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Mamfe Catholic Diocese: Pioneer Bishop, Francis Teke Lysinge, Passes Away at 87

Par Kimeng Hilton
29 Jul 2026 22:39
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According to an announcement by the family, Emeritus Bishop Lysinge passed away in Mamfe in the morning of Wednesday July 29, 2026.

The Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon is mourning the loss of one of its most venerated spiritual leaders, Emeritus Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge. The pioneer Bishop of the Diocese of Mamfe passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in the St. John of God Hospital in Mamfe. He was 87 years old.

The solemn announcement was made on behalf of the family by Dr. Albert C. Lysinge, MD, who shared the news with a prayerful homage: "May the Good Lord whom he selflessly served have mercy upon his soul and prepare a place for him in His Kingdom."

Faithful React

As news of his transition spread throughout the Diocese of Mamfe, the Archdiocese of Bamenda, and the wider ecclesiastical province, clergy, religious, and lay faithful gathered in prayer to honor a shepherd. Whose dedicated service spanned six decades of priesthood and over 27 years in the episcopate.

Early Life, Conversion

Francis Teke Lysinge was born on December 28, 1938, in Muea, near Buea, in the South West Region of Cameroon. His father, Francis Teke Lysinge Senior, was a school teacher originally from Bokwango, Buea. And his mother was Juliana Jofi Mbua from Buea. The second son in a Protestant family of seven children (four boys and three girls), Francis Teke Lysinge was originally baptized with the Christian name "Godwill".

His Education

He began his primary education in 1945 at the Basel Mission Church School in Bimbia-Victoria. In 1953, he enrolled in the historic Saint Joseph’s College, Sasse (Sasse College), Buea, for his secondary studies. It was during his formative years in Sasse in 1955 that he converted to Catholicism and took the baptismal name "Francis" in honour of Saint Francis Xavier.

Formation, Priestly Ministry

Answering a call to the priesthood, Francis Lysinge entered Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu, Nigeria, in 1960, where he pursued comprehensive studies in Philosophy and Theology.

On April 17, 1966, he was ordained a Catholic priest on the grounds of the Regina Pacis Cathedral in Buea by Bishop Julius Joseph Willem Peeters, M.H.M., becoming a priest of the Diocese of Buea.

Following his ordination, Father Lysinge embarked on a varied and demanding pastoral journey across Cameroon. He served as parish priest and curate across several challenging mission territories, including Mamfe (1966–1967), the Mankon area, Sacred Heart Parish in Kumba (Fiango), and Akwaya.

Further Education

He traveled to Rome, Italy, where he earned advanced credentials in Spiritual Theology. Returning to Cameroon, Father Lysinge served as Spiritual Director at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary (STAMS) in Bambui, near Bamenda during two critical periods (1975–1979 and 1990–1999). In this role, he moulded the spiritual lives and vocations of hundreds of young men who went on to serve as priests across Central Africa.

Mamfe Diocese, Episcopal Consecration

On February 9, 1999, Pope John Paul II canonically erected the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mamfe, carving its territory from the Diocese of Buea. Father Monsignor Francis Teke Lysinge was appointed as the pioneer Bishop of the new See. He was consecrated Bishop in an open-air liturgy in Mamfe on April 21, 1999. Christian Cardinal Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, served as the principal consecrator. Assisted by Archbishop Paul Mbiybe Verdzekov of Bamenda and Bishop Pius Suh Awa of Buea.