Francis Acharya, born Francis Mahieu 17 January 1912, in Ypres (Belgium) died 31 January 2002 in Thiruvalla, Kerala, (India) is a Belgian Cistercian monk of Scourmont abbey. Taking Indian citizenship he founded the syro-malankara rite Kristiya Sanyasa Samaj, Kurisumala Ashram, later (in 1998) affiliated to the Trappist Order.