Rev. Nihal de Lanerolle

Fr. Nihal de Lanerolle ministered at St. Paul’s since 1994, first as a Presbyter with the Middlesex Area Cluster ministry of which St. Paul’s was a constituent member, and as its Priest-in-Charge since 2010 when the church regained independent status, until his untimely illness and his death March 25 ,2026. He also served the Episcopal Church in a variety of capacities: Curate at St. Matthew’s, St. Paul, MN; supply Priest at a variety of churches; Priest Associate (8 yrs.) and Interim Rector (2-1/2 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.

He 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, Fr. 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 and from which he held a M.A. degree in Theology and Religious Studies. Nihal's hobbies included reading, listening to classical music, playing squash and badminton, traveling, hiking and exploring and frequenting a variety of restaurants.