Since the end of our Spring 2010 semester, four of our seminarians have been ordained in the Holy Orders. We congratulate Deacon Dunstan Lyon and Frs. Jason Foster, Lucas Rice, and Ignatius Warren as they broaden and deepen their service to the Church.
Our seminarians come to us from diverse professional and educational backgrounds. Their intriguing spiritual odysseys continue as they pursue their education here at St. Vladimir’s.
Dn. Dunstan was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. After high school he decided to attend the University of Minnesota, during which time he participated in two archaeological excavations in Messene, Greece. These excavations exposed him to Eastern Orthodoxy and led him to join the Minnesota Orthodox Christian Fellowship, where he met his wife, Nicki. After receiving his Masters degree in Art History and Archaeology (emphasis, Classical and Byzantine Archaeology), he felt led to the ministry and enrolled in the M.Div. program at St. Vladimir's, where he is currently in his third year. Dn. Dunstan was ordained to the diaconate on May 22, 2010 in Three Hierarchs Chapel at the seminary by His Beatitude Jonah, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
Fr. Jason has been married to his wife, Ashley, for 13 years, and the gracious and hospitable couple has six daughters: Addison, Savannah, Camille, Gabrielle, Saxony, and Mary Katherine. Fr. Jason is fond of saying: “You can follow my spiritual progression from a Baptist minister to a ‘high’ Anglo-Catholic to an Orthodox priest by noting the names of my daughters!” Fr. Jason was ordained to the priesthood on July 21, 2010, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, Atlanta, Georgia, by His Beatitude Jonah. He is the Annual Giving Officer in the Advancement Office at the seminary and is pursuing doctoral studies in theology under the supervision of Fr. Andrew Louth at Durham University in England.
Fr. Lucas is active in children's education, both on campus with the church school and at his parish assignment. In the seminary chapel, he is active in the Men's, Mixed, and Byzantine choirs and is a member of the Seminary Octet. He also conducted a homiletics course at St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska during Spring semester 2010. He and his wife, Nicole, begin their third year at St. Vladimir’s this fall. Fr. Lucas was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 2010, at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Brooklyn, New York, by His Grace Basil, bishop of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America (AOCANA).
At the seminary, Fr. Ignatius assists in directing the Men’s, Mixed, and Byzantine Choirs during daily services and is a member of the Seminary Octet. He also conducted a pastoral theology course at St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska during Spring semester 2010. Fr. Ignatius’s wife, Misha (née Jacob), a lifelong member of St. George Cathedral in Wichita, has completed her studies at Seton Hall Law School. Fr. Ignatius was ordained to the priesthood on June 27, 2010 at St. George Cathedral, Wichita, Kansas, by His Grace Basil, bishop of Wichita and Mid-America (AOCANA), and is in his third year of studies at SVOTS.
We invite you to view the photo gallery of all our summer ordinations.
