On The Occasion of the 450th death anniversary od St. Francis Xavier - whose personality and missionary activities still inspire countless Jesuits and others - Jesuits in India are moved to discuss and share the renewed vision and emerging challenges confronting them today. New challenges are 'forcing' new readings and a new vision - not just as a mechanism for survival but as intrinsic to and inspired by the spirit of the Society - and of Xavier too.

This volume is an indication that many of the laity in our midst are as conscious as are the Jesuits themselves about the Society of Jesus, and that lay persond, too, desire to witness the evoling Jesuit response to challenges posed by the modern world.

Information on Francis Xavier, and the history, Contribution, organisation and approavh of the Jesuits in India found in this collection of seminar papers, confirm that the Jesuots are indeed an integral part of the nation's mainstream. The volume seeks to further dialogue and research about the Jesuits worldview in the framwork of its refoundation. Jesuits in India aims at becoming a wake-up call to all those who believe in change, new opportunities and relevance.