Clergy and Staff of ECY

  1. Rev. Dr. Nihal de Lanerolle

    Chaplain-in-Residence

    Nihal was born and grew up in Sri Lanka, where he was educated through his undergraduate degree in Zoology. He pursued doctoral studies at the University of Sussex in England and received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Neuroethology and subsequently the Doctor of Science degree. After Sussex, he read Theological and Religious Studies at Jesus College, Cambridge and did his pastoral training at Ridley Hall Cambridge. He specialized in the comparative study of religions, in particular Buddhism. He arrived in the USA in 1974 and was ordained deacon (1977) and priest (1978) in the Diocese of Minnesota. He came to Connecticut in late 1978 where he has been since, working at Yale University School of Medicine, where he is a Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurobiology. After three years as College Chaplain at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, he assumed the role of Chaplain-in-Residence at the Episcopal Church at Yale in 2002. His hobbies include reading, listening to classical music, playing squash and badminton, traveling and hiking.

  2. Alan Murchie

    Choirmaster

    Alan is a versatile musician whose performance schedule includes regular appearances as a solo pianist, organist, choral and orchestral conductor, chamber musician and lecturer. Recent chamber music performances include appearances with the New York Philharmonic Chamber Players at Merkin Hall and with Silk Road Project violinist Colin Jacobsen. As a solo pianist, Alan has toured Morocco and has performed in Europe, including Vienna, Berlin, Edinburgh, Venice and Florence. Alan made his Lincoln Center debut as an organist performing works by Mozart at Alice Tully Hall. Alan graduated from Yale College '85, summa cum laude in music, and was named as "most promising and gifted composer". His Paean for brass and woodwinds was chosen to open a concert dedicating the new Yale School of Music campus. After college, Alan went as a member of the faculty to St. Thomas Choir School NYC, where he had studied as a boy and sang in the choir. He later served St. James' Church, Madison Avenue, as organist and director of the church's professional choir, which in 1999, released Christmas at St. James', produced by Bejun Mehta. Alan returned to Yale Divinity School as the Louise H. Maclean scholar and completed a Master of Divinity degree in 2006. He currently serves as Organist and Music Director at Trinity Church (Episcopal) in Southport and will continue in that capacity while concurrently serving as Choirmaster for the Episcopal Church at Yale.

  3. VAUGHN Mauren

    Organist

    Vaughn Mauren is a Master's student at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He studies organ with Martin Jean, and improvisation with Jeffrey Brillhart. Before coming to Yale, Vaughn was graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, where he studied organ privately with John Rose. His early musical training began in Albany, New York, where he was a chorister in the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, and organ scholar at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. In addition to his work at ECY, he serves as Organist and Choir Director of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

  4. Beth (Elizabeth) Magill

    Seminarian

    Beth (Elizabeth) Magill is thrilled to be serving as a Seminarian to the Episcopal Church at Yale for the 2008-2009 academic year. She is beginning her final year as a Master of Divinity Student Yale Divinity School. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 2006, with a degree in Sociology. She is a cradle Episcopalian from the Diocese of Virginia, where she is currently a Candidate to become ordained to the priesthood. Active in sports, Beth served as coach to the Yale women's novice crew team last year.

  5. Jake Dell

    Seminarian

    Jake Dell, one of our seminarians, has over 10 years industry experience in non-profit management. He was the Director of Operations for a major faith-based charity and is now the Director of Institutional Development for Prevent Blindness Tri-Sate serving Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. His published articles and speaking engagements include: “How Fast Can a Charity Raise Money?” (Theory of Constraints Times), “You Can't Shake Hands With a Computer” (Fundraising Success Magazine) and “Using Simple Statistics to Qualify First-Time Donors” (2005 Blackbaud Conference on Philanthropy). He lives in New Haven, Connecticut and holds a B.A. in History from Yale College (1995) and an M.A. in Ministry from Nashotah Theological Seminary (2008). Jake is the father of three children and serves on the vestry of Trinity Church, New Haven.

  6. Ryan Fleenor

    Seminarian

    Ryan Fleenor, one of our Seminarians, is a second-year graduate student at Yale Divinity School. A native of Durham, North Carolina, Ryan studied History & American Studies at the University of Virginia (BA, 2006). After graduation, Ryan moved to New Orleans and taught 10th grade English literature at St. Augustine High School, an inner-city Roman Catholic school. He is an aspirant for ordination in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and hopes also to pursue a Ph.D. in American religious history. Ryan is spending the fall term 2008 as an exchange student at Wescott House Theological College, University of Cambridge in England.