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Dame Sarah Mullally will become the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury when she undertakes a historic 87-mile pilgrimage from St Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury Cathedral before her March 25 installation. The six-day journey along the Becket Way—named after Thomas Becket, the 12th-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral—marks the first time in modern history an Archbishop of Canterbury has completed such a pilgrimage before taking office. Mullally will be accompanied by her husband and will stop at churches, abbeys, and schools along the route.

The pilgrimage follows the path associated with Thomas Becket, who was killed in 1170 after clashing with King Henry II over church authority. Canterbury Cathedral became one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage sites, inspiring Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Mullally’s appointment as the 106th Archbishop represents a significant break with tradition in the Church of England, which only began ordaining women priests in 1994 and women bishops in 2014.

Sources:

• Archbishop of Canterbury to walk 87 miles from London ahead of enthronement | Kent Live
• New Archbishop of Canterbury to make 87-mile pilgrimage from London | The Independent
• The new Archbishop of Canterbury | Archbishop of Canterbury
• Celebrating the Installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

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