Fransiska Widyawati serves as a core faculty member at Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng in Flores, Eastern Indonesia. She earned her Ph.D. in Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies from Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, completing a dissertation that examined Catholicism in West Flores.

Her subsequent research has focused on the sociological dimensions of Catholic practice in Eastern Indonesia, with particular emphasis on its dynamic interplay with cultural traditions, political contexts, and inter-religious encounters—most notably with Islam. Her work encompasses topics such as interfaith marriage, religious conversion, halal dietary practices, and the processes of adaptation and negotiation within religious communities.

Currently, Fransiska is a visiting fellow at KITLV in Leiden. She is engaged in research on the phenomenon of "Reverse Mission", exploring the transnational missionary endeavours of Catholic missionaries from Eastern Indonesia in Netherlands.