Parish Leadership
The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the new Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.
– The Book of Common Prayer, p. 854.
The Rev. Lawrence Civale, Rector
Father Civale became Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church Woodbury, Woodbury, NJ on August 1, 2023.
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.
Mr. Matthew Glandorf, Choir Director and Organist
Christ Church Music Committee and Father Civale are delighted to introduce Matthew Glandorf as our new Organist and Choir Director.
Matt was raised in Germany, where he received early instruction at the organ at the Bremen Cathedral with Wolfgang Baumgratz. At age 16 he entered the Curtis Institute of Music as a student of John Weaver and Ford Lallerstedt. He pursued graduate studies with McNeil Robinson at the Manhattan School of Music.
Matt has an active career as a conductor, composer, church musician, and educator. In 2004 he was appointed as Artistic Director of the Choral Arts Philadelphia, and in 2008 he became the Artistic Director of the Bach Festival of Philadelphia. He has served as director of music for many Philadelphia churches, including St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Old St. Joseph’s, Old Pine Street Presbyterian, Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont and the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion.
As an organist Matt is noted for his improvisation and has played recitals throughout the USA and in England and Germany. Matt has served on the faculties of Swarthmore College, Westminster Choir College and joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1995. He has resided in Germany for the past three years and is returning to a full-time teaching position in the Musical Studies Department at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Matt is recently married to the choral director and teacher Yulia Zavadsky and in his spare time loves cooking and long walks.
Matt’s first Sunday at Christ Church will be September 6th .
Mrs. Jacqueline Fahr, Parish Administrator
Jacqueline Fahr became a member of our staff as of September 2025. A lifelong New Jersey resident, Jacqueline brings a deep commitment to our faith community and a wealth of experience. She is married to Dale and resides in Carneys Point with her children.
We are excited to have Jacqueline on board and look forward to the many ways she will contribute to our parish life.
Mrs. Mariana Torres, Parish Sexton
Mrs. Torres officially joined our staff as part-time parish Sexton in February 2009. She oversees the maintenance and orderly presentation of our parish buildings, facilities, and grounds. She is also a highly respected member of a local school maintenance staff. She is the mother of two children and the grandmother of one.
Mrs. Helen Gwalthney, Volunteer Coordinator
Mrs. Helen Gwalthney serves as our parish Volunteer Coordinator. Helen came to this position in September of 2020 with over twenty-years as a baptized, pledging communicant of our parish. She has served quite capably in many volunteer roles herself to include the pictorial directory committee, the Bulk Mail team, as an office volunteer, and even in interest of pulling decades if not centuries of archival information out of storage boxes and assisting with its orderly presentation in which future generations may have benefit.
A resident of Woodbury, Helen taught Latin and English for 34 years at Overbrook Senior High School in Pine Hill, NJ. She holds a BA degree from Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey.
Helen’s oversight embraces the efforts of our office volunteers, our parish shoppers, St. Martha’s Guild, and the Bulk Mail team. She builds community around committed, capable, and creative volunteers who place their love of this parish as one of their highest priorities. In her own words, Helen expresses her priority for this important parish ministry: “Volunteering affords all of us the opportunity to learn, work, and share with others.”
If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at Christ Church Woodbury, please call the parish office. We will be glad to get you in touch with Helen.
Mrs. Cindy Scales, Sunday School Superintendent
Cindy holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) in Writing Arts, both academic degrees are from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. She has been an elementary school educator for 14 years and a Sunday school teacher of this parish for four years. In addition to her life, ministry, and vocation among us, Cindy supports her husband Joe in his professional medical career as a pediatrics respiratory therapist.
Ms. Jennifer Allbright, Nursery Sitter
Ms. Allbright joined the staff as part-time Nursery Sitter in April 2008. She is a life-long member of Christ Church Woodbury, where she was baptized and confirmed. Ms. Allbright recently obtained her Home Health Aid Certification, and her training enhances the gifts that she brings to the important ministries of hospitality and education.
Ms. Susann Kaback, Pre-School Teacher
Susann Kaback began the Preschool Program at Christ Church Woodbury in 2012 as a necessary response to the parish’s tremendous growth in the nursery. Ms. Kaback graduated from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) with her Master of Arts degree in Library Science and is the children’s librarian at Deptford Public Library. She has served as a long-time Sunday School teacher at Christ Church Woodbury and brings her enthusiasm for early education, growth and learning to this very important aspect of parish life.
Ms. Cheryl Rheiner, Parish Archivist
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