Rev. John Berinyuy Tata Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda

 

The Catholic Church in Cameroon has received a major boost with the appointment of Rev. John Berinyuy Tata as the new Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. The announcement was made public in Bamenda by Archbishop Andrew Nkea, who commended the bishop-elect for his dedication to the Church and pastoral service.

Profile of the Bishop-elect

Rev. John Berinyuy Tata was born on 18 December 1975 in Mbuluf-Shisong, in the Diocese of Kumbo, into a practising Christian family. His early education spanned from 1981 to 1996, after which he attended the St John Mary Vianney Spirituality Centre in Bafut (1996–1997) to begin his spiritual formation. He later pursued philosophy (1997–2000) and theology (2001–2005) at the St Thomas Aquinas Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Bambui, where he also completed a pastoral internship (2000–2001).

He was ordained a priest on 30 March 2005 and began his ministry as parish vicar of St Joseph’s Parish in Bafut (2005–2006), followed by four years as parish priest of St Patrick’s Parish in Babanki-Tungo. Between 2006 and 2008, he deepened his formation in spirituality at the Dominican Monastery in Bambui.

Rev. Tata holds a Doctorate in Theology with a specialisation in Christian Anthropology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum in Rome (2010–2015). Upon his return to Cameroon, he served as spiritual director and lecturer at St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, chaplain of the Diocesan Charismatic Movement, and later as Rector of the Catholic University of Cameroon in Bamenda.

He is multilingual, speaking Lamnso, English, French, and Italian, with working knowledge of German, Spanish, Latin, and several local languages.

A Strategic Appointment

The appointment comes as the Archdiocese of Bamenda navigates pastoral demands in a region often challenged by social and security issues. As Auxiliary Bishop, Rev. Tata will assist the Archbishop in administrative and pastoral duties, helping to strengthen diocesan governance, support clergy, and expand community outreach.

Church authorities in Cameroon are expected to announce details of his episcopal ordination in the coming weeks. Faithful across the region have welcomed the news, hailing it as a blessing for the local Church.