Several thousand Catholics and non-Christians from all over Malaysia and Singapore recently thronged the hilltop ruins of St Paul's Church in the heart of historic Melaka Town to commemorate the Feast of St Francis Xavier.

Traditionally, it is the parish Church of St Francis Xavier in Banda Kaba that organises the annual celebration held on a Sunday closest to Dec 3 as being the actual date of the feast.

This year's programme included three days of religious sermons in English, Mandarin and Tamil held at the Banda Kaba church and Eucharistic celebrations spread over two days (Dec 1-2) conducted at a specially erected altar at the rear of the saint's empty tomb amidst the ruins of St Paul's Church.

Many devotees and pilgrims attended the Eucharistic celebration conducted amidst the ruins of St Paul's Church

Devotees praying at the empty tomb of St Francis Xavier.

Born in Navarre, Spain, in 1506, the saint described as the "Apostle of the East" and the "Patron of the Missionaries" died on Dec 3, 1552 on Sancian Island off the coast of mainland China.

His body was temporarily laid atop St Paul's Hill between March and December 1553.

It was then moved to Goa's Basilica Bom Jesus where it has since laid. St Francis was declared a saint on March 12, 1662.

Described as the missionary headquarters of St Francis Xavier, St Paul's Hill sited a stone's throw from the famed Stadthuys, is a major tourist attraction. He used the hill as the base for his travels to Indonesia and the Far East including Japan to propagate the Catholic faith.

He spent 11 years of his missionary life in Asia making five trips to Malacca between September 1545 and May 1552. He had travelled 45,600km by sea and land during his years of apostolic work.

Since September 2000, the Melaka Museums Corporation has spent about RM1mil on restoration and beautification works of the hill's ruins and its surroundings.

Today, the bare tomb at the roofless church ruins of St Paul is but a silent reminder of St Francis Xavier who now draws pilgrims and devotees from all over the country, across the causeway and overseas on the first Sunday in December to observe his feast day.