1-Dec 1581

At Tyburn in London, Edmund Campion and Alexander Briant were martyred.

2-Dec 1552

On the island of Sancian off the coast of China, Francis Xavier died.

13-Dec 1545

The opening of the Council of Trent to which Frs. Laynez and Salmeron were sent as papal theologians and Fr. Claude LeJay as theologian of Cardinal Otho Truchses.

14-Dec 1979

Riccardo Lombardi, founder of the Better World Movement, died.

16-Dec 1544

St. Francis Xavier entered Cochin.

18-Dec 1594

At Florence the apparition of St. Ignatius to St. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi.

19-Dec 1593

At Rome Fr. Robert Bellarmine was appointed rector of the Roman College.

23-Dec 1549

Francis Xavier is appointed provincial of the newly-erected Indian Province.

31-Dec 1551

Francis Xavier left Sancian for Malacca and Goa to prepare for his journey to China.