Bishop of St Albans
The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of St Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three archdeacons.
The diocese covers the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and parts of the London Borough of Barnet. The see is in the City of St Albans in Hertfordshire, where the cathedra is located at St Albans Cathedral. The cathedral building itself was an abbey church prior to the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Following its purchase by the town in 1553, it was then a parish church until its elevation to cathedral status in 1877 when the diocese was created from the diocese of Rochester under Queen Victoria by the Bishopric of St. Albans Act 1875.Incumbent
The current incumbent is Alan Smith, 10th Bishop of St Albans, who signs + Alan St Albans. His nomination was announced by Downing Street on 13 January 2009 following the retirement of Christopher Herbert.
The election of the bishop by the College of Canons of the Cathedral took place on 13 February and the Confirmation of Election with the Archbishop of Canterbury followed on 31 March. Smith was inaugurated on 19 September 2009.
The Bishop's residence is the Abbey Gate House, St Albans.Assistant bishops
Among those who have served as assistant bishops in the diocese are:
