A beloved Ballarat Anglican priest has died after a horrific car fire earlier this week.
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Father Graham Reynolds passed away at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne on Thursday night, surrounded by his three sons, two brothers, and other family members, according to the Ballarat Anglican Diocese.
On Wednesday night, he was flown to hospital after his car was found burnt out in Soldiers Hill - Father Graham had suffered severe burns and was on life support.
Bishop Garry Weatherill said in a statement he was able to pray with him and his family, and administer the last rites before life support was removed on Thursday.
Father Graham had most recently been serving in Skipton and Beaufort, and had been leading Ballarat Grammar's boarders in a Sunday night chapel service.
"Graham has served our Diocese in many ways since he and his late wife Judy retired to Ballarat," Bishop Weatherill said in a statement.
"He has been a good friend to many in the diocese, including myself. We will all miss him."
Speaking to The Courier, he added he'd known Father Graham for "about 30 years".
"I knew him when he was the dean of Riverina, we've known each other a long time," he said.
"It's a great loss to us all, and of course a terrible loss to his family, his three boys and their extended families."
Despite being "notionally retired" for some time, Bishop Weatherill said Father Graham stayed busy after moving to Ballarat.
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"He's looked after parishes in between the appointment of parish priests, he's helped out when people have been sick, significant ministries at Wendouree, at St Peter's on Sturt Street and St Paul's in Bakery Hill," he said.
"He's always had a great passion for people on the edge, and spent part of his ministry working for Anglicare, our statewide social welfare network.
"He's always been very passionate about social justice and issues of fairness for people, and he's also, like all the best clergymen, been reasonably critical of the church, as it's been slow to respond to things, but nevertheless worked happily within the church.
Fire crews arrived at the Armstrong Street North address on Wednesday evening, finding the car fully engulfed in flames.
Bishop Weatherill said it was important to acknowledge the traumatic experience for first responders who arrived at the scene, during a traumatic week for the district.
"It's very tough on the firies and the ambos, all of those people, but they are people who serve our community and we should be very grateful - not just for looking after us when we're a bit down, but helping the whole community during these traumatic things, we owe a great debt to them," he said.
"We think that we are all in control all the time, and we're not - our lives are precious and fragile, that's why it hits us so hard when we lose people unexpectedly and sadly."
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