Historic Breakthrough: Former Cancer Nurse Becomes First Female Archbishop of the Church of England

LONDON – In a historic milestone for the Church of England, former cancer nurse Sarah Mullally, who transitioned to a spiritual path at the age of 40, will be officially installed as the Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday. This marks the first time a woman has assumed this significant leadership role within the church.

Although Mullally, 63, officially took on the role of Archbishop of Canterbury in January, the upcoming ceremony signifies the commencement of her public ministry as the leader of the Church of England and the spiritual guide for the global Anglican Communion. This fellowship includes independent churches like the Episcopal Church in the United States and boasts a membership exceeding 100 million worldwide.

“I aim to be a shepherd who fosters the growth of everyone’s ministry and vocation, regardless of tradition,” Mullally expressed upon her nomination last year. “Today, I am grateful for the women and men who paved the way for this moment. To all the women who preceded me, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your support and inspiration.”

The installation ceremony will see attendance from notable figures such as Prince William, Princess Catherine, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alongside representatives from the Anglican Communion’s 42 member churches. Delegates from the Vatican and the Orthodox Church will also be present to witness this momentous occasion.

The event takes place on the Feast of the Annunciation, a symbolic day commemorating the moment Mary was informed of her role as the mother of Jesus. The church observes this day to honor one of the Bible’s revered women and to reflect on responding to God’s call, making it a fitting occasion for Mullally’s historic appointment.

The celebration marks a major milestone for the Church of England, which traces its roots to the year 597, when the pope sent St. Augustine to Britain to convert the population to Christianity. He is now recognized as the first archbishop of Canterbury. The English church broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s, during the reign of King Henry VIII.

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.”