Former Nurse Makes History as First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Sarah Mullally, a 63-year-old former cancer nurse who entered the priesthood at 40, will be publicly installed Wednesday as the first woman to lead the Church of England. The historic ceremony takes place as the Anglican Communion faces deep divisions over women's roles and LGBTQ+ issues.

A groundbreaking moment unfolds in London Wednesday as Sarah Mullally, 63, becomes the first woman publicly installed as Archbishop of Canterbury, marking a historic milestone for the Church of England.

Mullally, who spent years as a cancer nurse before entering the priesthood at age 40, officially assumed the role in January but Wednesday’s ceremony launches her public ministry leading both the Church of England and serving as spiritual head of the global Anglican Communion, representing over 100 million members across 42 independent churches worldwide, including the U.S. Episcopal Church.

“I intend be a shepherd who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish, whatever our tradition,” Mullally stated upon her selection last year. “Today I give thanks for all the women and men … who have paved the way for this moment. And to all the women that have gone before me, thank you for your support and your inspiration.”

The installation ceremony will welcome distinguished guests including Prince William, Princess Catherine, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with delegates from the communion’s member churches and representatives from both the Vatican and Orthodox church.

Organizers strategically scheduled the service for the Feast of the Annunciation, commemorating when Mary received word of her selection as Jesus’ mother—a date the church describes as celebrating “one of the great women of the Bible and thinks about how we can respond to God’s call.”

This achievement represents a watershed moment for an institution dating back to 597 AD, when Pope Gregory sent St. Augustine to convert Britain to Christianity, establishing him as the first Canterbury archbishop. The English church separated from Rome during Henry VIII’s reign in the 1530s.

The Church of England began ordaining women priests in 1994 and consecrated its first female bishop in 2015.

Mullally inherits leadership during turbulent times for both the Church of England and broader Anglican Communion.

Her historic appointment threatens to widen existing fractures within the Anglican Communion, where member churches remain sharply split on women’s ecclesiastical roles and LGBTQ+ inclusion policies.

Additionally, she must address persistent criticism that church leadership has inadequately addressed ongoing sexual abuse scandals that have plagued the institution for over ten years.

Mullally succeeds former Archbishop Justin Welby, who stepped down in November 2024 following intense criticism for his delayed response to reporting physical and sexual abuse allegations involving a volunteer at a church-connected youth camp.

The new archbishop was born in Woking, located southwest of London, in 1962. After attending neighborhood schools, she pursued nursing within Britain’s National Health Service, eventually becoming England’s chief nursing officer at 37—the youngest person ever appointed to that position.

She began ministerial training while maintaining her nursing leadership role.

Church officials elevated her to bishop in 2015, making her the fourth woman to achieve that rank within the Church of England. She advanced to bishop of London three years later, securing one of the church’s most influential positions.

Wednesday’s ceremony will honor her nursing background, as she’ll fasten her ceremonial cloak using a clasp featuring the buckle from her former nurse’s belt.

The service will showcase the Anglican Communion’s global diversity, featuring Archbishop Albert Chama of Zambia delivering prayers in Bemba, Bishop Alba Sally Sue Hernández García of Mexico providing Spanish scripture readings, and the Kyrie prayer performed in Urdu.

George Gross, a theology and monarchy scholar at King’s College London, emphasized Mullally’s appointment elevates her to among the world’s most prominent Christian leaders, alongside the Pope.

“I think it’s huge, absolutely massive,” he explained to 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.”