The Rt Revd Olivia Graham has been consecrated as the Bishop of Reading at a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Olivia was consecrated alongside the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who was made Bishop of Dover.
Olivia, a trustee of CSMV, is the first female Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford, one of the largest dioceses in the Church of England. With 170 churches in the Reading Episcopal Area, she will now oversee an area larger than many other dioceses. Rose will serve as the suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the oldest diocese in England with 327 churches and 103 church schools. She comes to the role from nine years as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Following the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a reception for the family and friends of the two new bishops. A group from St Mary’s Convent were delighted to be invited to both events.
Speaking earlier this year, Bishop Olivia said; “I am delighted and energised to have been called to an episcopal role. It is a tremendous opportunity to bring together my passions for the Church and the wider world – for example, to be able to encourage greater engagement between our church communities and secondary schools. The young people I encounter in our schools are serious and engaged with the world. We need to see how we can offer the resources of faith at a crucial time in their lives.”
St Paul’s photos: Graham Lacdao/St Paul’s Cathedral