Very sad news from Melbourne Anglicans:

Bishop Barbara Darling, who recently retired as Bishop of the Eastern Region of the Melbourne diocese, had a stroke on 7 February and is being treated at Monash Medical Centre in Clayton.

An email to clergy on 8 February said Archbishop Philip Freier had visited Bishop Darling in Emergency, spoken to her and prayed with her.

“For now, please pray for Bishop Barbara, for good medical care, for healing and recovery,” the email from the Archbishop’s Office said. “May she know God’s blessing and peace.”

In 2008, Bishop Darling was the first woman in Melbourne to be consecrated to the episcopate after a long ministry as a lecturer and tutor at Ridley College, deacon and priest.

She was farewelled after five years as Bishop of the Eastern Region on 26 October 2014 in a Service of Thanksgiving at St Mark’s Camberwell attended by more than 300 people, including Dr Freier, her family and friends and clergy and laity.

Unfortunately the Melbourne Cathedral facebook page has this news:

Sadly the updates aren’t good.

Please continue to pray: Bishop Barbara’s condition continues to decline and she has lost consciousness. Dean Andreas and Archbishop Philip were able to visit today and pray at her bedside: we join them in praying for God’s presence and the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace.