Robert Royster was born in a small Texas town to Protestant parents. In 1941, at the age of 18, after intense study culminated by an interview with Patriarch Athenagoras, he was converted to the Orthodox faith at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, whereupon he received the name Dmitri. His college studies at North Texas State University were interrupted when he entered the U.S. Army in 1943. After special training at the University of Michigan he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served as a Japanese language interpreter on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines and Japan.

    Following military service he completed his university education and became an instructor of Spanish at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where in 1949 he received a Masters of Arts in Spanish and was made a professor of Spanish Literature. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1954 and organized St. Seraphim Orthodox Church, the first English-language Orthodox church in Dallas, and served as a pastor there until 1969, when he was elevated to the rank of Bishop. His initial episcopal duties were as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Francisco and the West (1969-70), and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey (1971-72). In 1972 he was named ruling Bishop of the Diocese of Hartford and New England and in 1978 he was made the ruling Bishop of the newly-created Diocese of Dallas and the South, which comprised fourteen states in the Southern United States. St. Seraphim’s became the cathedral church for this new diocese, which meant that Bishop Dmitri was once again the head of the church he had founded. In 1993 the title of Archbishop was bestowed on him by the Holy Synod of Bishops.

    In addition to his duties as ruling hierarch of the Southern Diocese, Archbishop Dmitri functions as Exarch for the Diocese of Mexico. He is well-known for his missionary efforts among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, for whom he has translated Orthodox liturgical texts and theological works into Spanish. He has authored several theological books including: The Doctrine of Christ; Orthodox Christian Teaching: An Introduction to the Orthodox Faith; The Kingdom of God: The Sermon on the Mount (order at amazon.com); and The Parables of Christ (order here), The Miracles of Christ (order at amazon.com; book abstract here). The latest published, in 2003, is his The Epistle to the Hebrews, A Commentary. At present His Eminence is writing a Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Mark.  He has also been the editor of the Diocesan monthly newspaper, The Dawn, throughout its twenty years of existence.

Tex-Mex Orthodoxy - Christianity Today

Father Joseph Fester serves as Associate Priest at the Cathedral with duties including conducting worship services, assisting in Cathedral communication efforts and other pastoral duties as assigned by the Archbishop.

Born on January 19, 1953, Father Joseph graduated from California State University, Northridge in 1979 with a degree in Political Science. He graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1982. In 1995, Father Joseph was a graduate of the National Planned Giving Institute at the College of William and Mary. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1980 and the priesthood in 1981.

Father Joseph has held several church positions in the Orthodox Church in America including Dean of the Chicago Deanery, Midwest Diocese, Member of the Midwest Diocesan Council, Local clergy chairman for the 9th All-American Council, OCA Director of Church Growth and Stewardship, Executive Director of the OCA Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards, Assistant to the Chancellor and Secretary for the OCA Office of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations.

Father Joseph works in the Diocesan chancery office and is the Dean for the DOS Southcentral deanery. He is also overseeing the efforts to begin a DOS Pastoral School.

Father Joseph has been married to his wife Kathy for 31 years. They are the parents of two sons, Aleksandr (21) and Jonas (20).

Father John Ernest Anderson serves in a full-time capacity as an assistant to Archbishop Dmitri and attends to daily pastoral functions including conducting of worship services, visiting the sick, blessing of homes, performing baptisms, teaching classes, and hearing confessions.

Born on July 30, 1953, Father John attended Portland State College and received a master of divinity degree from St. Tikhon’s Theological Seminary, South Canaan, Pa., in 1995. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood later that year. St. Seraphim’s is his first church assignment as an ordained minister. He and his wife, Lydia, are the parents of two children, Joseph and Mary.