The installation of Archbishop Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25, 2026, will feature a significant liturgical departure: for the first time since 1945, a modern Bible will be used for the swearing-in oath. This breaks a nearly 60-year tradition where archbishops were sworn in using the 6th-century Augustine Gospels, a fragile relic of St Augustine housed at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge that is not easily moved. The Cathedral has chosen to use its Heritage Edition of The Saint John's Bible to honor the occasion of installing the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
Described as a Bible for the 21st century, The Saint John's Bible is the first hand-scribed, illuminated manuscript commissioned by a Benedictine monastery since the invention of the printing press over 500 years ago. Created by artistic director Donald Jackson, former senior scribe to Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II's Crown Office at the House of Lords, it blends ancient tradition with modern themes. During the installation, the Bible will be open to the beginning of Luke 1 on the Nave altar, and Archbishop Mullally will lay her hand on it as she takes her oath.
Canterbury Cathedral blessed and dedicated this Heritage Edition, a facsimile of which only 299 exist worldwide, on November 11, 2023, a gift made possible through the generosity of Elaine and Bruce Culver. The Cathedral adorned this edition with a special bookmark crafted in March 2024 by retired physician and cathedral stitcher Dr. Alyson Osterloh, using textiles from the Cathedral Sewing Room. Additionally, an Apostles Edition of The Saint John's Bible, of which only 12 exist, was gifted to Lambeth Palace on November 8, 2023, and now resides in the Lambeth Palace Library for public viewing.
The original manuscript of The Saint John's Bible consists of 1,150 pages across seven volumes and resides at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library on the Saint John's University campus. The Heritage and Apostles Editions are fine art reproductions designed to capture the spirit of the project, directed by Donald Jackson and taking roughly eight years to produce. The Church of England will livestream the installation service on March 25, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. ET. For additional information, please visit https://saintjohnsbible.org.
