The new Archishop of Canterbury is a nurse

Just typing that made me smile.

I read the Canterbury Tales in high school and lived to tell the tale. I couldn’t resist that pun.

Not only that, she’s a woman.

Dame Sarah Mullaly has been enthroned as the Church of England leader. Today, March 25th, 2026.

She is the first in so many ways.

First nurse.

First woman. Women have only been able to be priests since 1994. Women have only been able to be bishops since 2014.

The new Archbishop worked as a senior nurse and a midwife and a cancer nurse. She also was the Britain’s chief nursing officer.

You don’t understand, she is the first.

In 1400 years.

Yes, the office predates the Crown of England. It is older than the monarchy.

For nearly a thousand years, the Church of England was closely aligned with the Catholic Church. Until Henry VIII broke the Church of England away from the Catholic Church to marry Anne Boleyn. To do this, he needed a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. And we all know what happened after that.

So this is a nice full circle moment from that unpleasantness.

I am sure she has been tasked with modernizing the Church and bringing people back to the churches, and looking after the poorer churches in the nation.

Do the impossible with no money and no time.

Just like a nurse.