St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides Greek Orthodox teenagers the opportunity to explore, articulate, and share their faith through speech. The program begins at the parish level and progresses through district, metropolis, and archdiocese levels, culminating in the Archdiocese Finals, which are hosted by a different Metropolis each year.

The festival is divided into two divisions:

Junior Division: Grades 7–9

Senior Division: Grades 10–12

Participants advance through each level as finalists, with the top Junior and Senior speakers from each Metropolis competing at the Archdiocese Finals typically in May or June. All national finalists enjoy a weekend of activities, highlighted by the delivery of their speeches.

Scholarship Awards

The Oratorical Festival Scholarship Foundation offers scholarships to top speakers:

$2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 for the top three in each division.

Honorable Mention recipients receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond.

The festival is organized at the parish level, held between January and March, district festivals between March and April, and metropolis festivals between April and May.

The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival inspires youth to deepen their faith, develop public speaking skills, and connect with their Orthodox community.

For More information, please click here: https://www.goarch.org/oratorical