LONDON – In a historic moment for the Church of England, Sarah Mullally, a former cancer nurse who transitioned to the priesthood at 40, will officially be installed as the archbishop of Canterbury this Wednesday. This event marks her formal recognition as the first woman to hold this prestigious position within the Church.
Although Mullally, now 63, was appointed the archbishop of Canterbury in January, the upcoming ceremony signifies the start of her public role as not only the head of the Church of England but also the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion. This communion comprises independent churches, such as the Episcopal Church in the United States, amassing over 100 million members worldwide.
“I aim to be a shepherd who nurtures the growth of everyone’s ministry and vocation, regardless of our traditions,” Mullally expressed upon her appointment last year. “Today, I am grateful for all the women and men who have paved the way for this moment. To all the women before me, thank you for your support and inspiration.”
The ceremony will witness the attendance of notable figures, including Prince William, Princess Catherine, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and representatives from the communion’s 42 member churches. Delegates from the Vatican and the Orthodox Church will also be present to witness this landmark event.
To honor Mullally’s groundbreaking appointment, the ceremony coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation. This day commemorates the biblical event when Mary learned she would become the mother of Jesus, a celebration that the church uses to reflect on how individuals can respond to divine callings.
This event signifies a significant milestone for the Church of England, which has deep historical roots dating back to 597 when Pope Gregory the Great dispatched St. Augustine to convert Britain to Christianity. St. Augustine is acknowledged as the first archbishop of Canterbury. The Church of England famously separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s during King Henry VIII’s reign.
The church ordained its first female priests in 1994 and its first female bishop in 2015.
Mullally begins her tenure as archbishop at a difficult time for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.
Her appointment may deepen rifts within the Anglican Communion, whose members are deeply divided over issues such as the role of women and the treatment of LGBTQ+ people.
She will also have to confront concerns that the church has failed to stamp out the sexual abuse scandals that have dogged it and caused strife for more than a decade.
Mullally replaces former Archbishop Justin Welby, who announced his resignation in November 2024, after he was criticized for failing to act decisively and tell police about allegations of physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at a church-affiliated summer camp.
Born in Woking, southwest of London in 1962, Mullally attended local schools and worked as a nurse in Britain’s National Health Service until she was named chief nursing officer for England at the age of 37, the youngest person ever to hold the post.
While still working in that job, she began training for the ministry.
She was named a bishop in 2015, becoming the fourth woman in the Church of England to reach that rank. Three years later, she was named bishop of London, one of the most prominent positions in the church.
But on Wednesday she will also remember her life before the church, securing her ceremonial cloak with a clasp decorated by the buckle from the belt she wore as a nurse.
The service will also acknowledge the Anglican Communion’s worldwide reach, with Archbishop Albert Chama of Zambia offering a prayer in the Bemba language and Bishop Alba Sally Sue Hernández García of Mexico providing a Bible reading in Spanish. The Kyrie prayer will be sung in Urdu.
George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, said Mullally’s appointment instantly makes her one of the most recognized Christian figures in the world, alongside the pope.
“I think it’s huge, absolutely massive,” he told The Associated Press. “But it matters because, as we’ve talked before, the stained glass ceiling is smashed. And that, in the world we’re in, when we talk of equality, (it’s) hard to have that if you have unattainable positions.”
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