Missionaries spread the religious order by preaching and Jesuits by doing.
Arthur Savile Beresford Freer has written: 'The early Franciscans & Jesuits' -- subject(s): Jesuits, Franciscans
The Franciscans focused on integrating indigenous customs and beliefs into their approach to conversion, while the Jesuits emphasized education and adapting to local cultures. Franciscans often utilized a more direct and forceful approach to conversion, while the Jesuits tended to emphasize understanding and dialogue.
Neither Franciscans or Jesuits are monks.
There is no patron saint of 'order.' However, each religious order (eg.: Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits) have their own patron saints.
Many of the Roman Catholic Orders come to mind - notably The Franciscans - The Jesuits - etc. - many others, I'm sure.
Most of the Americas, saving the original thirteen colonies of the United States, were settled from Catholic countries, France, Spain, and Portugal by missionaries, mostly Jesuits, Dominicans, and Franciscans.
Most of the Conquistadors were accompanied with priests, usually religious, such as the Franciscans and the Jesuits. The Conquistadors, for the most part had their own interests at heart, but the Crown who financed them and commissioned them has the spread of Catholicism as one of their goals.
A number of religious orders helped spread Catholicism. The Benedictines were instrumental in civilizing and spreading Catholicism all through Europe. The Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans were primarily educators and missionaries for most of their history.
A lot of different religious Orders over the centuries have send missionaries out to foreign lands, the Dominicans and Franciscans along with the Jesuits were prominent in the New World, and in Far East. Overall, probably the biggest "leader" of foreign missions was the Jesuits as they were specifically founded both to combat the protestant heresy and to preach foreign missions.
The Franciscans were founded by Saint Francis of Assisi.
Conventual Franciscans was created in 1209.