Biography of Fr. Ed Cimbala

Fr. Ed Cimbala is a native son of St. Mary of the Assumption Byzantine Catholic Church in Trenton, NJ where he was pastor before becoming pastor of St. Mary’s in Hillsborough on July 1, 2002. He was born in Trenton on February 15, 1955. Fr. Ed graduated from St. Mary’s School in 1969. He attended St. Anthony High School and received his bachelor’s degree in Speech and Theatre with concentrations in marketing and communications from Glassboro State College. Fr. Cimbala was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Michael J. Dudick on May 8th, 1988, and he celebrated his first Divine Liturgy in St. Mary’s one week later.

Before moving to Trenton Fr. Ed was the pastor of Holy Ghost Church in Jessup, Pennsylvania. During his pastorate at Holy Ghost the parish celebrated its 100th Anniversary. On this occasion the church was renovated and enhanced with a new Holy Table, new side altars, many new icons, new carpeting, a bathroom and a candleroom. The older icons on the icon screen were totally restored. While in Jessup Fr. Ed served as the president of the Board of Pastors of LaSalle Academy. This school was the first bi-ritual Catholic Grade School in the United States and has an enrollment of 500 students. He also taught 8th Grade Religion at LaSalle.

In addition to his pastoral assignments, Fr. Ed is also the Director of Vocations for the Eparchy of Passaic and the Director of Deacon Formation. He also serves on the Presbyteral Council and Retirement Board of the diocese and is the Chairperson of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary Advisory Board. Prior to his assignment in Jessup he was the pastor of St. Therese Byzantine Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. While in Florida he also served as temporary administrator of St. Anne’s Church in New Port Richey. Before moving to Florida he was the first resident pastor of Ascension of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the founding pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Virginia Beach. His first assignment was as Assistant Pastor of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Passaic. Fr. Ed has also served as the Protopresbyter of the Susquehanna Syncellate and Coordinator/Spiritual Director of the annual teen camp, Camp Come Alive, at the Carpathian Village.

Before entering Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh, Fr. Ed had a diverse career in the performing arts where he held positions in marketing and management with theatre companies (The Hartman Theatre Company, Stamford Connecticut; Indiana repertory Theatre, Indianapolis; The New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Madison,) a performing arts center (Shea Civic Theatre, Ashtabula, Ohio) and a ballet Company (Ballet El Paso, Texas). He also served as a consultant in the areas of development, fundraising and marketing for theatre companies, symphonies and ballet companies.

Fr. Ed earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1996. The basis of his dissertation was the shared responsibility of parishioners to call forth vocations from their own communities.