New Delhi: Fr Franklin D’Souza is New ICYM National Director
By Ancy Paladka
Daijiworld Media Network—Mumbai (CN)
New Delhi, May 24: Fr Franklin Philip D’Souza, well-known Catholic preacher, is the new secretary for CBCI Commission for Youth and the new national director of Indian National Youth Commission (ICYM).
Bishop Leo Cornelio, president, CBCI, announced this on Tuesday May 24 in New Delhi, on the feast day of Mary Help of Christians. “Fr Franklin will assume charge on August 15, 2011,” said Fr Alwyn D’Souza, current secretary of CBCI Commission for Youth.
Born on October 22, 1973, Fr Franklin hails from a small village called Murkoth Palke in Saverapura, Belvai, under St Ignatius Loyola Church, Paladka. He is the fourth son of Lilly D’Souza and late Ligory D’Souza.
He was ordained as a priest for the diocese of Shimoga on May 10, 1999 by Dr Bernard Moras, then Bishop of Belgaum. Fr Franklin obtained his BA from Bangalore University, MA in History from Mysore University, Bachelor of Philosophy (B Ph) and Master of Theology (M Th) from St Peter's Pontifical Institute, Bangalore.
From 1999 to 2005, he served the diocese in various capacities. At the same time, he was a staff member of St Peter's Pontifical Seminary, Bangalore. In 2005, he was appointed the youth director for Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) and also for Young Christian Students (YCS), and Young Student Movement (YSM) as well as charismatic retreat director of Shimoga diocese.
In the same year, Bangalore Archbishop Bernard Moras appointed Fr Franklin a joint secretary of the Youth Commission of Karnataka Region. From 2008, he has been serving as a Karnataka regional youth director of ICYM and the Youth Commission. He also renders service to the prisoners of Central Jail, Bangalore and is a member of PMI (Prison Ministry of India).
Fr Franklin is known for his retreats in Konkani, English, and Kannada. He is the founder and director of ‘Jesus Touch’ (Yesu Sparsha) team where he and Br T K George work together. He preaches at the Divine Retreat Centre, Chalakudy, Kerala, Renewal Retreat Centre (RRC), Bangalore, Logos Retreat Centre, Bangalore, Tabore Retreat Centre, Kalyan - Mumbai, Divine Centre, Mulky, and in various other retreat centres.
Fr Franklin has preached at more than 750 retreats in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Nagaland, New Delhi, Israel, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, and most of the Gulf countries.
Fr Franklin has brought out several devotional audio and video albums in Konkani, Kannada, and English. He is also an author of several books.