Kagoshima, at Malacca, and discovered he felt a great interest in Japan, an island country of the Far East.
In June, 1549, Xavier boarded a ship whose captain was named Avan, a Chinese, and left Malacca. After a long and dangerous voyage he landed in Kagoshima on the 15th August, 1549. He was presented to Shimazu Takahisa, Lord of Satsuma, at Ijyuin near Kagoshima, who gave him permission for his missionary work, and so began teaching Christianity to the people there.
After one year's stay in Kagoshima he left for Kyoto to gain permission from the Emperor to continue his missionary work all over Japan. Xavier stayed in Kyoto only eleven days, when he was unable to see the Emperor. However, Xavier's landing at Kagoshima made the town an honored place in Japan, because of its being the gate through which Japan first received European spiritual culture and where public permission was granted to spread Christianity. Since then though there were many difficulties Japan accepted aspects of European culture and has built up a new culture of her own.
This great historic step, however, was not realized by Xavier alone. John III, King of Portugal, gave Xavier financial support; Anjiro guided him to Japan; Avan a Chinese captain brought them to Japan; the broad-minded Lord Shimazu Takahisa publicly gave permission to spread Christianity in his territory; the Zen-Buddhist priest Ninshitsu of Fukushoji Temple made close religious friends with Xavier; Bernard, a young man from Kagoshima, supported by Xavier, was the first Japanese to visit Europe. Each of these men worked toward the realization of international harmony.
Our association is going to manifest this great historical achievement of "Francis Xavier's Landing at Kagoshima" and commemorate those people who cooperated so well in this history. At the same time the association is going to revive the friendship founded in Kagoshima 450 years ago, and promote closer relationship between this city and Navarra, Spain, the hometown of Francis Xavier, and Coinbra, Portugal, where Bernard studied and died. We also want to further cultural exchange among the people in the world who love and respect Francis Xavier.
Now that we all are living in the last year of the 20th century, we are reflecting about the passing century and are expecting and planning for the coming, better century. The 20th century has had a wonderful series of scientific successes, while it has had a terrible series of wars and massacres. Millions of people are still suffering wounds to soul and body from these barbarities. Reflecting on the history of this century, we wish the coming 21st century to be not a materialistic one but a spiritual one.
From this standpoint we would like to say that the teaching of Jesus "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?", the maxim Francis Xavier loved best and which he taught to Japanese, should be the most valuable evangelical advice at this turning point of the century.
The year 1999 is the 450th anniversary of Xavier's landing at Kagoshima. We appeal to all minds and hearts to join with us in this commemoration and in making the new time, a new era ahead.
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