On Pentecost Sunday at St Alban’s Church Copenhagen, the official recognition was made of the Bishop’s appointment of Canon Ulla Monberg as Canon Emerita in recognition of her long and distinguished service in the Church of England.

Ulla was ordained deacon in 1990 and was in the first group of women ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994. Before moving to the Diocese in Europe, she served in parish ministry in the Diocese of London, including a curacy at St. James’s Piccadilly and as incumbent of Holy Trinity with All Saints’, South Kensington. She served as Dean of Women’s Ministry and as Director of Ordinands in the Diocese of London (Two Cities Area), whilst representing London clergy on General Synod where a special commitment was as a member of the Drafting Committee that drew up the Baptismal and Initiation Services for Common Worship.

As Director of Ministerial Development in the Diocese in Europe Ulla helped form, train and support generations of clergy across the diocese.

Amongst many enjoyable duties on behalf of the Diocese over the years, Ulla highlights being a member of the Anglican Consultative Council, appointed by former Archbishop Rowan Williams, to represent the Anglican churches in Europe and participating in the meetings with representatives from the worldwide Anglican Communion in the years 2012-2016, including meetings in New Zealand and Zambia.

Ulla has played a pioneering role in the development of women’s ordained ministry in the Church of England.

Ulla says: “It was an honour to receive the Bishop’s appointment as Canon Emerita.

It has been immensely rewarding and a great privilege to be part of the formation and training of curates, the support of their training incumbents and to work with colleagues in learning through courses and workshops.

I continue to admire the commitment, resilience and flexibility of the curates in this Diocese as I have witnessed the development of faithful, pastoral and liturgical ministry in the culturally diverse context of the Diocese in Europe over these last many years, not least in the face of the crises of the pandemic and war.            

Ministry in the Diocese in Europe has offered such extraordinary opportunities to learn from and work with both lay and ordained colleagues and from the cultures of the vast geography that covers the Diocese, to know that we are both a Diaspora community, as well as communities reflecting the Anglican Communion and Continental Europe.

It has also been an exciting, and sometimes challenging, time to be an ordained woman in the Diocese in Europe over these last many years. I believe, however, that women’s sacramental ministry is vital for the flourishing of the Church and that women’s sacramental ministry is part of the fullness of ministry. It has been a blessing to see this reflected in an increasing number of women clergy working alongside their male colleagues,  serving congregations across the Diocese.

With many thanks to my colleagues, lay and ordained, in the Diocese in Europe.