London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

'We won't apologise for being an all-female clergy'

'We won't apologise for being an all-female clergy'

This Easter will be especially significant for one of England's cathedrals.

Leicester Cathedral will be marking the Christian festival with what it believes is England's first fully-female clergy team at the helm.

The five women - including the acting dean, Reverend Canon Karen Rooms - were appointed from 2013 onwards.

The move is the latest in a tradition of female firsts at the cathedral which, in 1974, was the first to admit girls into its choir and, in 2000, Vivienne Faull - now the Bishop of Bristol - was the first female cathedral dean.

So what is it like to be part of the cathedral's progressive history?


'I make no apology for us being all-female'
Alison said she had welcomed being joined by four other women


"The church has had centuries of being all-male; why shouldn't we be all-female?"

Canon Pastor Rev Canon Alison Adams, 71, is a former teacher who has previously worked in schools in Leicester and Nottinghamshire.

She went on to manage the chaplaincy in Glen Parva Young Offenders' Institution before coming to Leicester Cathedral in 2013.

"I make no apology for us being all-female," she said.

"I fully respect those who have different theologies from mine but I don't respect misogyny when I encounter it and I think it's good that we are seen publicly in these roles."

As the first of the women to join the cathedral's team, she said she had welcomed being joined by four others.

"It's great fun," she said.

"We get on, we bounce off one other very easily and I think we're all by nature networking, relational-type people.

"It's good company."


'People are getting used to an all-female team'
Karen says the women are very different and bring varied experiences to their roles


"Some people are thrilled but we've also had negative pushback," said Rev Canon Karen Rooms.

"But I think people are getting used to an all-female team."

Karen became the cathedral's acting dean in January.

Prior to that, she had worked in marketing at Boots, before moving to Tanzania with the Anglican Church.

"The fact we're women is interesting and we work well together, but we're always looking for other voices," she said.

She said all five of the women were very different and brought varied experiences to their roles.

These differences helped them engage with the community they serve in Leicester - one of the UK's most diverse cities.

"We're really conscious always about needing diversity, especially in Leicester," she said.


'I hope it will show girls they can do this'
Emma held local government roles before ordination in 2007


"People always need role models," said Rev Cannon Emma Davies, 55, the cathedral's canon precentor.

"I hope that for some people it will show them, particularly girls, that they can do this and that's really important."

Emma started her working life transcribing print into Braille and held local government roles before ordination in 2007.

She started working at Leicester Cathedral in 2021 and oversees services, as well as music and choirs.

She said working with four other women was a special moment in her career.


'It has been liberating'
Manuela said it was liberating to be surrounded by women in her role


"Occasionally we face prejudice and to be in a place where that is not the daily norm is quite wonderful."

Curate Rev Manuela Schmucki, 35, is originally from Switzerland, where she trained as a pastor and completed a BA in theology before moving to Leicester Cathedral in 2021.

"I've worked in churches for a long time and I'm very used to being in mostly or all-male spaces," she said.

"Up until my post here, all my supervisors always have been male and to experience having women all around me has been quite different but also liberating."


'We are putting a message out to the world'
Julia was the first woman ordained in Crete


Curate Rev Julia Bradshaw is used to being a trailblazer.

In 2019 Julia, 62, became the first woman ordained in Crete and worked there as a curate before before moving to Leicester Cathedral in 2021.

She said Leicester's fully-female clergy team sent a statement.

"We are putting a message out to the world that it doesn't matter whether it's all men or all women, we can still do what we have to do for God," she said.

"It shows people that it doesn't matter who you are, you can achieve what you want to achieve and you can be in a leadership role."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×