Researching Jaroslav Vajda

Vajda was born to a Lutheran pastor of Slovak descent in Lorain, Ohio, where his father, Rev. John Vajda, was a pastor. Vajda's father served parishes in Emporia, Virginia, Racine, Wisconsin, and finally, from 1926 until his retirement, in East Chicago, Indiana at Holy Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church. Vajda's father and mother (Mary Gecy) were both originally from Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Jaroslav had two brothers, Ludovit and Edward, both pastors, now deceased. Vajda himself pastored parishes in Cranesville, Pennsylvania (1945–1949), Alexandria, Indiana (1949–1953), Tarentum, Pennsylvania (1953–1963), and St. Louis Missouri (1963–1976).

Vajda received musical training in childhood and began translating classical Slovak poetry at age 15, when three delegates from the cultural institute of Slovakia visited his father's home and left a box of books of Slovak literature. Vajda did not write his first hymn until age 49. From that time until his death in 2008 at age 89, he wrote over 200 original and translated hymns that appear worldwide in more than 65 hymnals. He also published two collections of hymn texts, numerous books, translations, and articles. Vajda served on hymnal commissions for Hymnal Supplement (1969) and Lutheran Book of Worship (1978). In recognition of his significant contributions to the world of Christian hymnody, Vajda was named a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. He also received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, Concordia Seminary, in 2007.

Vajda was a Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, and was the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates recognizing hymnal contributions. After 18 years in a mostly bilingual ministry, he became the editor of This Day Magazine and then became a book editor and developer at Concordia Publishing House. He retired in 1986.