St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is a nationwide Department of Religious Education (DRE) ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that centers on 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. 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 three divisions:
Elementary Division (parish festival only) for students in grades 4–6
Junior Division for students in grades 7–9
Senior Division for students in grades 10–12
The top speakers in the Junior and Senior Divisions advance to the district levels. 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 National Finals, which is hosted by a different metropolis each year. The 2025 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival was hosted by the Metropolis of Pittsburgh at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from May 30 – June 1. All eighteen finalists at the National Oratorical Festival participate in a weekend of activities, the highlight of which is the delivery of their speeches on Saturday morning. The Oratorical Festival provides college scholarships and awards to the top speakers.
The St. George Cathedral St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival parish level competition will take place after the Divine Liturgy – at 433 Fairfield Ave in Hartford, CT.
Stay tuned for the 2026 date!
For further information about junior and senior division topics and requirements, please consult the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival web site.
Registration can be completed here.
Please contact Peter Smith at petros.smith@gmail.com for registration info or more information regarding the parish level competition.