SVS welcomes Fr David Mezynski and Jason Foster, his wife, Ashley, and their six daughters, into the campus community.

Fr David Mezynski

Jason Foster and family

Fr David Mezynski

Fr David Mezynski will be dividing his time between assisting in Student Life and assisting in the Library. He comes to St Vladimir's Seminary from St Tikhon's Seminary where he was Director of Student Affairs and an Instructor in Church History and Theology.

Fr David says that coming to St Vladimir's is a good professional opportunity for him, and that he anticipates learning a lot from being part of the St Vladimir's team. He views his time here as a chance to grow spiritually, personally, and academically. So far, things have being going well. Fr David says he is struck by a 'strong sense of collegiality here. People seem genuinely interested in hearing opinions and discussing things'a sense of openness.'

Jason Foster, new Annual Gifts Officer for SVS, was also struck by the community spirit shown by the students when his family's moving truck needed unloading. Everyone pitched in to help. Jason comes to St Vladimir's with a strong background in fundraising.

Jason Foster and family

His journey to Orthodoxy (and now to SVS) is an interesting one: he began with an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance, decided to become a minister, went to a Baptist Seminary, and became increasingly passionate about the Eucharist and early liturgy. He has pursued that interest through several graduate degrees in Theology in more than one country (M.Div; M.A; and M.Th.) and from Protestantism into Orthodoxy. His heart's desire, he says, is to become an Orthodox priest, and, to that end, he'll be taking some classes while working at St Vladimir's. 

Jason's family is also excited about becoming part of the SVS community. His wife, Ashley, is hoping that the whole family will benefit and, particularly, that the family will learn to sing, so that they have a solid foundation when they go into a parish.

Interestingly, both Fr David and Jason are completing doctoral dissertations and both regard St Vladimir's as a unique environment in which to continue to study, to learn, and to write. Fr David is working on Saints Barsanuphius and John and their position on the Council of Chalcedon under Dr George Demacopolous at Fordham University; Jason is working on the history and place of the sursum corda in the Eucharistic prayers under Rev Dr Andrew Louth at Durham University, UK. SVS Chancellor, Fr Chad Hatfield, and Dean, Fr John Behr, regard Fr David's and Jason's academic work as a very significant component of their time at St Vladimir's. Supporting Orthodox scholarship continues to be one of the Seminary's missions.