| The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London |
| Friday 3rd October 2025 |
| His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597, Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office. She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on 25th March 2026. Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman to hold that role, and previously served as the Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. Bishop Sarah has described nursing as “an opportunity to reflect the love of God”. Bishop Sarah said: “As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager. “At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing. “I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions. “And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion. “I know this is a huge responsibility, but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.” The Rt Revd Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford said, “I am delighted to welcome Bishop Sarah as the first female Archbishop in the history of the Church of England. Sarah brings a wealth of experience from her nursing career and a profound pastoral heart which she has demonstrated consistently in caring for those with many different views in the Diocese of London. As the only Diocese in the Church of England where no churches have passed motions to restrict womens’ priestly ministry, we are delighted to welcome her as our Archbishop and look forward to her first visit. Personally, in my role as Clerk of the Closet, I look forward to presenting her to His Majesty to pay homage in February. This is an extraordinarily demanding role and she will need our prayers and support which we gladly offer to her and her family.“ |
| Following the announcement, the next stage of the appointment process is the Election by the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral, which will take place before Christmas. On 28th January 2026, there will be a Confirmation of Election at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, at which Bishop Sarah will legally become the Archbishop of Canterbury. On 25th March 2026, there will be an Installation (sometimes referred to as an ‘enthronement’) at Canterbury Cathedral. You can read more here. |
The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts 