John Derek Persaud

John Derek Persaud (born 28 August 1956) is a Guyanese-born Jamaican Roman Catholic prelate, who has served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Mandeville in Jamaica since 2020.

Early life and education John Derek Persaud was born on 28 August 1956 in Georgetown, Guyana. He entered the seminary to study for the priesthood and completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Seminary of Saint John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago. He later earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.

Priesthood He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Georgetown on 14 July 1985. During his ministry in Guyana, Persaud held several key positions, including serving as the pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Georgetown and Chancellor of the Diocese. From 2014 to 2018, he served as the General Secretary of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC).

Episcopal ministry On 19 June 2020, Pope Francis appointed Persaud as the Bishop of the Diocese of Mandeville. He succeeded Bishop Neil Edward Tiedemann, filling a vacancy that had existed since 2016.

Persaud was consecrated on 19 September 2020 at the St. Paul of the Cross Cathedral in Mandeville. The principal consecrator was Archbishop of Kingston in Jamaica Kenneth Richards, with Archbishops Charles Dufour and Bishop Burchell McPherson serving as co-consecrators.

Since 16 October 2023 he is also serving as an Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Montego Bay.