LPPM MMV "Fisher of Souls" Apostle Of the Indians

[Terrance]

The irony here is typical of Pynchon's allusive parables.
A Grimm parable, there is no grace, not happiness, no peace, no
trembling with the body of God on the tongue. 

--  Chapter 3, Portrait of an Artist



You are all familiar with the story of the life of saint Francis Xavier,
I suppose, the patron of your college. He came of  an old and
illustrious Spanish family and you remember that he was one of the first
followers of saint Ignatius. They met in
  Paris where Francis Xavier was professor of philosophy at the
university. This young and brilliant nobleman and man of  letters
entered heart and soul into the ideas of our glorious founder and you
know that he, at his own desire, was sent by
  saint Ignatius to preach to the Indians. He is called, as you know,
the apostle of the Indies. He went from country to country in the east,
from Africa to India, from India to Japan, baptizing the people. He is
said to have baptized as many
  as ten thousand idolaters in one month. It is said that his right arm
had grown powerless from having been raised so often over the heads of
those whom he baptized. He wished then to go to China to win still more
souls for God but he died of
  fever on the island of Sancian. A great saint, saint Francis Xavier! A
great soldier of God!

  The rector paused and then, shaking his clasped hands before him, went
on:

  -- He had the faith in him that moves mountains. Ten thousand souls
won for God in a single month! That is a true conqueror, true to the
motto of our order: ad majorem Dei gloriam! A saint who has great power
in heaven, remember: power to intercede for us in our grief; power to
obtain whatever we pray for if it be for the good of our souls; power
above all to obtain for us the grace to repent if we be in sin. A great
saint, saint Francis Xavier! A great fisher of souls!