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Austria: The children of the Parish School in Bischofshofen were awarded at the end of the catechetical programtranslated

July 1, 2026 · 1 min read

The children of the "Saint Pious Stelian" Parish School in Bischofshofen, Austria, were awarded on Sunday at the end of this year's catechetical program.

The awards ceremony took place after the Holy Liturgy and was an opportunity to give thanks for the four years of activity of the "St. Cuvios Stelian" Parish School, held in the Romanian community near Salzburg.

In the message addressed to the children and believers, parish priest Liviu-Paul Ghioc highlighted the involvement of students in the activities of the parochial school and their participation in the National Catechetical Competition of the Romanian Patriarchate.

"It was a moment of joy and gratitude, in which I thanked God for these wonderful children, for their effort, for their love for the Church, for their desire to learn and preserve the Orthodox faith and Romanian traditions."

"We sincerely thank the parents who support them, bring them to church and help them grow close to God, the Church and the Christian values of our nation," the priest said.

Anniversary moment At the same time, the community prepared a surprise for the parish priest on the occasion of the celebration of his name...

Source: Агентство Basilica (română) · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (8) 🌐 Show original

Григорий Голубев

In Krasnodar, too, at our school of baptized children, we look at these competitions. Thank God that in Austria they do not forget about traditions. How do you arrange them in Bishofshofen - according to what criteria?

Xenia Wilson

Good to hear the school’s been going four years strong like ours. How do they decide the winners in the Patriarchate’s competition—is it based on essays or church participation?

Валентина Соловьёва

Here in Bishofshofen, children prepare small performances for the competition: they tell the life of a saint, sing a troparion and draw an icon. The criteria are simple - diligence, knowledge by heart and how sincerely they do it. In Krasnodar, on what topics do children most often speak?

Helen Anderson

Our parish school here in Boston just hit its third year, so it's nice to see another one making it to four. From what I've read, the national contest mixes written essays on the assigned theme with how much the kids actually show up for services and help out around the church. Do your kids enter every year?

Mary Thomas

Our little group in Sydney only runs a simple Sunday class, nothing as organised as yours or the one in Austria, but we do encourage the children to help with small jobs around the church hall after Liturgy. Do the Boston kids get a set theme each year for their essays, or is it more open?

Галина Беляева

In Krasnodar, we most often take the lives of Russian saints or holidays of the church year. Children also talk, sing and sometimes show crafts, but the emphasis is on everything being in their own words and not a memorized text. How often do you change saints in Bishofshofen for preparation?

Photini Miller

Our Sydney group sounds a lot like ours here in Bischofshofen, Mary – we keep it fairly simple too, with the children taking turns helping tidy the hall or set out books after Liturgy. The Boston parish usually picks one set theme each year for the essays; last year it was “How St. John the Baptist Prepares Us for Christ,” which the kids really got into. Do your little ones ever write anything short themselves, or is it mostly the helping-out side?

Emily Clark

Our parish in Dallas wrapped up its fifth year last spring, and yes, our kids have entered the national contest every time since we started. The set theme definitely pushes them to dig into the Scriptures more than they would on their own. Do the Boston families usually turn out in full for the award ceremony, or is it mostly just the children who show up?