About St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary
Established in 1973 in Bambui, Bamenda — forming men of God for the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda and beyond.
Our Purpose
Mission Statement
St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary is a theologicum which exists for the personal, spiritual, academic, and pastoral preparation of men for the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Established in 1973, the Seminary serves the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, providing comprehensive formation for men preparing for the Roman Catholic priesthood. It hosts seminarians from the five dioceses within the province, as well as from other dioceses in Cameroon and beyond.
Our mission is to nurture and guide each seminarian in their vocation, helping them deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and prepare for a life of service to the Church and the world. We are dedicated to fostering spiritual, academic, and pastoral growth, ensuring that our future priests are equipped with compassion, wisdom, and unwavering faith.
St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, created in 1973, is dedicated under the patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas as guide. It has a strong Marian foundation and emphasis. The seminary was founded under the direction of Bishop Pius Awa and Bishop Paul Verdzekov, and it has since become a home of faith and learning.
Our vibrant community includes dedicated faculty, staff, and seminarians who strive to live out their calling with joy and dedication. Whether you are a prospective seminarian, a supporter, or simply curious about our work, we hope you find inspiration and information here.
Origins
Founders & Foundation History
Until 1973, students aspiring to the priesthood from the Anglophone part of Cameroon had to travel to the Major Seminaries of Enugu and Ibadan in Nigeria, or to the lone seminary at Nkolbisson, Yaoundé. The dream of a seminary on home soil was born from the faith of the lay people and the vision of two pioneering bishops.
Co-Founder of STAMS
Bishop Paul Verdzekov was the Bishop of Bamenda and one of the two founding bishops who championed the establishment of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary. Together with Bishop Awa, he presented the case to the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples in Rome and to the Cameroon National Episcopal Conference, securing canonical approval for the new seminary.
Co-Founder of STAMS
Bishop Pius S. Awa was episcopally ordained on Pentecost Sunday, 30th May 1971. It was at this very occasion that the lay faithful — moved by the Holy Spirit — requested with one voice the erection of a Major Seminary in West Cameroon. Bishop Awa embraced this call and together with Bishop Verdzekov, worked to realise the dream of a local seminary serving Cameroonian dioceses.
(1973 – 1979)
Rev. Fr. Christian Wiygan Tumi served as the first Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary from its opening in 1973. He assured the effective take-off of the institution and laid the foundations on which future generations would build. On 20 December 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Yagoua. He later became a Cardinal — a testament to the calibre of men formed at STAMS.
Foundation Timeline
Our Story
History of the Seminary
Before 1973: The Need for a Local Seminary
Until 1973, students aspiring to the priesthood from the Anglophone part of Cameroon went to the Major Seminaries of Enugu and Ibadan in Nigeria. Cameroon had only one Major Seminary at Nkolbisson, Yaoundé. Although there was an acute accommodation problem in the two Nigerian Seminaries, the Bishops preferred to postpone admissions to make room for the Cameroonians.
After the erection of the Diocese of Buea in 1950, the lay faithful longed for truly indigenous priests graced with deep knowledge of the Faith and the pastoral circumstances of their own people. This longing crystallised into a formal request at the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Pius Awa on Pentecost Sunday, 30 May 1971.
Opening & Early Years (1973 – 1979)
On 15 September 1973, twelve men set foot in what had been St. Peter's Teacher Training College, Bambui. The pioneer class from Buea, Bamenda, and Garoua was cared for by eight full-time teachers, with Fr. Christian Wiygan Tumi as first Rector. The Seminary was solemnly inaugurated on 3 December 1973, the Feast of St. Francis Xavier.
The then Minister for Telecommunications, Professor Bernard Fonlon, had written prophetically to the Bishops: "next to being a saint, our future African Priest should be such a scholar, that he should be respected by the world of learning whether they like it or not." The Seminary embraced this challenge from its inception.
The first ordinations came at Easter 1979 — nine of the twelve pioneer seminarians were ordained priests, a joyful first harvest for the local Church.
Academic Affiliations with Rome
In December 1978, the Congregation for Catholic Education declared the Philosophy Department an affiliate of the Pontifical Urban University, Rome. In April 1981, the Theology Department received the same status. These affiliations have been renewed consistently, most recently in 2013 for a further five years, meaning that graduates receive their end-of-course certificates from the Urban University in Rome.
This tradition of high academic standards was championed by the Bishops from the beginning and has remained central to the Seminary's identity ever since.
The Six Rectors of STAMS
STAMS Bishops — A Fertile Ground for Bishops
STAMS has been described as a fertile ground for the training of bishops. With more than ten bishops to her credit — former rectors, staff members, and alumni — the seminary has made an outsized contribution to the Church's episcopal leadership in Cameroon and beyond.
The Formation Team
Faculty & Staff
The formation team at STAMS is composed of priest formators and academic faculty who guide seminarians in all four dimensions of priestly formation — human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral.
Priest Formators
Academic Faculty
Formation Community
Our Seminarians
Since the creation of the Seminary, many students have passed through St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary — among them bishops, priests, and those who have discerned a different calling. We remember also those members who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith — our Deceased Alumni.
Each year the Seminary registers seminarians who come to study in view of the Sacred Priesthood — a time for configuration, self-awareness, and learning. STAMS hosts the largest formation programme in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda.
Where Our Seminarians Come From
Dioceses & Institutes Represented
The Seminarian's Formation Journey at STAMS
Are You Discerning a Vocation?
If you believe God is calling you to the priesthood, we invite you to explore formation at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary. Contact your Vocation Director or apply directly through our Admissions office.
Apply for Admission Vocation Directors