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Province of Southern Africa (SAP)
of the Society of Jesus

 
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December 2025

Make a Daily Offering for the Pope's Intention: For Christians in areas of conflict (Read Reflection)
"Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation and hope."

3 Wednesday
  whiteSt Francis Xavier, priest [SJ]
Outside SJ churches memorial; weekday readings.
Texts in the Jesuit Supplement. (Download Mass texts and Divine Office texts here)
Feast
Mass of the feast; gloria, preface of the feast.
Hours of the feast; Te Deum
Diocese of Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
   whiteSt Francis Xavier, Co-Patronal Feast of the DioceseFeast
Mass of the saint, Gloria, proper readings, preface of saints.
[RM]Traditionally on this day, we remember from Scripture St. Zephaniah, prophet (cf. Zep. 1:1) [from the Roman Martyrology].
Anniversary:66th anniversary of the death of P. Henry Wilcock (49) d. 1959 at Salisbury, Rhodesia. Read Obituary
Anniversary:55th anniversary of the death of P. Jerome O'Hea (77) d. 1970 at Liverpool, England. Read Obituary
Anniversary:53rd anniversary of the death of P. John Baron (73) d. 1972 at Oxford, England. Read Obituary
Anniversary:10th anniversary of the death of P. Louis Soloman (85) d. 2015 at New York, NY, USA. Read Obituary
Birthday:33rd birthday of S. Jonatá Elias VALANE (born this day in 1992).
Jubilee:Wooden Jubilee of P. Emmanuel GURUMOMBE who celebrates 5 years since professing Final Vows today.

On this day in our Jesuit history...

Francs Xavier, priest, Feast The Patron of the Missions.
SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST (Feast)

Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was born in Navarre, Spain. At the University of Paris he came under the influence of Ignatius of Loyola, and became one of the first nine companions to found the Society of Jesus. As well, he became the first Jesuit missionary, arriving in Goa in 1542, and working on the southeast coast of India. In 1546 he sailed to Malacca, and in 1549, he sailed to Japan. After three years of missionary activity, in 1552 he was back in Goa. He made thousands of converts wherever he went. In April that year he sailed for China, but landed on the lonely island of Sancian in September, in the bay of Canton, off the south coast of China, where he died on 3 December 1552. His incorrupt remains were taken first to Malacca, then to Goa. He is universal Patron Saint of Missions, and Patron Saint of India.

1563At the Council of Trent, the Institute of the Society was approved by the assembled Fathers.
1815Archbishop John Carroll dies in Baltimore. He was the first American bishop in the USA and the greatest churchman of the American Catholic Church. Ex-Jesuit because of the Suppression.
1833A Letter of Fr. Roothaan on desire for the missions.
1844Francis X. Gautrelet, S.J. speaks to scholastics at the house of studies in France and founds the Apostleship of Prayer.
1847Shouts "Death to the Jesuits" are heard outside St. Ignatius Church, Rome, at the news of the Protestant electoral victory in Switzerland.
1863The Missouri Vice-Province is erected into a Province. It had become a mission in 1831, attached to the Belgian Province in 1836 and created a vice-province in 1840.
1928The Mission of Jamaica is assigned to the New England Province.
1931The Historical Institute of the Society is opened in Rome.
1953Francis X. Talbot dies. He was editor of America magazine from 1936-44. He launched the Catholic book Club and Thought magazine, and wrote Saint Among Savages, and Saint Among the Hurons.
1957The Vice Province of Central Africa is erected.
1978The five Italian Jesuit provinces are reduced to one, due to declining numbers.
2012New Proper Liturgical Calendar of the Society of Jesus is published

 


VARIABLES FOR THE YEAR 2025

Dominical Letter  e
Golden Number  12
Epact  *
Solar Cycle 18
Letter of the Martyrology P
Roman Year of Indiction 3
Julian Period Year 6738
Years since the confirmation of the Society 485
Years since the passing of our Holy Father Ignatius  469
Years since the erection of the Southern Africa Province 4
Sunday Readings  Cycle  A
Weekday Readings  Cycle   I
Gregorian Easter 20 April
Julian (Orthodox) Easter    20 April