By R. Dorothy Poli

During the Festival weekend, the Greek Orthodox national teenage finalists and their families will participate in a program of activities that will be organized by the Cathedral National Oratorical Festival Committee, co-chaired by the Cathedral Dean, Fr. Frank, and Presvytera Haidee Marangos. The program will begin with a Welcome Reception and Dinner at the Cathedral on Friday evening. The Oratorical Festival will be held in the Cathedral on Saturday morning with an Awards Luncheon to follow in the Cathedral ballroom. A tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Byzantine and Greek Galleries is being arranged for Saturday afternoon. A Dinner Dance is planned for Saturday evening at a prominent Manhattan venue. The weekend will come to a close on Sunday with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America. The Festival and Awards Luncheon on Saturday morning/afternoon and the evening dinner are open to all. Tickets for the luncheon and dinner will be sold beginning in May. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be used to fund the many Oratorical Festival expenses and, any excess funds collected, will assist in providing scholarships and savings bonds to the finalists through the Oratorical Festival Scholarship Foundation.

The Festival is named after one of our most honored and beloved Church Fathers and Patriarchs, St. John Chrysostom. As a brilliant orator, he earned the title, Chrysostomos, “golden mouth,” because of his dynamic and bold preaching and eloquent public speaking. With St. John Chrysostom as a model for inspiration, Greek Orthodox teenagers, representing each Archdiocese Metropolis throughout the country, are called to participate in the Oratorical Festival by composing and presenting their oration on a selected topic, chosen from a list of topics pertaining to Orthodoxy. The Oratorical Festival provides teenagers the opportunity to learn, write and speak about their Orthodox Faith, Church and Heritage. This strengthens their understanding and appreciation of their heritage and identity as Greek Orthodox Christians and cultivates their spiritual growth and maturity. The overall program is called an Oratorical Festival rather than a contest to minimize the competitive spirit and emphasize a joyful learning experience.

The Oratorical Festival is sponsored by the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is divided into two teenage divisions: Junior (7 to 9th Grades) and Senior (10 to 12th grades). The program begins at the parish level. The top speakers in each division advance to their District level and, if selected, become one of two finalists in their division to represent their District at their Metropolis Oratorical Festival. The top speaker in each division is then selected to participate in the Archdiocese Finals, which is hosted each year on a rotational basis by any one Metropolis of the nine in the Archdiocese. All 18 finalists at the Archdiocese Finals deliver their speeches on Saturday morning of the Festival weekend. The top three place finalists in each division are awarded scholarships in the amounts of $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. In addition, all other finalists receive a rank of Honorable Mention and are awarded a $500 United States Savings Bond.

The speakers choose their topic from a list developed by the Archdiocese National Festival co-chairpersons in conjunction with the Department of Religious Education. Speakers are encouraged to research their chosen topic from a bibliography of various Orthodox theological books and resources that are provided. They are mentored by volunteers, typically prior speakers or members of their university debate clubs. Judges are also usually chosen from this pool. This year’s topics include: “Present some teachings of the Orthodox Church that support environmental protection and explain how it should be practiced today”; “ What is the Christian understanding of friendship and how do social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace help or hinder true friendship?”; “Explain the meaning of the Icon of the Resurrection where Christ is portrayed as lifting up Adam and Eve”; “Talk about the significance of Psalm 23: The earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness”; “Explain why human virtue is something truly heroic and divine, especially in our days and in our world.”

Individuals wishing to underwrite or donate to the Oratorical Festival weekend expenses and the Oratorical Festival Scholarship Foundation may forward their donations, payable to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, to the attention of: Oratorical Festival, Holy Trinity Cathedral, 319 East 74th Street, New York, NY 10021.

As our youth are the future of Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America, it is imperative to provide for their development in becoming our future representatives. Consequently, encouraging and training them in public speaking skills is important for the many professional paths they will endeavor to pursue and for their future participation in public forums relating to Orthodoxy and Hellenism.

For more information on this year’s Festival, please contact the committee Co-chairs, Fr. Frank or Presvytera Haidee Marangos at 212-288-3215 or visit http://www.thecathedralnyc.org/. For general information on the Festival, please visit http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/religioused/sjcof