Requiescat in Pace: The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold III

The Episcopal Church mourns the passing of the Most Rev. Frank Tracy Griswold III, who served from 1998-2006 as its 25th Presiding Bishop. Bishop Griswold died Sunday, March 5th in Philadelphia at the age of 85.

A renowned preacher known for his warmth and wit, Griswold co-chaired the Roman Catholic-Anglican Commission from 1998 to 2003 and made significant contributions to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and to its practical use in the liturgical life of the church. Griswold’s private spiritual practice was deeply informed by the early mothers and fathers of the church, and he championed Eastern traditions of the open-hearted and healing power of God’s love.

Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1937, Griswold earned a Bachelor of Arts at Harvard College and a Master of Arts from Oriel College at the University of Oxford. He was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1963. He married his beloved wife, Phoebe Wetzel, in 1965, and they raised two daughters in Philadelphia and Chicago, where Griswold was elected as Episcopal bishop in 1987.

Griswold practiced a wide ministry of teaching, writing, lecturing, and leading retreats, nationally and internationally. After completing his term as presiding bishop, he served as a visiting professor at seminaries and universities in South Korea, Cuba, and Japan, as well as at the Episcopal Divinity School, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Virginia Theological Seminary and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He also served as bishop visitor to the Society of St. John the Evangelist. His books include Going Home (Cowley Publications Cloister Book), Praying our Days: A guide and companion (Church Publishing Group), Tracking Down the Holy Ghost: reflections on love and longing (Church Publishing Group), and, co-authored with the Rev. Mark McIntosh, Seeds and Faith and Harvest of Hope (Eerdmans).

He is survived by his widow, Phoebe, his two daughters, Hannah and Eliza, and three grandchildren.