The Apostolic Nunciature has announced the appointment of Reverend Father Joseph Tarife DURERO, S.V.D. as Bishop of Daru-Kiunga.
This appointment was made after the Apostolic Nunciature, informed that His Holiness, Pope Francis, has accepted the resignation presented to him by Reverend Gilles CÔTÉ, S.M.M., from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga for having reached the age limit.
The appointment was announced on 23rd May 2021.
Bishop elect, Father Joseph Tarife Durero S.V.D., is Filipino by birth. He was ordained as priest on 12 December 1995 and incardinated into the Society of the Divine Word.
He studied at the University of San Carlos, Cebu City from 1985 – 1987 and continued to Christ the King Seminary, Cebu City from 1987 – 1989, Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City 1989 – 1996.
He was Assistant Parish Priest the Holy Trinity Parish, Bogia Madang Province from 1996 – 1997, Assistant Parish Priest at St. Francis Xavier Parish, Megiar 1997 – 1998, then Parish Priest at St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish, Ulingan 1999 – 2002.
He was appointed parish priest of St. Paul Parish, Mirap serving there from 2002 – 2009.
In 2009, he was the vocation director until 2010, resident at Yomba. He was then the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Yomba from 2010 – 2017. While there Fr. Durero was the Dean of Madang Deanery. He was SVD District Superior, Madang District from 2010 - 2017.
In 2013, he was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Madang and in 2018, he became the Administrator of Holy Spirit Cathedral Parish. He was appointed as a SVD PNG Provincial Council Member in the same year.
Until his appointment as bishop of Daru-Kiunga, Fr. Joseph Tarife Durero, S.V.D. has been Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Madang.