Reverend Graham McLeod will be officiating at an early Christmas service at St Paul’s Anglican Church this Sunday and it will be his last official service in Cobar before he retires in January.
Rev Graham served in the Bathurst Anglican diocese for many years as part of the Company of the Good Shepherd.
When announcing Graham’s intention to retire to his parishioners, Bishop Mark Calder pointed out that “in his generosity, Graham has continued on for four years past the retirement age mandated by our church ordinances”.
Rev Graham came to the Bathurst Diocese for short term locum work in 2002 in Blayney, Wellington and Condobolin before being commissioned as a Companion in the Company of the Good Shepherd (CGS) in 2003.
Over the next few years he served in Nyngan, Condobolin, Bourke/Brewarrina, Cobar, Cowra and Trundle and since moving back to Nyngan in 2011, he has also provided ministry in Cobar.
Rev Graham and said he been really happy during his 10 years in CGS.
“People ask me, ‘How can you be happy living in a place like Nyngan?’ But if you get involved in the community, get involved with people, you can be happy anywhere.”
Rev Graham has been very much involved in the Cobar community taking a very special interest and part in the Miners Memorial Project; assisted with Cobar’s annual carols event in Drummond Park over many years; and has provided wonderful spiritual support for the residents of the Lilliane Brady Village who have grown to love his “quirky” presentations including his collection of bells, flags and Christmas banners.
One of the most pertinent services provided by Rev Graham to the Cobar mining community was a memorial service at the CSA Mine in 2013 for McMahon Mining contractors following a fatality of one of their team members on the site. At the request of the team members he then went underground to the site to give a “blessing” which was greatly appreciated. (Rev Graham suffers a little from claustrophobia so it was a bit challenging for him.)
In 2017 Rev Graham won the prestigious Premier’s Award for Services to the Community.
All who have known Rev Graham during his time in the Cobar Parish are welcome to a service on Sunday followed by a light supper.
