Today Bishop Sarah Mullally becomes the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. A special service, which includes the legal ceremony, is being held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Reverend Mark Nam, vicar of St. John the Evangelist, Woodley in the Diocese of Oxford was one of the people who delivered the charge to Sarah Mullally. He said: “You are called to be a faithful and prophetic voice, who will seek justice, love mercy and kindness, and walk humbly as an advocate for Christ in the life of the nation and Anglican Communion.”
About the ceremony Bishop of Reading, the Rt Revd Mary Gregory, said: “It’s a service with ancient legal processes where Sarah has to prove who she is. There’s lots of pageantry and she becomes the Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s a big moment when we want to support and pray for her as she takes up such a big job.
Bishop Mary continued: “She’s a remarkable person. She was the chief nursing officer for England and Wales before ordination. She says that all her adult life she’s been washing people’s feet. That’s how she sees herself. She’s wise and humble. She didn’t seek to become the new Archbishop of Canterbury but responded to what she felt called to.
“I’ve met her a few times. I have found her to be really encouraging. She found me at lunch the first time I went to the college of Bishops and encouraged me to use my voice.
“She’s open to learning and owning the things she may have done wrong. She isn’t defensive and invites scrutiny.
“As a female Bishop it’s so important for me that the new Archbishop is also female. Especially for younger women to see that these roles are opening up to women. It will continue to be a matter of conversation across the Church and in the Anglican communion. But she’s already leading brilliantly. She leads out of her humanity, shows vulnerability and shows a different face of the Church of England.
“We would love her to visit us. I would take her to the refugee centre in Reading. Our job as a Church of England is to care for people in and outside the Church.”
At the service the archbishop is installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury by the Dean of Canterbury at a service at Canterbury Cathedral. The service denotes and marks the start of the new archbishop’s ministry.
The installation will be at Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March 2026. This is sometimes referred to as an ‘enthronement’. The installation denotes and marks the start of the new Archbishop of Canterbury’s ministry. Archbishop Sarah will preach her first sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury.
You can listen to Bishop Mary talking ahead of the confirmation of election.