The Rev. Duncan A. Burns, Rector

The Rev. Duncan A. Burns has served as Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Huntington from 2014-present. He has been married to Barbara McCartney Burns since 1982 and has three children. Fr. Duncan graduated from Bay Shore High School, Colgate University (Bachelor of Arts), and Seabury-Western (Master of Divinity). He currently serves as the treasurer of Episcopal Ministries. He was appointed on the Board of Directors of Episcopal Ministries of Long Island in 2015 and was elected to the board by the convention in 2016 and 2019. He also serves on the board of Rural Migrant Ministries on Long Island. Fr. Duncan was ordained a priest on January 17, 2004 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He is a proud citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Fr. Duncan served at Historic Christ Church in Alexandria Virginia from 2003-2005 and as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Kingston, New York from 2005-2014.

The Rev. Zachary D. Baker, Curate

The Rev. Zachary Baker began his curacy at St. John's, Huntington in August 2023. He was ordained into the dioconate in January 2023 in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. He will be ordained into the priesthood in September 2023.  In his own words,

I am incredibly excited and blessed to be here at St. John’s! I am a native of Michigan, growing up in the suburbs of Detroit. I was received into the Episcopal Church in 2012, where I found a faith community willing and wanting to engage and wrestle with the issues of the day. While I can be sure my call to the priesthood was since I was young, it wasn’t until I really formed a relationship with Jesus Christ that I was able to perceive it. This call can be best framed through friendship, something that means a great deal to me. Jesus is my Lord and Savior, but intimately he is my friend. In this priestly ministry, I am a friend to the world offering the gifts of grace through the sacraments and proclaiming God's truth. I am passionate about the theology and works of Jacques Ellul and William Stringfellow. I love reading, journaling and writing, genealogy, stamp collecting, biking around town, baseball, and do some golfing. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you! 

Alex Pryrodny, Organist & Choir Director

Alex Pryrodny is a New York City based pianist, organist, composer, and music director. Originally from Ukraine, Alex started studying piano at the age of 3 and gave his first public performance at the age of 6. By his early teens, Alex has won the title of Ukraine’s best young composer twice, as well as several international competitions in classical piano, composition, and improvisation. At the age of 16 Alex moved to the United States where he studied composition and classical piano in the University of Maryland and jazz piano at the New School in New York City (BFA in 2008). Alex has performed in concert halls and jazz clubs in the United States, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, Poland, and Ukraine. In 2012 he has been awarded the 2nd place at the highly prestigious Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition in Switzerland.

In addition to his career as a pianist, Alex has been studying organ and vocal sacred music since childhood and in 2002 he started working as a church musician on a regular basis. He has organized and performed in various fundraising and charity concerts for the St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Deer Park, the Franciscan Episcopal Community of Little Portion Friary in Port Jefferson, NY and in his current capacity as the music director of St. John’s in Huntington. Whether in a church, concert hall or a jazz club setting, Alex’s goal is to use the incredible power of music to inspire, uplift and bring people together.

Jennifer Hebert, St. John's Nursery School Director

Jen Hebert has been the director of St. John's Nursery school for 15 years. She received
her degree from Tufts University, earning a Masters in Early Childhood Education in
1991. After several years of teaching kindergarten in a public school district in
Massachusetts, Jen relocated back to Long Island (where she grew up) with her husband,
Jamie, to start their family. Once her children were school-aged, Jen went back to work,
first as a preschool classroom teacher and then as director of St. John's Nursery School.

Jen and her husband, Jamie, have raised three boys here, all graduates of Huntington
High School. Over the years, Jen has been actively involved in the Huntington
community. She served nine years on the Huntington Board of Education. Currently, she
sits on the board of trustees of the Huntington Public Library.

Shannon Conway, Parish Administrator 

Shannon started her career in business operations, but then migrated towards business marketing and account management. Her last role was in project management with a sales and marketing approach.  She has worked with some of the most cutting edge Fortune 500 companies and collaborated with top marketing professionals in her field.  

Outside of St. John's, Shannon is a devoted wife and mother to 3 year old twin daughters. She enjoys gardening in her backyard and long beach days with her family. Originally from the North Fork of Long Island, Shannon and her husband relocated to Western Suffolk. They have been living in the beautiful Town of Huntington since 2007. Shannon graduated from Suffolk County Community College with an A.S. in Business Operations and studied at SUNY Empire State College with a B.A. in Business Marketing. She has recently joined the St. John's Nursery School Steering Committee. She has been involved in local non-profit organizations such as the Girl Scouts of America and local food banks in our area helping those in need.  

Coral Freas, Bookkeeper

Coral Freas started as Parish Administrator of St. John's in March of 2017 right before Holy Week. Before coming to St. John's, Coral worked as the bookkeeper for the Brothers of the Society of St. Francis, American Province, and Little Portion Friary. She began her work in not-for-profit administration at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco's Early Child Education Department. She has also served as bookkeeper for Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, Inc.

Coral graduated from H. P. Baldwin High School, Maui, Hawaii and received her BA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Coral has served as Treasurer of Northport High School PTSA, and as President and Treasurer for the Norwood Avenue School PTA in Northport.