The Society was formed on September 26, 1887, at Agonda (Canacona) by a priest in south Goa, India named Father José Bento Martins Ribeiro, who, together with his three companions, decided to dedicate their lives for the service of God's people.

When Pope Leo XIII, promulgated the Apostolic Constitution, "Conditae a Christo"(Founded by Christ) in 1900, he issues clear regulations for approval of the religious societies all over the world.

By this he put an end to arbitrary actions by several Bishops all over the world, who went on establishing religious societies or associations, without verifying their viability or purpose.

For some reason the Patriarch did not change the Constitutions of the Society of St. Francis Xavier after the issue of the Apotolic Constitution "Founded by Christ' in 1900, nor after when the Code of Canon Law (The definitive compilation of the Law of The Church) was published in 1917.

On the contrary in 1909, the Patriarch gave the Society a new set of rules, "Regulamento' making it very clear that it did not want to come under the regime of the universal Church by making the Society have its own internal authority but it would remain under the Bishop, without internal authority.