Thought For The Day – Thursday 29th January 2026
Go Far, Go Together
The picture above is by Ben Stansall.
Yesterday, in a religious, formal, and legal, and international ceremony at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Dame Sarah Mullally became the 106th, and the first ever woman, Archbishop of Canterbury in the five-century history of the Church of England.
A service at Canterbury Cathedral will follow on the 25th of March.
Dame Sarah worked as a nurse for thirty-five years in the National Health Service, where she became the youngest ever nursing officer.
After being ordained to the priesthood in 2002, after the Church of England allowed women priests in 1994, Dame Sarah became the first ever woman Bishop of London in 2018, after the Church of England allowed women bishops in 2014.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the Church and the Anglican Communion, a global group of Christian churches.
Like all faiths, Christianity is diverse, with different groups, denominations, and practices.
Faith leaders have an important role in society.
The Archbishop of Canterbury may lead debates and speak on important national and local issues.
Currently, the Archbishop of Canterbury is a member of the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster.
Respecting differences, including differences of opinion, Dame Sarah Mullally has said she wishes to create an environment where all are safe, listened to, and can flourish.
In an interview before her instillation, Dame Sarah talked about the weight of the responsibility she feels saying:
“I hope to be the shepherd to care for people in their parishes, for our clergy, but also to speak of Christian hope at a time where there are a lot of challenges for people.”
“There’s an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’ and so my desire is to go far and together.”
