St. John the Chrysostom Oratorical Festival National Finals This Saturday
The Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, is pleased to announce that the 38th annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will take place on Saturday, June 4th, 2022, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, Texas. Congratulations to the National Finalists from both the Junior and Senior Divisions!
The Oratorical Festival is a national program of the Archdiocese where Orthodox youth present a speech discussing their Orthodox faith, relationship with the Church, and Greek heritage. This year's Oratorical Festival saw a national increase in participants, despite a hiatus due to the COVID pandemic. This year the participants and their families are excited to meet in-person and represent their Metropolis for a weekend of faith and fellowship.
The Oratorical Festival is divided into a Junior Division (7-9th grade) and a Senior Division (10-12th grade). The program consists of four levels starting at the local parish level and ending with two representatives from each of the nine Metropolis speaking at the National Festival weekend. The National Oratorical Festival culminates with a weekend of fellowship at which the national finalists deliver their speeches.
Participants at the National Finals receive awards from the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Scholarship Fund ranging from $500 to $2000, the Faith Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism Scholarships, and the Chrysostom Scholarship Program of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
The National St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be live-streamed on Saturday, June 4th, beginning at 9 am MDT on: youtube.com/c/HolyTrinityGreekOrthodoxChurchDallasTexas.
Save the YouTube link and follow the Oratorical Festival on Instagram @oratorical_festival and Facebook @SJCOF.
The National Finalists from both the Junior and Senior Divisions are as follows:
JUNIOR DIVISION FINALISTS:
- Eoanna Sarosy
Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Port Washington, NY
Direct Archdiocesan District
- Victoria Carabus
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Charleston, SC
Metropolis of Atlanta
- Helen Dunning
Saints Constantine and Helen in Webster, MA
Metropolis of Boston
- Chris Zouras
Ascension of Our Lord in Lincolnshire, IL
Metropolis of Chicago
- Maria Macesanu
St Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church in Houston, TX
Metropolis of Denver
- Elena Gore
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Nashville, TN
Metropolis of Detroit
- Gabriella Bourantas
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Media, PA
Metropolis of New Jersey
- Loukas White
Saints Constantine & Helen Cathedral in Cleveland, OH
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
- Minas Sharp
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Scottsdale, AZ
Metropolis of San Francisco
SENIOR DIVISION FINALISTS:
- Ana DeBassio
St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Orange, CT
Direct Archdiocesan District
- Paraskevi Christopoulos
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Knoxville, TN
Metropolis of Atlanta
- Miles Kaufman
Saint Gregory the Theologian in Mansfield, MA
Metropolis of Boston
- Demetra Feradouras
Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Hills, IL
Metropolis of Chicago
- Labrini Panagopoulos
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Tulsa, OK
Metropolis of Denver
- Nicholas Douglas
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN
Metropolis of Detroit
- Kailah Callaham
Sts. Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church in Annapolis, MD
Metropolis of New Jersey
- George John Papoutsis
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Camp Hill, PA
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
- Evan Anagnostopoulos
Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in San Bernardino, CA
Metropolis of San Francisco
Have questions? Kindly contact:
Department of Religious Education (DRE)
Toll-free: 800-566-1088
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @oratorical_festival
Facebook: @SJCOF
