The Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein, who served as Bishop of Kansas for seven years before being elected as Bishop of New York, died October 8 at 91.
Grein was a native of Bemidji, Minnesota. He was an alumnus of Carleton College and Nashotah House Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology. He was ordained deacon and priest in 1959, and taught pastoral theology at Nashotah House in 1973-74.
Grein served at parishes in Minnesota and Kansas before his election as seventh Bishop of Kansas in 1981. “Bishop Richard Grein has left a lasting legacy through his theological preaching and teaching, revivification of the diaconate, and establishment of women’s ordination in the Diocese of Kansas,” said Cathleen Bascom, 10th Bishop of Kansas. “He continued and deepened the spiritual practices that keep [the diocese] tethered close to the heart of God. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.”
During his seven years as Bishop of New York, Grein joined in ecumenical gatherings with Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold and Eastern Orthodox leaders, and was chairman of the House of Bishops’ Commission on Pastoral Letters. He was a contributor to the books On Being a Bishop and Anglican Theology and Pastoral Care. He was bishop visitor to the Community of the Holy Spirit, the Community of St. Mary, and the Order of the Holy Cross.
In 2001, the Rev. Janet Kraft sued Grein in federal court for wrongful dismissal. She sought $6.8 million in damages. Grein settled with Kraft in 2004 for what she told The New York Times was “several hundred thousand dollars, but not a million.”
Douglas LeBlanc is an Associate Editor and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Henrico, Virginia.
