Welcome to the Oratorical Festival home for St. George!
The Oratorical Festival this year will take place at St. George after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, March 17th, 2024 at 1:00pm. The Elementary (grades 3-6), Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12) student presentations will be in the Church.
- You can register for the festival here.
- You can learn more about the festival by clicking on the Q & A tab.
- To access our festival resources, or to schedule a coaching session, please click on the Writing and Speech Center tab.
- To contact us, please email oratoricalfestival@
stgeorge.org.
We feel that the Oratorical Festival is an important component of the religious education of each Orthodox Christian student. In the words of St. Theophan the Recluse, “Of all holy works, the education of children is the most holy.” There is “no finer way to embark on such a worthwhile ministry,” than to have our youth participate in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival.
What is the Oratorical Festival?
The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is an excellent tool for families to engage with deeper reflections on our faith. Students in grades 3-12 are invited to participate in a variety of ways, and this is an activity for all families to get involved in!
What are the benefits of participating?
Students will gain skills in research and presentation, while learning more about their faith. Public speaking and presentation is a critical skill to learn; we are here to help you learn those skills, and give you an opportunity to practice them in a safe environment. We can also work with your teachers to help you gain class credit in your middle and high school coursework.
How do we participate?
There are many ways students can participate! For students in grades 3-6, they can submit and/or present an essay, speech, or poem. They can also do an icon drawing/writing, or other creative artistic project that connects to the Orthodox faith. For students in grades 7-12, they can do all the above, but all projects need to connect to the provided list of topics.
What if my I/my child does not have time to participate?
We completely understand that our students do not have much free time to devote to a new project. However, if you start early enough, it is possible to have a speech prepared with only 5 or 10 minutes a day, the approximate time of one gaming match. While speeches are the traditional form, the goal is for students to spend time on a project topic and medium that interests them, so it does not feel like work. Finally, for students who do essays or speeches, we are happy to work with their teachers to see about getting the work they spend on Oratorical Festival counted as class credit or extra credit.
When do we participate?
You can register up until Friday, March 15 here. The parish level festival will be on Sunday, April 7th. For those in the speech and essay divisions, they will then advance to the district levels, metropolis, and national levels. More information can be found here.
Where do we find more information?
You can find more information at the archdiocese festival webpage, which can be accessed here.
For more information, or to answer further questions, please contact us at oratoricalfestival@
Welcome to the Writing and Speaking Center! This is your go to research page; in this section you can find the topics and tips, a list of links to resources, and the link to schedule a coaching appointment.
Topics and Tips
2024 Topics and Tips, Expanded Version
Coaching Appointments
We are offering a flexible writing and speech help center. We can help you with brainstorming ideas, research advice, and speech/essay critique.
To schedule an appointment, please email oratoricalfestival@stgeorge.org.
Please note: We strongly prefer that parents join the call, or remain within earshot. You play an integral role in your child’s festival performance, and like any type of teaching, whether music, sports, or speaking, your participation will be a huge benefit. If you are not able to make it, we will make sure that one or more of our committee members are on the call per the current Child Safety Policies.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
PROVERBS 22:6
Click here to view links to many resources that will help as you work on your project.
FOR ELEMENTARY DIVISION:
The purpose of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is to offer children the opportunity to express their feelings about their faith and church and to gain confidence and self-esteem.
Students are encouraged to participate in 1 of 2 ways:
- 1. by presenting a speech in-person at the Oratorical Festival (30-60 seconds long) on April 7 (an icon, picture or poster may be used as part of the presentation)
or
- 2. if not presenting then by submitting an essay, poem or icon writing by April 7 (We understand that not all of our youth are able to get up in front of an audience)
Some topic suggestions for all students whether speaking, writing an essay, poem or icon are:
- Jesus Christ
- Love
- Helping Others
- Prayer
- My Family
- The Bible
- My Church
- The Cross
- Church School
- Being Kind
- Lighting a Candle
- My Favorite Icon
- My Favorite Parable
- Life of a Saint
- My Favorite Hymn
- One of the Ten Commandments
- One of the Sacraments
- The Meaning of Pascha
- Byzantine Iconography: Write an icon and talk about it
The topics are flexible! Moreover, you may choose a different topic with the approval of your Sunday School teacher(s). Parents, we ask for your assistance once again in preparing your children for this wonderful educational and spiritual experience.
