GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA 8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10021 Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215 Web: http://www.goarch.org Email: communications@goarch.org
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 18, 2007
Contact: Anton C. Vrame Ph.D Tel: 800 566-1088 FAX 617 850-1489 E-mail: tvrame@goarch.org
24th NATIONAL ORATORICAL FESTIVAL HOSTED BY ATLANTA METROPOLIS
Months of planning culminated on June 16th when the 24th Annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival was held at St. Sophia Cathedral in Miami, Florida. The work of the host committee, headed by Very Rev. Stavroforos Mamaies, Mrs. Evangeline Mekras Scurtis and Dr. Elaine Lailas produced a memorable weekend.
The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, a program of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese encourages and motivates teenagers to speak about their faith and, at the same time, develop their communication skills. Although Fr. John and Presvytera Margaret Orfanakos serve as Archdiocese Co-Chairmen, there are countless others whose efforts each year enable the Oratorical Festival to flourish.
The finalists and their families arrived on Friday, June 15 and stayed at the InterContinental Hotel located at Bayside Park in Miami. The official gathering began that evening with a Paraklesis at St. Sophia Cathedral where Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta and Fr. Stavroforos Mamaies, Dean of the Cathedral, welcomed the finalists and their families. Following the welcome dinner everyone was given the opportunity to get acquainted with one another, before returning to the hotel for a good nightâ??s rest.
After Orthros on Saturday morning and the opening prayer by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and welcome greetings from Very Rev. Stavroforos Mamaies and Religious Education Department Director Dr. Anton Vrame, previous Oratorical Festival Metropolis and District finalists took turns introducing each speaker who subsequently took his/her turn at the podium. The theme for the 2007 Oratorical Festival was â??The Menaia.â?? One of the most popular topics in the Junior Division was: St. Katherine is remembered by the Church as being a defender of the Faith and Martyr. Her Apolytikion reads, â??For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.â?? How does the life of Saint Katherine inspire you?
One of the topics in the Senior Division topics was: â??There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the lightâ?? (John 1: 6-8). Talk about how, through his life and through his actions, St. John the Baptist bore witness to the Light, Jesus Christ.
After a delicious luncheon, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios presented awards to all eighteen finalists. Beginning with the Junior Division, first place honors and a $2000 college scholarship was awarded to Stephanie Gergoudis (Direct Archdiocesan District, St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, NY), second place and a $1500 college scholarship was presented to Angelique Boutzoukas (Atlanta Metropolis, Holy Trinity Church, Clearwater, FL) and third place with a $1000 college scholarship was awarded to Alexander Sotiropoulos, (Chicago Metropolis, St. Spyridon Church, Palos Heights, IL). Receiving the rank of Honorable Mention and a $500 US Savings Bond were: John Damianos, (Boston Metropolis, St. Nicholas Church, Portsmouth, NH); Alex Magerko (Denver Metropolis, St. Catherine Church, Greenwood Village, CO), Irina Haralambis (Detroit Metropolis, St. George Church, Southgate, MI) Cristina Dickos, (Pittsburgh Metropolis, Annunciation Church, Akron, OH) and Haroula Kyriacou (Metropolis of San Francisco, St. Nicholas Church, Northridge, CA).
The Senior Division recipient of first place honors and a $2000 college scholarship was Mark Huggins (Detroit Metropolis, Annunciation Church, Memphis, TN) Asimina Boutzoukas (Atlanta Metropolis, Holy Trinity Church, Clearwater, FL) was awarded second place honors and a $1500 college scholarship, and receiving third place honors and a $1000 college scholarship was Miltiadis Constantine (Pittsburgh Metropolis, St. John the Forerunner Church, Youngstown, OH). The Honorable Mention recipients receiving a $500 US Savings Bond in the Senior Division were: Evelyn Doudalis (Direct Archdiocesan District, St. Paul Cathedral, Hempstead, NY), Christina Mitkonis (Boston Metropolis, St. Spyridon Cathedral, Worcester, MA), Katerina Rallis, (Chicago Metropolis, St. John the Baptist Church, Des Plains IL), Dallas Holbeck (Denver Metropolis, Prophet Elias Church, Holladay, UT) Kyra Limberakis (New Jersey Metropolis St. Luke Church, Broomall, PA) and Caroline Youlios (San Francisco Metropolis, St. Nicholas Church, Northridge, CA). All the participants also received a plaque honoring their achievements along with a certificate personally signed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios.
After all the finalists received their awards, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios spoke about the exceptional quality of all the speeches. In a surprise announcement His Eminence said each participant would receive a cash award from FAITH: An Endowment For Orthodoxy and Hellenism. The two first place speakers would each receive $2000; the second place finalists would each receive $1500, the third place speakers in each division would be awarded $1200 and each finalist who received a rank of Honorable Mention would receive $1000. The participants were extremely grateful to His Eminence for the generous award, whereby he added he hoped they would use it towards pursuing academic studies.
The next event planned by the host committee was a boat tour of Miami where one could view the beautiful city skyline, historic homes and the magnificent palm trees of Miami. The participants and their families then enjoyed a â??Celebration Partyâ?? at Villa Woodbine, hosted by John and Evangeline Scurtis.
An inspiring Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Sunday morning at the St. Sophia Cathedral. After the Liturgy, Archbishop Demetrios invited Stephanie Gergoudis and Mark Huggins to deliver their first place talks to the congregation. Before departing for home everyone was treated to a delicious farewell luncheon, where final goodbyes were exchanged. At neighboring St. Andrew Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios invited Asimina and Angelique Boutzoukas, the Second Place speakers to deliver their talks.
Anyone interested in listening to the speeches may do so, by going to the Web-site of the Orthodox Christian Network at: www.receive.org. Once you hear these finalists, you will understand why so many faithful are enthusiastic and committed to the Saint John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
While the 2007 Oratorical Festival year concludes with the Archdiocese Finals, planning for 2008 has already begun. It is important to note that the encouragement for the children to participate in the Oratorical Festival is at the parish level. All teenagers should be encouraged to participate as part of the parish religious education and youth ministry programs. The 2008 Topics will be posted by the Department of Religious Education on its website at www.religioused.goarch.org by September. This year 204 parishes throughout the Archdiocese held a parish Oratorical Festival; thirty-eight being from the Metropolis of Atlanta. Our prayer is that many more will participate next year.