Francis Teke Lysinge

Francis Teke Lysinge (28 December 1938 – 29 July 2026) was a Cameroonian Catholic prelate who served as the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mamfe, in Cameroon from 9 February 1999 until his age-related retirement on 25 January 2014. Before that, from 17 April 1966 until 9 February 1999, he was a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Buea. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop. He was consecrated at Mamfe on 21 April 1999 by Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Archbishop of Douala. On 25 January 2014, Pope Francis accepted the age-related retirement of Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge, from the pastoral care of the Catholic Diocese of Mamfe. The bishop lived on as the Bishop Emeritus of Mamfe in Cameroon. He died om 29 July 2026 at Mamfe, Cameroon.

Background and education Francis Teke Lysinge was born on 28 December 1938 near Buea. His father, Francis Teke Lysinge was from Bokwango, but worked as a schoolteacher in Muea. His mother, Juliana JofiMbua, was from Buea. The future bishop grew up in Muea, "the second son in a family of four boys and three girls". His parents were both Protestants and he was initially baptized and given the Christian name "Godwill". He started primary school at the "Basel Mission Church School" at Bimbia-Victoria in 1945.

He attended St. Joseph's College, Sasse, (Sasse College) for his secondary school education, from 1953 until 1958 under the name Godwill Teke Lysinge. In 1955, while at Sasse, he converted to Catholicism and took on the name "Francis", after Saint Francis Xavier. He then entered the Bigard Memorial Seminary, in Enugu, Nigeria, where he studied both philosophy and theology, from 1960 until 1966. He held advanced qualifications in Spiritual Theology, awarded by an institution in Rome, Italy.

Priest On 17 April 1966, he was ordained priest for the Diocese of Buéa by Julius Joseph Willem Peeters, Bishop of Buéa. He served as a priest until 9 February 1999. While a priest, he served in various roles and locations including:

Death Lysinge died on 29 July 2026, at the age of 87.