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Diocese of Bristol welcomes appointment of first female Archbishop of Canterbury
Friday 3 October 2025
Bishop of Swindon and Acting Bishop of Bristol, The Rt Revd Neil Warwick, and Dean of Bristol Cathedral, The Very Revd Dr Mandy Ford, have warmly welcomed the announcement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, following the resignation of the Most Revd Justin Welby, announced in November last year.
At 10am today, 10 Downing Street announced that the King has approved the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to hold the position. Dame Mullally currently serves as the Bishop of London and brings wisdom, vision and a passion for “listening deeply to people and to God’s gentle prompting” to the role at a time of both challenge and opportunity for the Church of England.
The Rt Revd Neil Warwick, Bishop of Swindon and Acting Bishop of Bristol, said:
“I’m excited that the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally DBE is our new Archbishop Designate.
“She will lead a Church that has a praying presence in every village, in every town and on every city street. This is wonderful.
“Let us all pray for Archbishop Designate Sarah as she begins this new vocation.”
The Very Revd Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol, said:
“I welcome the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. As the Cathedral that held the first ordinations of women priests in 1994, we are celebrating another exciting first for women in ministry in the Church of England. All of us at Bristol Cathedral are praying that God would empower her to lead with the boldness, courage and compassion that marked her time as Bishop of London. I look forward to welcoming her to Bristol and its Cathedral in the near future and sharing with her our mission and ministry in this place.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion, with a ministry that spans local, national, and global contexts.
Please join us in praying for Dame Sarah Mullally as she steps into the role of Archbishop.
Almighty and everlasting God,
the only worker of great marvels,
send down upon your servant Sarah,
called to be Archbishop of Canterbury,
and all who are committed to her care,
the spirit of your saving grace,
and that they may truly please you,
pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing.
Grant this, O Lord,
for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Further details about the appointment and Dame Sarah Mullally’s background can be found on the Church of England website
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