Fr. Francis Appointed Deputy Secretary of the Odisha Regional Bishops' Council

Bhubaneswar 27 June 2026 (CCBI): The Odisha Regional Bishops' Council has appointed Rev. Dr. Francis Puthenthayil, CM, as its new Deputy Secretary. He belongs to the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians). He joined the Congregation of the Mission on 11 May 1984 and was ordained a priest on 29 December 1990. He holds a Doctorate in Canon Law with specialization in Jurisprudence from Rome in December 2000.

He began his priestly ministry as Assistant Priest at Jubaguda from 1991 to 1992. From 1993 to 1994, he served as Financial Administrator of De Paul School. He was then appointed Parish Priest of Keralapuram, where he ministered from 1994 to 1996.

In September 1996, he was sent to Rome for higher studies in Canon Law. After completing his Doctorate with a specialization in Jurisprudence in December 2000, he returned to India and assumed several important responsibilities.

From 2001 to 2003, he served as Superior of the Provincial House at Berhampur. Since 2001, he has been serving as the Judicial Vicar of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, while also coordinating the Province's Hostel Ministry from 2001 to 2016.

In 2003, Fr. Francis was appointed Rector and Superior of St. Justin de Jacobis Minor Seminary, Baripada, a position he held until 2012. During this period, from 2004 to 2013, he also served as a Member of the College of Consultors of the Diocese of Balasore. In 2007, he was appointed National Coordinator of the Vincentian Family in India, a responsibility he continues to discharge.

From 2010 to 2013, he served as Dean of the Mayurbhanj Deanery. Subsequently, from 2013 to 2015, he was entrusted with the hostel ministry at Gopalpur. Between 2015 and 2016, he was in charge of Navajeevan Dhyana Kendra, Allada.

Since 2017, Fr. Francis has been serving as the Director of De Paul Seva Sadan. He was appointed Apostolic Visitator to the Association of Jesus the Healer for the period 2020–2021. In 2025, he assumed the additional responsibility of Provincial Director of the North Indian Province of the Daughters of Charity.

At present, Fr. Francis serves as Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. He is also entrusted with coordinating the translation of the Bible into the Odia language and serves as a member of the Priests' Council and the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.

He is the National Coordinator of the Vincentian Family in India, a member of the International Council and Formation Team of the Vincentian Family, Vice-Postulator for the Cause of the Servant of God Fr. Valerian Guemes, CM, and Postulator for the Cause of Fr. George Kochuparambil, founder of the Preshitaram Sisters. He also serves as Spiritual Father of the International Association of Charity (AIC) in India and the CSVP Volunteers, and as Provincial Director of the Daughters of Charity of the North Indian Province.

By Dr. Stephen Alathara