Born in 1937 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Griswold was descended from two previous bishops in the Episcopal Church: Bishop Alexander Viets Griswold, the denomination’s fifth presiding bishop, and Bishop Sheldon Munson Griswold, the missionary bishop of Salina in what is now the Diocese of Western Kansas, according to Episcopal News Service.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree from Oriel College at the University of Oxford, according to a biography provided by his family that was shared by the Episcopal Church.
Ordained in 1963, he served three parishes in the Diocese of Pennsylvania before he was elected the 10th bishop of Chicago in 1987.
Bishop Paula Clark of Chicago, who said she last spoke with Griswold before her ordination and consecration last year, remembered the former presiding bishop as “enormously kind and supportive.”
Her predecessor — Bishop Jeffrey D. Lee, who served as the 12th bishop of Chicago and is currently bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee — called Griswold’s death “the passing of an era in the Episcopal Church.”
“Frank’s dignified, gracious manner and credentials allowed him to lead the church toward becoming safer and more welcoming for all of God’s people. All of us who have continued that work in the last two decades are in his debt,” Lee said.
From 1998 to 2003, Griswold co-chaired the Roman Catholic-Anglican Commission and made significant contributions to the denomination’s 1979 Book of Common Prayer. He wrote a number of books, including “Going Home,” “Praying our Days: A Guide and Companion” and “Tracking Down the Holy Ghost: Reflections on Love and Longing.”
In addition to his daughter Eliza, Griswold is survived by his wife, Phoebe, daughter Hannah and three grandchildren.
This article originally appeared here.
