Fr. Nihal C. de Lanerolle began his 32-year ministry at St. Paul’s in 1994
as a Presbyter in rotation within the Middlesex Area Cluster ministry
of which St. Paul’s was a constituent member.
When St. Paul's returned to independent status in 2010,
Nihal became and remained its Priest-in-Charge
until his untimely illness, leading to his death March 25, 2026.

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He served the Episcopal Church in a variety of capacities:
supply Priest in multiple dioceses;
Curate at St. Matthew’s, St. Paul, MN;
Priest Associate (8 yrs.) and Interim Rector (2.5 yrs.) at
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church New Haven;
College Chaplain at Trinity College, Hartford, CT (1999 - 2002); and
Chaplain to the Episcopal Church at Yale (2002 - 2013) in New Haven.

Nihal was born and grew up in Sri Lanka where he was educated

through college, obtaining a B.Sc. honours degree in Zoology.
In addition to his ministry in the Church,
Nihal was a full-time Professor in Neurosurgery and Neuroscience
at the Yale School of Medicine where he worked for the past 36 years
teaching and conducting research on Epilepsy and Brain Trauma.
He held a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Neuroethology
and a higher doctoral degree of Doctor of Science
from the University of Sussex, England.
His theological training was at the Jesus College and Ridley Hall
in the University of Cambridge, England from which he held a
M.A. degree in Theology and Religious Studies.

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Nihal's hobbies included reading, listening to classical music,
playing squash and badminton, traveling, hiking and exploring,
and frequenting a variety of restaurants.