The Forgiveness of Things
“The Bishop of London lived at Fulham for almost 1,300 years,” explains the current Bishop, “but by 1973 times had changed and it was no longer appropriate or convenient for the Bishop to live in a Palace. The Church Commission initially let the site on a long lease to Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Today, Fulham Palace Trust manages the site.”
The Bishop adds, “I live in a more modest house close to St Paul’s Cathedral, the mother church of the Diocese of London. However, I watch the work of Fulham Palace Trust with interest and admiration as it restores the Palace and garden to reveal its long and fascinating history. The work to ensure that this beautiful historic site is accessible to Londoners and visitors from further afield is very important to me, as we all search for meaning and belonging in a rapidly changing world.”
The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullaly is the first female Bishop of London. She left her previous post as Chief Nursing Officer of England in 2004 to pursue full time ministry. Her take on this is: “I am often asked what it has been like to have had two careers, first in the National Health Service and now in the Church. I prefer to think that I have always had one vocation: to follow Jesus Christ, to know him and to make him known, always seeking to live with compassion in the service of others, whether as a nurse, a priest or a bishop.”
Bishop Sarah is also a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords and a Member of the Privy Council. She concludes, “The Trust’s 2017 to 2019 restoration has transformed the iconic Tudor court buildings into a new museum, repaired the 15th century brickwork, reintroduced historic species of plants in the garden and opened up the site with new and improved paths.”
