Palghar (Maharashtra), Jul 25 (IANS): Well-known Marathi literary figure, environmentalist and Catholic priest, Father Francis D’Britto passed away at his home in Nandakhal near Virar early this morning, an official said here on Thursday.

A Marathi Sahitya Academy Award laureate (2013), he was 81 and a native of his birthplace Jeladi village in Nandakhal, under the Holy Spirit Church home parish of the Virar region.

According to the Vasai Bishop House spokesperson, Fr Bernard Fernandes, Fr D’Britto’s mortal remains shall be kept at his Jeladi home till 3.30 p.m. to enable people and his legion of followers to pay their last respects.

Later, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, the holy mass and the funeral rites shall be performed at the Holy Spirit Church Nandakhal.

In January 2020, he was elected President of the 93rd All India Marathi Literary Conference held in Osmanabad, ranked as the most prestigious calendar event in the state's literary world.

Among other works of literature, Fr D’Britto is renowned for his translation of the Holy Bible (New Testament) into lucid Marathi titled 'Subodh Bible-Nava Karar', a monumental work in a prose format that took him over 13 years from 1997 to complete and which became an instant best-seller with over three reprints.

With this, Fr Dibrito became the second person after a Britisher and 17th century missionary priest Fr Thomas Stephens (1549-1619) to have translated the Bible to Marathi, titled 'Krista Purana' in a poetry form.