Lais Dognini, a former nun who later became an influencer, originally met priest Jackson Dognini when he offered to pray for her to help her deal with depression, Brazilian outlet O Globo reported.

The couple married in secret in March, but revealed their union in an Instagram Story on Tuesday, October 7.

Both had dedicated years to the Catholic Church before meeting more than six years ago, when Lais was still a missionary.

Although they shared the same missionary spaces, they had never said so much as “hello” to each other, O Globo reported.

Jackson spent five years in the seminary training for the priesthood, while Lais lived for two years in a Carmelite convent where she dedicated her life to prayer and service.

But when Lais suffered depression and left the convent, returning to her home to focus on her recovery, Jackson, still in the seminary, sent her a message saying he was praying for her.

He believed she would one day return to religious life, but the pair kept exchanging messages and eventually became friends.

Jackson later decided to leave the seminary after a long period of reflection about his vocation.

In April 2024, the couple began dating, becoming engaged in October last year before tying the knot in March.

“It doesn’t seem like much, right? But let’s face it, we’re adults now and we know what we want in life,” Lais wrote on her Instagram as she shared the news for the first time on October 7.

This photograph captures devotees of Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder and lightning, participating in a traditional festival in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. The celebration features vibrant drumming, dancing, and ritual performances dedicated to invoking the deity’s power.

As noted by art historian Margaret Thompson Drewal in Yoruba Ritual (1992), “there is some amount of cross-dressing by both men and women, and in possession trance there are more literal gender transformations.” These ritual practices reveal how, despite rigidly defined gender roles, Yoruba religious traditions create spaces where participants can temporarily cross gender boundaries, embodying the spiritual and symbolic traits of the opposite sex.

Photo Credit: Eliot Elisofon

Sarah Mullally will become the first female leader when she officially takes charge of the church in March 2026. A group of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia criticized the appointment.

Sarah Mullally has been named as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, making her the first female leader of the Church of England.

The former chief nursing officer for England will be confirmed as the church’s top bishop at a legal ceremony in the coming months.

In her first words after confirmation of her appointment, Mullally said while the role is a “huge responsibility,” she feels a sense of “peace and trust in God to carry me.”

Mullally will legally become Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January.

Spiritual leader of Anglican Church

Mullally takes over the role from Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 and left office in January 2025 after failures in handling an abuse scandal.

Mullally will become the ceremonial head of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, but GAFCON — a grouping of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, criticized Mullally’s appointment.

The group said her appointment showed that the English arm of the Church had “relinquished its authority to lead.”

Although King Charles III is head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the spiritual leader of the Church.

Reforms allowed a woman to take Archbishop role

Mullally was ordained as a priest in 2002 and became one of the first women to be consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England in 2015.

She served as Bishop of London since 2018 and has been known to be progressive, championing causes such as allowing blessings for same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages.

Eleven years ago reforms were introduced to allow a woman to the hold the office, meaning Mullally could become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence,” she said in her first statement since the historic appointment.

“I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.”

King Charles gave formal consent for appointment

As is tradition, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office formally announced Mullally’s appointment after the formal consent of King Charles.

As monarch, Charles is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The role was established in the 16th century after King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church.

“The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together,” Starmer said in a statement.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery

Correction: This article, originally published on October 3, 2025, was corrected on October 6, 2025, to remove information about the church’s history. The church has existed for over 400 years, not 1,400.