SHE'S broken through the stained-glass ceiling; now Reverend Dr Sarah Macneil has embarked on the Grafton Diocesan Centenary Pilgrimage which brought her to the Tweed this week.

The first female bishop to lead an Anglican diocese in Australia, Rev Macneil said it's been an interesting journey since she took over the reins on March 1.

"It's fascinating. It's interesting. It's a wonderful part of the world and very welcoming and loving," Rev Macneil said.

When her appointment was announced in November, questions were raised about how she would be accepted.

Now, she says, the challenges she's faced have nothing to do with her being a woman.

"The diocese here has welcomed me very warmly," she said.

"I think the diocese of Grafton inviting me to become their bishop ... they took a big step, a couragous step because it is the first time it's happened (in Australia)."

This week, Rev Macneil visited Anglican churches in the Tweed as part of her centenary pilgrimage.

"We're celebrating our centenary this year, as are our neighbours, the diocese of Armidale. As part of that I'm visiting the four regions of our diocese."

On Wednesday, she visited Murwillumbah's All Saints Anglican Church - and the parish handed over $2300 to the Murwillumbah Hospital.

"Yesterday I was at Kingscliff and we gave a gift of 10 iPads to Lifebridge," she said.

"Here the parish is giving a cheque to the hospital so they can buy some medical equipment that they need."

Rev Macneil's appointment was announced six months after the former head of the diocese, Keith Slater, resigned for mishandling complaints about child abuse at a children's home in Lismore run by the Grafton Anglican diocese.

"Some of the professional standards issues that were around in the diocese at the time... we're working our way through some of that."

Rev Macneil's pilgrimage has coincided with the Church of England's move to allow female bishops.

"I think it's a great thing and very much in line with biblical teaching of the equality of men and women," she said. "We're all equal before God."