A group of people attending a church service or religious event inside a church. They are seated in wooden pews, facing a man reading from a paper at a pulpit. The church interior has soft lighting, and there are red candles and a religious altar at the front.

St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

Intro

Welcome to the Oratorical Festival webpage. All our Church School students are encouraged to participate every year. Writing and delivering your speech further develops your abilities to know more about your faith and share it with others.

How to participate:

Fill out the TOPIC FORM >>>
Review the information packet (see below)
Follow the steps of the schedule (see below)
Deliver your speech at the parish Oratorical Festival on the morning of Saturday, March 7

Schedule

2025

Oct 01 | Topics announced
Nov 22 | Select a topic (registration)
Nov 23 | Topic peer review, approval (during Catechesis)
Dec 14 | First Draft due, hardcopy

2026

Feb 01 | Second draft due, hardcopy; Speech delivery lesson (during Catechesis)
Feb 22 | Peer & Mentor review (during Catechesis)
Mar 07 | Parish Oratorical Festival (in the church sanctuary)

Oratorical Festival Topics 2026

Elementary Division

1. Tell us about your favorite story from the Bible. What happens in the story and why do you like it? What does it teach us about God or how we should live?

2. Describe something you love about your Orthodox church. It could be an icon, a special service, the way it looks, or how it makes you feel. Why is this special to you?

3. Choose a saint you’ve learned about and tell us why you think they were special. What did they do that showed their love for God? How can we be like them?

4. Share an Orthodox tradition that your family celebrates, such as a special holiday, blessing, or custom. How does your family celebrate it and why is it important to you?

5. Choose an icon from your church and describe what you see in it. Who is shown in the icon and what story does it tell? What do you learn from looking at this icon?

Junior Division (grades 7-9)

TOPIC 1: Select a hymn that is chanted in the Divine Liturgy and explain its meaning and theological significance.

TOPIC 2: Choose a Saint who was a child or young person. How did their faith influence their life, and what can we learn from them?

TOPIC 3: Who is the Ecumenical Patriarch, and why is he significant in the Orthodox Church today?

TOPIC 4: Choose an Old Testament story (such as David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, or Joseph and his brothers) and explain how it teaches us important lessons that apply to young people today.

TOPIC 5: Select a major Orthodox feast day and explain why we celebrate it and how participating in this celebration deepens our understanding of Christ and our faith.

Senior Division (grades 10-12)

TOPIC 1: Pick a common icon type that is found in Orthodox churches (for example Christ Pantocrator, Virgin Hodegetria, the Resurrection icon) and explain its meaning and theological significance.

TOPIC 2: Why is the feast of Pentecost important and what does the story of Pentecost teach us about the Holy Spirit?

TOPIC 3: Saint John frequently contrasts light and darkness in his Gospel and letters. Choose one of his teachings about light (such as “God is light” or Christ as “the light of the world”) and discuss how this imagery helps us understand our Christian calling and witness.

TOPIC 4: Throughout history, Orthodox Christians have faced persecution for their faith, from ancient martyrs to modern confessors. How does the witness of martyrs, both ancient and contemporary, strengthen and guide the Church today?

TOPIC 5: Orthodox funeral services speak of death as “falling asleep” and emphasize the hope of resurrection. How does Orthodox teaching about death and eternal life influence how we live and how we care for the dying and grieving?