[6][7] Raffel was born on 6 November 1964[2] in London, England, to Sri Lankan parents, father, Lorenz a tea plantation supervisor and mother, Lilamani, a doctor.

[5][8] Raised a Buddhist,[9] a friend, Andrew Shead, gave him a copy of the Gospel of John when in his third year of his arts-law degree at university.

[10] After graduation Raffel practised law at Blake Dawson Waldron (which became Ashurst) for two and a half years.

[11][12] He then trained at Moore Theological College, graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) and Diploma of Ministry in 1996.

[3][4][18] On 28 May 2021, Raffel was consecrated a bishop by Geoffrey Smith, and installed as archbishop in Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral.