Clara Nivas, established in 1993 in the Diocese of Sambalpur, is situated on the Calcutta–Bombay National Highway, about 60 km from Sambalpur in Odisha. The parish territory is predominantly inhabited by four tribal communities – Oraon, Kisan, Kharia and Munda – each preserving its own mother tongue, while Sadri serves as the common language of communication among them.​

       Nearly twenty years before the erection of the parish named St. Francis of Assisi Parish, the Diocese of Sambalpur had purchased five acres of land at Badibahal with the intention of establishing a parish church. However, due to a prolonged “tug of war” between two neighbouring mission stations, each desiring to have the parish church in its own locality, the implementation of this plan was kept prolonged. It was only on 5 September 1993 that the Bishop of Sambalpur officially erected Badibahal as a parish and entrusted it to the pastoral care of the Capuchin friars of St. Fidelis Vice Province North India, Lucknow.​

       The first Capuchin to set foot in Badibahal was Br Philip Lakra, OFM Cap. who arrived on 20 April 1993. He was joined by Br Boniface Vijayan Menezes, OFM Cap. on 13 July 1993, and together they began the mission by residing in an old village chapel, using a small adjoining sacristy room. The friars gradually constructed a proper priests’ residence, and later started a local Oriya-medium school, and built a new church to serve the spiritual and pastoral needs of the faithful.​

       Today, St. Francis Assisi Parish, comprises 18 mission stations. The friars of Clara Nivas fraternity administer the school and a hostel for poor children, while also providing regular spiritual assistance in the parish and its substations, thus continuing the Capuchin tradition of being close to the people, especially the poor and less privileged.