Of your charity, please pray for the soul of Fr Graeme Mitchell of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia (member Church of the TAC). I received this obituary from Bishop David Robarts. When I joined the TAC in August 2005 (Patrimony of the Primate, Archbishop Hepworth), I first contacted Fr Mitchell, who introduced me to Archbishop Hepworth and passed him my file of the usual documents.

I never met Fr Graeme in the flesh, since I have never been to Australia, but we corresponded quite a lot at one time.

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FR I know you knew him and he spoke very highly of you. I refer you to this email
Clergy, members, and friends, of the ACCA,

I must apologize for the delay in this notification as I only returned home last night from a week away on a Pastoral Visitation. I was informed of Fr Graeme’s death at the conclusion of a Mass in Mildura last Sunday. It was my intention to be with him for Mass on Wednesday morning in Melbourne, but he had another appointment with the Lord and I found myself at the altar in his place.

Father Graeme died peacefully in his sleep at home; probably on Thursday morning, 14 September. He was in the house on his own, as Lynette his wife had been in England visiting an ailing sister. She was met by family members at the airport with the distressing news that her husband had just died, while she was in transit.

It would be impossible to describe the loss that his death will mean not only to the ACCA but the wider Continuum and a vast network of friends and colleagues around the globe. Fr Graeme was a foundational member of the Continuing Movement in Australia, well before the beginning of the ACCA and the Consecration of its first Bishop, Albert Haley, in 1988. He was an invaluable resource to a great many of us in this regard, and a vast reservoir of information will now be lost to us with his passing. While much of this was retained in his head, we now face an enormous task in going through ever mounting piles of papers accumulated over the years in his study, waiting to be sorted. He did not believe in throwing things away!

We mourn the passing of a resolute and uncompromisingly faithful traditionalist whose like we will not continue to see. He was a generous friend and encourager of others who sought his support. The ACCA is now bereft of a long-standing Diocesan Registrar, Regional Dean, and Dean of St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. Please pray for us.

A Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of Graeme Alan Mitchell will be celebrated at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Cnr Jupiter St and Kooyong Rd Elsternwick (North Caulfield), on Thursday next, 28 September at 11.00am.Following this there will be refreshments at Nelson Bros Funeral Services Cnr Kooyong and Glenhuntly Rds Elsternwick. Please note too that Vespers of the Dead will also be said at St Mary’s on Wednesday evening at 8.00pm.

As we pray for the repose of Father Graeme’s soul please also remember his widow Lynette, children James and Katherine, and other family members. May he Rest in Peace.

It would be an additional kindness to pray for Father Neil Wall who will be taking over Sunday priestly duties at St Mary’s, and for worshippers there at this time of transition.

Yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend David Robarts OAM
Bishop Ordinary, Anglican Catholic Church in Australia.