Fr. Christudas A. Nayak, a priest of the Diocese of Alexandria, passed from this life in Alexandria on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Fr. Nayak, a native of India, was born in Mariapuram, Kerala on May 28, 1944, the son of Peter Arumanayakam and M. Mariamma. He completed his theological studies at St. Joseph’s Pontifical College …
Fr. Christudas A. Nayak, a priest of the Diocese of Alexandria, passed from this life in Alexandria on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Fr. Nayak, a native of India, was born in Mariapuram, Kerala on May 28, 1944, the son of Peter Arumanayakam and M. Mariamma. He completed his theological studies at St. Joseph’s Pontifical College in Alwaye, Kerala and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Neyyattinkaya in Trivandrum, Kerala on December 20, 1968. As a newly ordained, priest he served as executive secretary to Bishop Bernard Perriera.
Fr. Chris came to the United States in 1974 and studied at Seton Hall University until 1979. He would go on to complete an M.A. Degree from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri later in 1992. From 1979 to 1982, Fr. Nayak served as a parochial vicar and administrator at St. Margaret’s Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He completed his CPE training at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Washington DC and served for one year as a chaplain at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana. From 1985 to 1987, Fr. Chris served as chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson, North Dakota.
In 1987, he was welcomed in Alexandria by Bishop John Favalora and hired by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word as the priest-chaplain at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria. Fr. Chris served as chaplain until his retirement from active ministry in 2018. During that time, in addition to his hospital duties, he served as a cultural liaison for foreign born priests ministering in the diocese and assisted in many parishes. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Alexandria by Bishop Ronald Herzog in 2008.
During his long tenure in Louisiana, Fr. Chris never forgot his native country and supported the work of the diocese where he was ordained. With the permission of the bishop, he raised money for an orphanage, Navajeevan Home for Boys, run by his brother, Msgr. A. James, and visited home as regularly as he could.
Fr. Nayak is survived by his sister, Cicily Thomas, his brother and sister-in-law, Arun and Jaya Lawrence and his nieces and nephews: Melvin Thomas, Sandhya Thomas, Telma Stephen, Dr. Valentine Stephen, Sonai Kunnumpurath, Yesudasan Sujith, Sumith Yesudasan, James Lawrence and Cindy Lawrence.
Visitation will take place at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Alexandria on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by Bishop Robert Marshall, Jr., and concelebrated by priests of the diocese at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Alexandria on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
Burial will follow at the Priests’ Cemetery at Maryhill in Pineville with a reception in the main dining hall at Maryhill Renewal Center.
