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A Missionary Religious Congregation Inspired by St Francis Xavier:

A Missionary Religious Congregation Inspired by St Francis Xavier:. The Society of St Francis Xavier for the Foreign Missions (Societa’ Saveriana per le Missioni Estere) ‏. (Pama, Italy, 1895) ‏. The Founder. Guido M. Conforti, a diocesan priest The experience of the Crucifix

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A Missionary Religious Congregation Inspired by St Francis Xavier:

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  1. A MissionaryReligious CongregationInspired by St Francis Xavier: The Society ofSt Francis Xavier for the Foreign Missions (Societa’ Saveriana per le Missioni Estere)‏ (Pama, Italy, 1895)‏

  2. The Founder • Guido M. Conforti, a diocesan priest • The experience of the Crucifix • Read the life of St Francis Xavier • Wanted to be a missionary, but for various reasons could not • Resolved to found an exclusively missionary congregation • Later bishop of Ravenna and then Parma • “The Shepherd of two Flocks” • Died 1931, beatified 1996

  3. The Society • A religious congregation:- vows- community life • Exclusive purpose: proclamation of the Gospel to non-Christians • The model for its members is St Francis Xavier

  4. The First Mission in China • Letter to card. Ledochowsky (Propaganda Fide) asking for missions in Asia • First 2 missionaries left for China in 1898

  5. The First Mission in China • Conforti encouraged his missionaries to use the local language and customs • Accepted Chinese candidates • Chinese Museum and Library in Parma (for formation and pastoral purposes)‏

  6. Why Conforti chose Xavier 1. In Conforti’s time, Xavier is the icon of the missionary 2. Common Experience: the “smiling” and the “loving” Crucifix 3. Xavier man of prayer and constant union with Christ 4. Asia

  7. Why Conforti Chose Xavier • 5. Apostolic zeal (iconography)‏ • 6. Strong affection for the Company and the Church • 7. Passion for the people (souls)‏ • 8. Radical quality of his commitment

  8. The Xaverians’ “Struggle” Today • Awareness that Xavier cannot be taken as the model for missionary praxis - “anachronistic” - “embarrassing”! • Necessity to rediscover his relevance for our charism at the present time

  9. Possibly… • Profound spirituality and authentic faith as foundations for the mission(“Constant union with Christ” – LT“The first activity of the m. is prayer – C) • Passion for the Kingdom and for humanity(4 vows – vow of mission is firstcommitment to justice…)‏

  10. Possibly… 3. Concrete love for the Family and the Church(“Strong Family Spirit”) 4. Capacity of conversion in the face of new contexts- intellectual- praxis(History of the Congregation after 1949)‏

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