Consider the following statements: ​ 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. ​ 2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there. ​ 3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year. ​ Which of the statements given above are correct? ​

The correct answer is C. Statements 1 and 3 are right; statement 2 is wrong.

• Statement 1 is correct. Xavier was one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus, formed in Paris around 1534 under Ignatius of Loyola, and the Society received papal approval in 1540.
• Statement 2 is wrong. Xavier died in 1552 on Sancian (Shangchuan) island off the coast of China, while trying to enter the country. His body was later brought to Goa, and his remains are kept in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. Dying in Goa is the error here, not the presence of his relics.
• Statement 3 is correct. The feast is observed in Goa every year on 3 December. The public exposition of his relics, held every ten years, draws very large crowds.

The core concept is the Portuguese padroado and the Catholic missionary movement in the Age of Discovery, which is also a Mains theme on colonial-era cultural linkages between Goa and the wider Asian world. Goa's Portuguese heritage, which includes Old Goa's churches, is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Trap: Candidates see "Goa" and "church" and assume that every Goa-linked detail is correct. Always check the place of death separately from the place where the relics are kept.