Congratulations to our Senior Speakers!
Congratulations to our Junior Speakers!
Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides Greek Orthodox teenagers the opportunity to write and talk about their faith. The Oratorical Festival Program begins at the parish level and is divided into two divisions:
The top speakers in the Junior and Senior Divisions advance to the district level. Two finalists in each district division represent the district at the Metropolis Oratorical Festival. The top speaker in each metropolis division is then selected to participate in the Archdiocese Finals, which is hosted by a different metropolis each year. Read More...
JUNIOR DIVISION (GRADES 7-9)
TOPIC 1
Philanthropy is an important part of the Church’s mission. It involves more than giving
money. Why is it important to support people in different ways besides just donating? In
what ways can we offer support, and how can these other forms of help make a difference
in the lives of individuals and the community?
TOPIC 2
In Psalm 4, we are told to "[b]e angry, but sin not." Why would we be encouraged to be
angry? How does anger fit into the life of an Orthodox Christian?
TOPIC 3
The Orthodox Church is filled with repetition: we sing “Lord, have mercy” dozens of times
every service, we sing the Paschal Troparion all throughout Pascha, and we repeat the
same Divine Liturgy every single time. What is the importance of repetition in the
Orthodox Church?
TOPIC 4
The Russian Orthodox novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky once said that “Beauty will save the
world." What is the role of beauty in the Church and in the world at large?
TOPIC 5
What is the symbolism of the liturgical vestments worn by a deacon, priest,
and bishop, and how do these vestments reflect and correlate to their specific roles
and responsibilities within the Divine Liturgy?
Western Conference
Holy Trinity - St. John the Theologian - Jackson, MS
(Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Ft. Walton Beach, Gulf Shores, Jackson, Mobile, Monroe,
New Orleans, Panama City, Pensacola)
Contact: TBD