By Fr. Samuel Mondol SDB
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO FR. FRANCIS ALENCHERRY AS HE SUCCEEDS FR. LUCIANO ODORICO AS THE COUNCILLOR FOR THE MISSIONS. Fr. Francis Alencherry has done everyone proud as he dons the mantle. The Province of Kolkata, the mother province of Salesian India, having celebrated its Platinum Jubilee in November 2001, has another feather added to its cap as Fr. Francis Alencherry assumes this new responsibility for the Congregation. It is a great achievement not only for the Province of Kolkata but also for the entire Salesian India. The facts speak for themselves. This is the first General Chapter that he is attending. He was a member of the Pre-capitular Commission for GC 25.
Fr. Francis Alencherry was born in Kerala on 29 August 1950. Right from his childhood he was a bright student. He has served as the Provincial of Kolkata with great competence and daring initiatives giving special attention to works for poor and marginalized youth. Possessing the ability to make prompt decisions and being a man of great intelligence, Fr. Alencherry has a tremendous talent for organizing events to its minutest details. To crown them all he has a pastoral heart and an indefatigable capacity for work.
The new delegate for the Missions is a linguist. He speaks English, Italian, German and French. Besides his mother tongue Malayalam he knows a host of Indian languages namely, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali and Khasi.
Fr. Francis Alencherry holds a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Biblicum in Rome. Having completed his doctorate in Theology (Sacred Scripture) from the Gregorian University, Rome, Fr. Francis Alencherry was professor at Sacred Heart Theological College Shillong and later, Rector at the Mathias Institute of Theological Studies in Shillong. He took over as the Provincial of Kolkata on 9 January 1997 prior to which he was Director of Pre-novices at Auxilium Parish Kolkata. His elder brother Dr. George Alencherry was consecrated first bishop of Tecla bifurcated from Changanacherry, Kerala on 2 February 1997.
During his tenure as the Provincial, Fr. Francis Alencherry has opened the new mission at Kathmandu, Nepal and consolidated the work at Dharan, another center in Nepal. The work for street children has grown by leaps and bounds. Presently there are 18 Rehabilitation Homes for boys and girls ranging from 6 to 20 years of age. The Prison Ministry at Berhampore, West Bengal, has gained tremendous impetus from his able leadership. Numerous confreres have qualified themselves in various fields of study with his guidance and encouragement. The Delegation of Myanmar too has made tremendous progress in the areas of Formation and missionary expansion.
Born : 29 August 1950
Profession : 24 May 1969 at Shillong
Priest : 18 December 1978 at Thuruthy, Kerala
1979-82 : Secretary to the Provincial, Calcutta
1982-86 : Licentiate in Sacred Scripture, Rome.
1986-91 : Sacred Heart College, Shillong: Professor
1991-94 : Doctorate in Biblical Theology, Rome
1994-95 : Professor of Scripture at SHC and Rector of Mathias Institute, Shillong
1995-96 : Director of pre-novices at Auxilum Parish, Calcutta
1997- : Provincial, Calcutta.
2002 : General Councillor for the Missions
