Archbishop Sarah Mullally Installed as 106th Archbishop of Canterbury
By the Most Rev. Archbishop Anne Germond
History was made in the Anglican Communion this week as The Most Rev. and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally was installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral, in a service attended by more than 2,000 people, including Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales and our Primate, Archbishop Shane Parker.
Bishops, clergy, and representatives from across the Anglican Communion were present to bear witness to this historic moment, alongside interfaith leaders, healthcare workers, young people, and children. It was a joyful celebration of the global Anglican family, with 32 provinces represented. In addition to our Primate, four other bishops from Canada were present.
The service, known as an enthronement or installation, was profoundly moving and marks the symbolic beginning of the Archbishop’s public ministry. Archbishop Sarah is the first woman to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury since St. Augustine became the first holder of the office in 597.
The date of the installation, March 25, carries deep meaning in the life of the Church. It is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary, when we remember that holy moment when Mary said yes to God and received the promise that, with God, nothing is impossible. This theme ran throughout the service and gave it a powerful spiritual resonance.
Ahead of her installation, Archbishop Sarah made a pilgrimage from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury over the course of a week, greeting well-wishers along the way, receiving prayers and blessings, and offering words of gratitude and hope as she prepared to assume this new ministry.
After the arrival of dignitaries and guests, the service began with the new Archbishop striking Canterbury Cathedral’s West Door three times with her staff, ceremonially requesting entry. This powerful act underscored her role as a humble servant seeking entry to serve, rather than a political leader assuming power. In a poignant moment, children gathered at the door asked her to identify herself and her purpose. She replied: “I am Sarah, a servant of Jesus Christ, and I come as one seeking the grace of God, to travel with you in his service together.”
The theme of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was reflected throughout the service. The Dean of Canterbury, David Monteith, presented her with her pastoral staff, symbolic of her role as shepherd. The cope and mitre she wore had originally been made when she was first consecrated as a bishop, and the clasp on the cope was fashioned from the belt buckle she wore
as a nurse while serving in the NHS — a moving reminder that her ministry has always been rooted in care, service, and healing.
Following her formal installation, Archbishop Sarah was seated in two special chairs: first as Archbishop of Canterbury in the Quire Cathedra, and then in the ancient Chair of St. Augustine, a sign of her role as Primate of All England. She then delivered her first sermon, reflecting on her own faith journey from a teenage commitment to Christ to this moment of calling — a journey that speaks to the truth that nothing is impossible with God.
Archbishop Sarah also spoke with honesty about the Church’s past safeguarding failures, urging that we do not overlook or minimize the pain of those harmed. She remembered countries and peoples caught in war, including Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Middle East, noting that some members of the Anglican Communion were unable to attend because of these realities.
Echoing Mary’s response to God, she concluded by recommitting herself to her new role: “As I begin my ministry today as Archbishop of Canterbury, I say again to God: ‘Here I am.’”
Particularly moving was a prayer offered by the student chaplains of Archbishop’s School in Canterbury, asking that God would strengthen the Church in faith and grant it a heart like Christ’s — gentle, humble, and devoted to the truth — so that the Gospel might be shared with joy.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to view the service, it is available online through the Anglican Communion and is well worth watching.
Let us join our prayers with those of our siblings across the Anglican Communion as we pray for Archbishop Sarah. And may we, like Mary, have the audacity to believe and trust in the promises of God. For nothing is impossible with God.