Following the heady days of Nominationtide, and the submission of hundreds of saintly nominations from the Lent Madness faithful, the Supreme Executive Committee is pleased to release the highly anticipated 2022 Lent Madness bracket. Following their Spring Retreat, held in a socially-distanced, secure, undisclosed Zoom room, amid the consumption of massive amounts of single origin black coffee, Tim and Scott whittled the field to 32 saints, who will compete for the coveted Golden Halo.
This year’s bracket is broken up into four themed quadrants — Martyrs & Mystics, Theologians & Thinkers, Healers & Helpers, and the ever popular Confusion Corner, which debuted last year. While you may have many favorites among the contestants, there does not appear to be a runaway favorite in this year’s contest. Which means it’s anybody’s bracket to win! Well, you have to be in the bracket. And dead. And a saint…
But enough of this yakking. Let’s get to the 2022 bracket!
As a reminder, or if you’re new to this wacky online devotion, you can learn how it all works by clicking here.
Unlike professional and collegiate sporting events, there is no admission cost for Lent Madness, but souvenirs and study aids are available in the Lentorium. Or they will be — we’ll keep you posted — as even the Supreme Executive Committee is not immune to supply chain issues. This will include The Saintly Scorecard: The Official Guide to Lent Madness 2022 (order as single copies or in discounted 10-packs) and giant Bracket Posters. All of which are AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW! And will ship in January.
The good news is, Scorecards and Posters (did we mention you can pre-order now? Seriously, they always sell out) will be ready in plenty of time for Lent. And if you’re marking your calendar, Lent 
Madness begins on Ash Thursday, March 3.
We’re pleased to welcome eleven “celebrity bloggers” from across the country to write for Lent Madness 2022: the Rev. Amber Belldene of San Francisco, CA; the Rev. Laurie Brock of Lexington, KY; Anna Fitch Courie of Columbia, SC; Dr. David Creech of Moorhead, MN; the Rev. Megan Castellan of Ithaca, NY; Neva Rae Fox of Somerville, NJ; the Rev. David Hansen of Woodlands, TX; Emily McFarlan Miller of Chicago, IL; Miriam McKenney of Cincinnati, OH; the Rev. David Sibley of Walla Walla, WA, and the Rev. Eva Suarez of New York, NY. Information about each of the celebrity bloggers and the rest of the team is available on the Lent Madness website.
In the meantime, start choosing your favorite saints and…Happy Lent!
Juliana of Liège all the way! Not only because we share a name but also because she championed the Feast of Corpus Christi. If not Juliana, then Mesrop Mashtots, who has the best name ever.
Plus she is from Belgium!
Bishop Holly for the win! Haiti needs something good to happen right about now.
Felix vs. Oscar? Seriously? (No, not seriously.)
Also, the Archangel Gabriel should be disqualified on a technicality. I look forward to voting for the human being who opposes him in any round.
I see your point – he has a halo already. But as he is our patron (St. Gabriel’s, Marion, MA) I am behind him all the way. Who cannot treasure the herald of such great joy?
HI, Sue! I am with you having grown up at St. Gabriel’s!
“For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one, too.”
I sang your comment.
Say hello to Fr. Eric from me!
Yes, Angles are a different order of being than people. Much as I love Gabriel,
I’ll vote for the real person.
Melania vs Hilary? Felix vs Oscar?
You’ve outdone yourselves…gonna be a fascinating Lent!
Nobody has mentioned Aloysius of Gonzaga vs Thomas of Villanova. What, aren’t there any college basketball fans here?
Also, I think I nominated Hugh of Lincoln for years and he was never chosen. Then this year I didn’t — and naturally he was picked! (Or maybe it was Hugh of Cluny, who was picked recently).
Yes! Hugh of Lincoln is finally in the bracket! Go Hugh!
Tried to pre-order a 10 package of booklets and a large bracket poster. The order site would not allow me to do so. What’s up ?
I tried to order a packet of 10 books and had the same experience. The website said, “item removed,” even though I had just tired to order it. Please check software. Thanks!
Should be working now. Sorry for the hiccup. We blame, as with everything, supply chain issues.
Or maybe too much coffee
Go Hugh of Lincoln. Go Hilda of Whitby. There, that’s the end of their chances!
I’m rooting for Teresa of Avila. She’s been here twice before. This might be her year. “Let nothing disturb you”.
I’m with you Jeff! The interior Castle – all the way 😉
I am already rooting for Sor Juana de la Cruz: “poet, dramatist, scholar, and nun, an outstanding writer of the Latin American colonial period and of the Hispanic Baroque.”
My preferred runner up is Kateri Takawitha, the Lily of the Mohawks– because it is so important to relearn the history with Indigenous people at the center. If we find her story disturbing, it is a call for repentance and reorientation!
For those of us Lent Madhatters who are blind it would be good if you could post the bracket in form which voice over computers can read. All I can get is a pdf that says Lent madness bracket.. How about a lit with the pairings indicated. Tom Van Brunt
Wenceslaus vs Stephen? That will be an earworm all day.
Gosh was I ever happy to get a little LentMadness in my inbox today. I need it!!!!!
Ah, Lydia….
LOVE <3
Everyone who wears shoes should vote for St. Crispin
We few, we happy few! We band of brother.
https://youtu.be/A-yZNMWFqvM
Best version ever.
I’m rooting for the Odd Couple! Even though I can only vote for one, it’ll be touch to decide between Felix and Oscar!
Ah! Clearly I am going to be learning about many heretofore unknown to me saints. Let the blogging begin. And thank you, dear bloggers, for your diligent, and dare I say, saintly, work.
Cecilia, of course, because of the need of more music in our lives!
This is going to be fun! Something to look forward to on this cold November day.
Emma of Hawaii for the win!
My kids are taught by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia here in Nashville, so that’s obviously the default, but this is a difficult bracket. So many holy choices!
Gena, I agree with you and Cecile. We need more music in our lives, and I went to St. Cecilia’s in the 60s. Glad she made it into the bracket! Go SCA!
Loved the fun video of “Lydia” and the Marx Brothers!
Made my day. These are great choices. Makes me look forward to Lent every year!
My experience has been that the mystics are often not represented as well as other nominees in Lent Madness. I hope this is not the case this year. Looking forward to this bracket.
So glad to see Kateri Tekakwitha among the Saints. YEAH, Canada
Melania vs. Hilary? As always, the bracket is full of jokes.
Would expect anything less?
I will vote for Hil[l]ary . . . same as last time.
Poll: how many of the elder saints are at in part imaginary: Hugh of Lincoln, an anti Semitic trope; Wenseslaus, a Christmas carol: Gabriel..
I assume that Tim and Scott are referring to Hugh of Lincoln (c. 1140-1200), Carthusian monk and bishop (who among other things tried to protect Jews from riots), not to the so-called Little Saint Hugh of the blood libel story. And I don’t think that J. M. Neale’s imaginary story of Wenceslas in a carol needs to somehow invalidate the life of the real Wenceslas (907-29). The existence of Gabriel and other angels is of course out of the scope of historical study; I don’t see believing in their existence as a necessity for Christians, but I’m hoping to praise God along with them someday! I think that hearing good stories (both historical and legendary) about the saints – and possibly being inspired to good in our own lives – is the purpose of Lent Madness. Let’s enjoy the stories!
wikipedia: Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav) c. 911 – September 28, 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935. His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder. His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known “Good King Wenceslas”, a carol for Saint Stephen’s Day.
Maybe for 2023…St. Pauli Murray!?
I would back that choice! Is PM on a calendar of saints, though?
Yes, she is listed on July 1 in Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018.
Here is a link to download the reference book:
https://extranet.generalconvention.org/staff/files/download/27226
Yayy! Dr. Jose [Gregorio] Hernandez is in!
I’ll vote for Gabriel/Gabriella!
She/he did some heavy lifting!
St. Stephen’s and St. Kateri’s are two of the churches in Santa Clarita, CA (one Episcopal, one Catholic). Let the crosstown rivalry commence.
So excited.
While I am sad that the blessed St. Edmund of East Anglia has been overlooked again, I look forward to a fascinating Lent Madness and the many saints with whom I am not familiar. Let the bracket begin!
Everyone is missing the Real Story! Did you notice that Forward Movement has completed a leveraged buyout of #AdventWord. That means Forward Movement has control of fasting, penitence, and amendment of life within The Episcopal Church.
Next we will have to start paying indulgences to the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn.
Sin and amendment of life is something there will never be a shortage of in this life. Forward Movement knew where to invest
Upon whose sartorial calendar is Origen listed? From what I remember of history his bones were exhumed an burned as a heretic for not including the Holy Spirit among the Persons of the Godhead. This is not to say he was not a hugely influential early theologian, but I thought Lent Madness had standards. I mean if Origen can get on why not Mr. Rogers?
Well, if Origen can’t catch a break, then William Ellery Channing has no hope: he denied the Trinity altogether.
I would vote for Fred Rogers. 🙂
I was in Memphis this summer and remembered the “Constance would go” write-up from the last time she appeared. Her selfless choices and love of the most vulnerable made a big impression on me. Constance for the Golden Halo!
Just out of curiosity — Gabriel the Archangel??? I thought the saints we e going to consider had to be dead. And when did we start canonizing angels?
Hilda of Whitby, who, when she wasn’t hosting the Councils of the Church, and keeping order among both female and male embers of religious orders, discerned the gifts of the first English poet, Caedmon, and called him from the cowshed to begin a literary legacy.
My inbox is swapped with comments ! Need to stop receiving comments !
Thanks
If “Oscar” is Oscar Romero I’m rooting for him all the way. I’ve been to the chapel where he was murdered and it was a profound experience.
Excited. This is as good if not better than the count down to Christmas.
We have to give the Golden Halo to Mesrop Mashtots. I mean simply because of the guy’s name. The poor kid had to have been a martyr to that name! Poor dude was a nerd too.