Student Profile

The St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School student body includes 263 students from more than 10 cities and towns on Cape Cod and in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Faculty

St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School is staffed by 26 dedicated professionals. It has a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. Of the 19 teaching faculty, eleven hold Master's degrees and one holds a doctorate. The faculty averages 15 years of classroom teaching experience.

Academic excellence is of the highest importance at St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School. As educators, the staff of St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School has the special responsibility of encouraging each student to achieve his/her potential within the framework of religious truths and values.

Athletics and Activities

St. Francis Preparatory School offers over 10 varsity and junior varsity interscholastic sports teams during three seasons. Saint Francis Xavier Preparatory School offers its students over 25 co-curricular and extra-curricular programs.

Standardized Test Scores

St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School participates in the standardized testing program offered by the Diocese of Fall River. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is administered in October. Parents receive a copy of their children’s testing results with the mid-term report card.

School Emblem

The St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School emblem was designed by our founding pastor, Reverend Edward J. Byington. The cross in the upper right half of the shield is a Celtic cross, illuminated by a circle, representing the sun and, symbolically, God as our true source of our Light. This symbol has a pagan origin, as pagans worshiped the sun. Thus, the superimposition of the cross over the sun represents Christ baptism of non-believers.

In the lower left-hand corner of the shield is the Chi Rho, representing the first two letters of Christ’s name in the Greek alphabet. Thus, the Chi Rho is a representation–a kind of shorthand–for Christ. This symbol was used especially in the early days of the church.

The Latin, Domine Doce Nos, translated means “Lord Teach Us.” Indeed, we ask our Lord Jesus Christ to teach us as he did the people with who he traveled. We ask for ways of holiness, wisdom, humility, truth, mercy, peace, charity, patience, and kindness.

School Mascot

Blue Angels is the mascot for St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School. A recognized symbol of heavenly intervention, the power of angels is tremendous. Biblical accounts remind us that angels have received a divine delegation through whom God reveals himself. We would do well to recall this context and to remember all strength and goodness comes from God. As Blue Angels, we are called to be the visible manifestation of God as witnesses for Gospels truths.

The Blue Angles, like the Navy precision fighter team of the same name, are a symbol of tremendous strength and power. At St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School, the power of Blue Angels calls for our commitment to live out the meaning of Gospel truths. Our power, our calling, is to be instruments of God’s peace.

School Colors

Also determined by our founding pastor, Reverend Edward J. Byington, the school colors stem from our school mascot, the Blue Angels. Like the colors of the Navy Blue Angels, the blue and white symbolize the dreams and pursuits of the horizon and purity from above. The accent of gold, represents a strength and firmness for righteousness and justice. We can indeed be proud to display our school colors.

Patron Saint

Saint Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506, in the Spanish kingdom of Navarre. He was the devoted disciple of Ignatius Loyola. As a boy, Francis Xavier was fond of sports. He has been described as a youth with a fiery temperament, but also with a large heart and generous nature.

At the age of nineteen, Francis Xavier went to the University of Paris, where he met Ignatius, who was much older. A friendship formed and with time Francis Xavier eventually became one of the first members of the Society of Jesus and made his vows with Ignatius and five others on August 15, 1534. He was ordained on June 24, 1537.

Ignatius was asked by King John of Portugal to send priests to establish missions in India, newly being explored and claimed by Portugal. The task eventually fell to Francis Xavier. He saw a vast new world opening before him and his one desire was to win it to Christ. Francis Xavier brought with him few possessions to this new endeavor, except his consuming love for God and for the souls of his fellow man. Francis Xavier deliberately chose to live in the most complete poverty and refused to accept any of the material conveniences which were offered to him. He was able to put up with the most appalling conditions on his long sea voyages and he endured the most agonizing extremes of heat and cold.

Wherever he went, Francis Xavier sought out the poor and the sick and he spent his time
ministering to their needs. Yet ,while he was occupied all day with these works of mercy, he would spend the greater part of the night in prayer. It is reported that Francis Xavier did all these things
with good cheer and lightness of heart.

The story of his journeys reads like an epic adventure. In 1542, he arrived in Goa. From there he went to the south of India, where he spent time working among the pearl fishermen. From there he went on to the East Indies. In 1549, he set out for Japan. He died on December 3, 1552 on a lonely island, vainly seeking entry to China. Thus, in ten years he traveled the greater part of the Far East. Today, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Francis Xavier on December 3.

Many miracles are attributed to Francis Xavier. He is said to have healed the sick and even to have raised the dead, though there is no real evidence to support this latter claim. He certainly had the gift of prophecy, yet the real miracle of his life, it has been said, was his personality, by which he was able to convert thousands to Christ, winning their passionate devotion.

He was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1619 and canonized together with St. Ignatius by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622. Saint Francis Xavier is now the patron saint of the missions of the Catholic Church. St. Francis Xavier is a wonderful role model for us all.