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Loyola School of Theology

The Xaverian Spirituality

Basics of Christian Spirituality BPM 104

Sr. Auria Arabit

December 6, 2017

Romeo Nicolas Ibana Nungay


Introduction

Everything began in a passing by. In ones ordinary experience, God appears indirectly

to his people. God urges the people to discover Gods immanent nature and recognize through

faith the call connecting to us. Awareness of Gods presence in all creation and everything is part

of St. Ignatius Spiritual Exercises. Together with St. Francis Xavier, both exercise this spirituality

that moved their entire life to the fullest and mission of Christ handed on to the apostles and to the

present people of God.

Going back to the opening statement; the passing by experience will usher the discourse

to the experience of the founder of the Xaverian missionaries; St. Guido Maria Conforti and

consequently to the Xaverian Spirituality. Inspired by the founders zeal for mission, the author of

this paper strived to look for the overt signs of his vocation to mission. There has been a lot of

spiritualities not only in the Christian religion but in all the world religions. Now, what makes

Xaverian spirituality different from other spiritualities? This question calls for the unique identity

of the Xaverians; its precariousness and peculiarities among other spiritualities.

As far as the name of the congregation is concern, the spiritual roots of the Xaverian

spirituality is not Ignatian but totally and holistically Confortian way of the spirit. This paper will

discuss the significant historical background and context of the foundation of the congregation;

the life of St. Guido Maria Conforti and St. Francis Xavier; the characteristics and elements of

Xaverian Spirituality. Eventually, the discussion will lead to their identity as a missionary,

religious, brother and priest.


I. The life of Saint Guido Maria Conforti

On March 30, 1865, Guido Maria Guiseppe Adorni Conforti was born at Casalora de

Ravadese, a small village in the Po river, Parma.1 His father Rinaldo Conforti was a wealth farmer

and a landowner and his mother Antonia Adorni, a devout mother, possessing an exceptional

spiritual depth.2 When Guido was born, the parents decided to get their baby baptized right after

the birth and, so he was baptized the same day. Growing with a Christian lifestyle and upbringing

and despite of being the eighth of ten children, he was not deprived of parental guidance and

attention.

Three of his siblings died during their birth while one of his sister died due to an epidemic

struck Parma. Because of scarce facilities for education in their vicinity, his parents decided to

send Guido to the Maini family.3 Of course, going ahead from your parents is painful for the little

Guido, but the intense love of the Maini family sufficed to comfort him.

In the school many teachers noticed his gift of intelligence and dedication to studies. Guido

showed character and will power and a taste of book learning. He was more incline to study and

pray than to play with the other kids.4 Going beyond the typical religious practices, the Mainis

used to bring Guido to visit several churches that made him recognize the presence of God through

art. At the time, he got interested with a certain chapel, namely, Oratorio della pace or the Oratory

of Peace. He passes by this chapel almost everyday going to school and pray for a while. This is

when he first received the sign of his vocation while entering this chapel and staring at the cross.5

1
Augusto Luca, SX, Bishop Without Frontiers: Guido Maria Conforti, Bishop of Parma and Founder of the Xaverian
Missionary Fathers (La Nuova Stampa, 1983), 13.
2
Ibid., 14.
3
Ibid.
4
Ibid., 17.
5
Ibid., 18.
The huge crucifix which embellished the alter fascinated him. He looked at the figure of

Jesus and he really believed that Jesus looked at him. What ever the nature of the experience, it

moved him deeply. Indeed, so entranced did he become with this crucifix that he became

increasingly reluctant to leave the church. It looked at me and told me so many things. 6 Apart

from the rigors of the study and discipline, physical conditions did not make for an easy life.7

Although sick, he continued his vocation. While he as in the seminary, he was inspired by the

biography of St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit of missionary who had worked in India and Japan.8

He applied to the Jesuits and Salesians with his explicit desire to go to mission. However, both did

not grant his request due to his health conditions.9

Despite the rejection, he continued his vocation in the Diocesan seminary and eventually

ordained to priesthood in 1888. He founded his own institute for mission in December 3, 1895, the

feast of St. Francis Xavier. He sent missionaries to China to fulfill the mission he wanted to

continue. However, the missionaries in the country were cast out during the Boxer persecution in

China. Even though a tragic expulsion happened to them, the missionaries spread throughout Asia

to extend the mission to Asia.

The only thing he took from St. Francis Xavier goals was the unfinished business about

mission in China. After visiting his missionaries in China passing through Trans-Siberian rails, he

went back to Parma. On the fifth day of November he passed away. Guido Maria Conforti was

beatified in March 17, 1996 by Pope John Paul II and was canonized in October 23, 2011 by Pope

6
Luca, SX, Bishop Without Frontiers: Guido Maria Conforti, Bishop of Parma and Founder of the Xaverian
Missionary Fathers, 23.
7
Ibid.
8
St. Guido Maria Conforti: Archbishop of Ravenna, Bishop of Parma, Founder of the Xaverian Missionaries (Rome,
Italy: General Direction, Xaverian Missionaries, 2011), 9.
9
Ibid., 9 10.
Benedict XVI. Despite the rejection to become a missionary, he never gave up and became the

father of the missionaries.

II. The Life of St. Francis Xavier

The short presentation of the life of St. Francis Xavier will help the reader to trace the

motivations of the founder and the institute. Xaverian missionaries are religious at the same time

apostolic community. Xaviers method of mission is technically used by the Xaverians in their

mission areas.

Xavier was one of the six companions of St. Ignatius vowed in the Society of Jesus. Francis

was assigned to India and Japan. He established Christian communities there it is remarkable for

being one of the beginnings of the missionary journey in Europe. In 1541, Francis was made

apostolic nuncio of Asia. 10 Knowing the peculiarities of the Asian countries like Japan, he changed

his method of mission and shared them with the Jesuits following his path. He saw the radical

difference of Japanese culture to the West. His legacy to the Church is going beyond the horizon

of their land and began evangelizing Asia. After his mission to Japan he targeted China as the next

mission field. However, sailing toward the said country, he has gone ill and eventually died in the

3rd day of December 1552 at the age of 46. He was canonized in 1622.

10
Robert Ellsberg, All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets and Witnesses for our Time, 528.
III. The Origin and Foundation

St. Conforti founded the Xaverian Missionaries because of his enthusiasm to proclaim the

gospel to China and to non-Christians. The official name of the congregation is Pia Societa di San

Francesco Saverio per le Missioni Estere,(Pious Society of Saint Francis Xavier for Foreign

Missions with an exclusive purpose to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the

non-Christians11

Xaverian Spirituality and Missionary Spirituality

a. Characteristics

i. Ad Gentes

The ad gentes expresses our orientation towards the evangelization of those


peoples, groups, and socio-cultural contexts, in which Christ and the Gospel are not
known, or which lack Christian communities sufficiently mature to be able to incarnate the
faith in their own environment and proclaim it to other groups (Redemptoris Missio, 33.)
from the foundation of our Institute, the mission ad gentes constitutes our sole and
exclusive commitment, the inalienable characteristic that the Founder always strongly
defended, even to the point of asking his missionaries not to get absorbed in service to
Christians. The ad gentes defines our position in the Church and shapes our whole way of
being.12
The fundamental purpose follows the track of St. Paul did with the first Christian

communities and the mission of St. Francis Xavier in the Indies and Japan. The formation of the

Xaverians is meant for the evangelization of non-Christians. Therefore, its missionaries are

motivated to struggle with Christ to introduce him to the peoples and to know Him in the presence

of His missionaries. In his homily, Pope Francis said, The Catholic Church is a missionary church

13 Even now, the Xaverian continues the legacy the founder handed on the succeeding

11
Xaverian Missionaries: Constitutions and General Rule no 2.
12
Ratio Missionis Xaveriana no. 11.
13
Pope Francis Message in St. Peters Square.
leaderships. The purpose of the congregation. Now the spirituality of the Xaverians is honed into

this. A missionary must be equipped and prepared to encounter the non-believers.

ii. Ad Vitam

The ad Vitam highlights the fact that, by our vocation, our availability to serve the
missionary cause is of a definitive nature, both in terms of a life-long commitment and our
total dedication to the missionary vocation that has been entrusted to us. No matter where
we are, we give our entire to the mission and channel all our activities towards it, giving
the best of ourselves and positively excluding any other goal, no matter noble and holy it
may be (Fundamental Rule 3).14
The characteristic of a Xaverian is giving up metaphorically the nationality and culture.

Embracing other cultures would be necessary to be with the people and the mission. It is like the

call of Jesus to the rich man, give up everything and follow me. Being a missionary demands a

radical detachment to selfishness and a total attachment to the congregations charism. This

enhances the spirituality of discipline and commitment.

iii. Ad Extra

By virtue of our specific charism, we are sent to proclaim the Gospel to non-Christians

beyond the boundaries of our own cultural milieu and local Church.15 Ad extra is another

characteristic of Xaverian spirituality. It is like opening the horizon to another way of life. A

Filipino Xaverian can become a Chinese missionary once he is sent to China and live there almost

the half of his life. The missionary will have to embrace another culture and move on from the

way of life he was once used to. This is a difficult challenge because, typically a person might

experience a culture shock. He cannot bear the diversity, for example the food, shelter et cetera.

14
Ratio Missionis Xaveriana no. 13.
15
Xaverian Missionaries: Constitutions and General Rule no. 9.
Part of Xaverian spirituality is openness to gradual adaptation and change to cope with the culture

transition.

Hence, the three characteristics constituting the Xaverian missionaries can be summarized

into this; Xaverians are meant to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to non-Christians,

with this sense, they must totally dedicate their lives to mission and be willing to embrace other

cultures. These characteristics already defines who is a Xaverian. In this way, the congregation

founded by Guido Conforti established its unique identity.

b. Elements

i. A personal union with Christ, the missionary of the Father, the center of our

life, the source and inspiration of our thoughts, love and action;16

The founder encourages a missionary to have an intimate relationship with Christ. A

missionary whose motivation is to introduce a mighty friend; Jesus Christ. The prime mover of

ones action is the words of Jesus himself. The formation in the seminary, the apostolate, the

community life must be dedicated in the name of Christ. In the Xaverian spirituality, the centrality

of Jesus in the life of missionary is strictly observed. Other motivations would lead to undesired

direction. Therefore, the life in Christ is practiced within the community, ministry and especially

in the mission area.

According to Ratio Missionis Xaveriana, Christ is encountered every single moment of

ones life, in every place and preoccupations;

A personal and profound experience of Christ, the missionary of the father, is necessary
if we are to live this Christ-centered spirituality in an all-embracing manner: the Christ we
encounter in people and in history, the Christ to whom we listen in the Word, the Christ w
must serve in the poor, the Christ we must announce as Good news until the ends of the

16
Xaverian Missionaries: Constitutions and General Rule no. 3.
earth, the Christ we celebrate in the Eucharist, the Christ whose return we await in active
vigilance.17
Through an active and conscious recognition of Christ in everything is going into the

depths of the relationship between God and the missionary. As awareness is concern, this is part

of Ignatian spirituality. Indeed, all other congregations take Christocentric spirituality as the

fundamental truth of their being and discernment.

ii. The apostolate inseparably linked to the evangelical counsels.18

As religious missionaries, they must live out the vows of poverty, obedience and chastity.

Xaverians are called to consecrate their lives to mission. This purpose in not only taking vows and

promises but to holistically offer their lives to a solemn commitment to God. It is indicated in the

constitution that; In order to live out our mission consecration in a more radical way, we follow

Christ in vowed poverty, chastity and obedience. The apostolate and religious life together

constitute our sole indissoluble charism.19

This means that the lifestyle a missionary chooses is a radical way of poverty, obedience

and chastity, being married totally to God and serve Him in ones entire life. Apostolate and

lifestyle coheres to the same goal; mission. The way of life is directed through this motivation.

The Xaverian spirituality is expressed through; living faith, selfless obedience and an

intense love for the Xaverian family. The living faith is seeing God in all. A seminarian is

encouraged to practice this consciousness of God in all things; in cleaning the house, eating with

confreres, studying et cetera. With a constant faith and steadfast love of God in everything, one

recognizes the need for a mystical experience everyday to encounter Christ. Living faith is just

17
Ratio Missionis Xaveriana, no. 25.1.
18
Xaverian Missionaries: Constitutions and General Rule no. 2.
19
Xaverian Missionaries: Constitutions and General Rule no. 18.
simple as seeing God amid our instances. Selfless obedience is a total submission to the superior

or any authorities in the family. A missionary must be ready to be assigned anywhere. Just like St.

Francis Xavier accepting the mission to India right away when Ignatius of Loyola ask him to go

the next day immediately.20 Consequently, he must take the risk that what ever may he experience

is out of discernment and prayer.

Lastly, the intense love for the Xaverian family is practice anywhere in the international

communities of the congregation. All confreres feel at home whenever communities they may

head to. The founder established this filial love to the household in the constitution;

This new family is based, not on flesh and blood, but on the Trinitarian love of which it is
a joyful sign and participation; its reference point is not so much the natural family as the
new relationships that the Gospel creates around the person of Christ and in the love of
Christ which is by far superior to any natural affection (Lettera Testamento 11.) this love
must govern all our fraternal relationships. This is the evangelical novelty that allows our
family to be open to the mission and internationality.21

Coming from different countries and cultures; all gathered into one celebration of the

Eucharist, saying one pattern of prayer, eating together the same food and going to school together.

Different race and color playing basketball and football. This way of life is very strong in the

Xaverian spirituality. The Xaverians are trying to live a priestly, religious and missionary vocation.

However, this call constitutes opening oneself to others. The other is someone recognized as the

new brother in Christ. To understand differences in culture and ideology, one must immerse

oneself into a dialogue. Furthermore, the way of communication is not an easy task, because the

missionaries have to study the language of the folks and strive to communicate as long as they can.

20
Ignatius St. Lawrence, SJ, Francis Xavier (United Kingdom: The Guernsey Press Co. Ltd., 1998), 10.
21
Ratio Missioni Saveriana no. 29. 1.
The big challenge for the missionaries is this, a double effort of studying the language of the people

in their assignments.

Therefore, these are the ways of expressing the Xaverian spirituality in a daily basis. Up to

this extent, the missionaries were exposed to a new way of life. The worldviews of the missionary

must transcend through place and time. The gradual adaptation is very necessary.

IV. Conclusion

With a passing by experience, St. Guido Maria Conforti, made a remarkable landmark

in history of the Catholic Church. He founded the Xaverian missionaries and they initiated the

proclamation of the Gospel of salvation down to the pagan lands and the peripheries of the cities.

The Xaverian missionaries have been working in four continents; Americas, Asia, Europe and

Oceania. They are the fruit of the passing by experience of St. Guido.

Xaverian spirituality is developed in the imitation of the life of the Founder. Confortian

spirituality is more dominant than the Xaverian spirituality itself. The congregation had been

through financial struggles, political involvements and many other ecclesial hardships, but the zeal

for mission does not fade. As we gaze upon the life of the Founder, his first motivation is to become

a missionary, but God diverted his way to be the leader and father of the missionaries. His blessing

and encouragement to the missionaries bearing fruit through the ages and to a certain extent,

vocation was once strong in all the countries.

To make the world a single family is the center and sole purpose of the Xaverian

existence in the world. This goal drives the missionary to connect to all people through the

proclamation of the Gospel and live in the imitation of Christ.


Bibliography

Ellsberg, Robert. All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time.

Quezon, Philippines: Claretian Publication, 2001.

Luca, Augusto, SX. Bishop Without Frontiers. Parma, Italy: Xaverian Missionaries.

St Lawrence, Ignatius, SJ. Francis Xavier. London, United Kingdom: The Guernsey Press, 1998.

St. Guido Maria Conforti: Archbishop of Ravenna, Bishop of Parma, Founder of the Xaverian

Missionaries. Parma, Italy: Xaverian Missionaries, 2011.

Documents of the Congregation

Ratio Missioni Saveriana: La issione dei Saveriani allinizio del terzo millennio

Xaverian Missionaries: Constitutions and General Rule

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