The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is pleased to announce that the Metropolis of Detroit will host the 40th Annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Nationals at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Buffalo, NY, on the weekend of June 7 to 9, 2024.
This year’s Junior and Senior topics (see below) were developed with the Metropolis and Direct Archdiocesan District (DAD) Oratorical Festival teams.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America appointed Katherine Orfanakos Demacopoulos as the Archdiocesan National Chairperson of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Katherine has served as the National Chairperson since 2018. Before that, her parents, Presvytera Margaret Orfanakos and Fr. John Orfanakos held the role since 1986.
The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is a ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that centers around faith, education, and fellowship. Greek Orthodox youth participants present speeches discussing the faith and the Church through exploring and deepening their faith while honing their speech writing and public speaking skills. National finalists earn sizeable monetary awards, and finalists at all four levels earn scholarships. The Oratorical Festival was established in 1983 by DRE Director Mr. Ernest Villas and Ms. Minerva Stergianopoulos and began in 1984.
HOW IT WORKS:
The Oratorical Festival is divided into the Senior Division (grades 10-12) and Junior Division. (grades 7-9). The participants start at the parish level, proceed to their district or metropolis level, and then two finalists representing each Metropolis/DAD of the Archdiocese proceed to the national finals.
AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS:
Participants at the National Finals receive awards from the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Award Fund, ranging from $500 to $2000, and FAITH: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism. The Chrysostom Scholarship Program of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology also offers scholarships at all four levels of the Oratorical Festival.
TOPICS:
Check out the 2024 Senior and Junior Divisions topics: https://www.goarch.org/documents/32058/12241508/2024_Topics_Final.pdf/7d3a21ad-0fe9-0e5a-f0c4-1f82840e99c8?t=1697507049041
REGISTER: Register for the Oratorical Festival as a parish chairperson or a participant today: www.goarch.org/-/st-john-chrysostom-oratorical-festival-forms-and-registration
MANUAL:
Instructions, materials, and other information for organizing an Oratorical Festival for your parish can be found in this manual: www.goarch.org/documents/32058/7302485/Oratorical-Festival-Manual-2022-Third-Edits%28web%29.pdf/24271759-5a0e-430a-bf62-378e10adab41
The “Topics, Tips and Resources,” a document that assists participants in brainstorming, developing, and writing their Oratorical Festival speeches, will be released in November 2023.
Questions? Kindly contact:
St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Email: oratorical@goarch.org
Instagram & Facebook: @goarchORATORICAL