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Bishop Joanne enters House of Lords as bishop of Suffolk diocese
16 February 2026
The Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell (1990) was introduced to the House of the Lords as the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Bishop Joanne at her service of enthronement in January. Photo by Keith Mindham/St Edmundsbury Cathedral
The Right Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell joins 12 others from Oriel College currently sitting in the House of Lords after entering Parliament’s upper chamber as the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich on 5 February.
She is one of three Church of England bishops from Oriel who are members of the chamber’s lords spiritual.
She joined Oriel in 1990 to study for a bachelor’s degree in English, which she soon followed with a doctorate on Edmund Spenser and cultural geography.
While at Oriel, she also taught undergraduates as a lecturer in English.
Upon completion of her doctorate, she trained for ordained ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge, and became Deacon in 2000.
Her consecration as bishop took place at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2019 as she began her previous role as Bishop of Stepney.
Today Bishop Joanne is the lead bishop for safeguarding in the Church of England.
“We can all contribute to a culture where victims and survivors are seen, heard, cared for, and learned from,” she said.
“I am looking forward to working with safeguarding professionals and volunteers across the diocese [of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich].”
There was a service of enthronement at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in January to welcome Bishop Joanne as the new bishop for the Suffolk diocese.
She also met with the King before formally starting the role.