From the Wardens:

On behalf of the Vestry, it is an honor that we announce that on August 1st, the Reverend Lawrence Civale will join Christ Church Woodbury, NJ as Priest in Charge. Father Civale grew up in the Albany area. He first started worshiping in the Episcopal Church as a teenager and has worshiped and served as a layperson throughout much of his life in urban parishes in the Albany area, New York City and Boston.

Prior to his ordination to the priesthood in December 2020, he worked as a clinical social worker, psychotherapist and as a senior congregational consultant in the Diocese of Massachusetts. He was sponsored for ordination by the Church of the Advent, Boston. In 2017 he went on to study at Virginia Theological Seminary, where he received a Master’s in Divinity. Since his ordination, he has served as Priest-in-Charge at St Paul’s in Chester, PA and Interim Priest at St. John on the Mountain in Bernardsville, NJ. He loves to be outdoors and enjoys long walks and hiking and touching the things that God offers in the natural world. As well, he enjoys traveling, museums, singing, concerts of all types of music, and exploring the New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania region.

We would like to thank the Discernment Committee and Vestry for the many hours of work that prepared the way. We are confident that the Holy Spirit has led us to this call. And we look forward to joining with the entire parish in welcoming Father Civale this August.

In Christ,



Rob Johnson

Sr. Warden

Sarah Cranston

Jr. Warden