Well, friends, with the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another action-packed episode of Monday Madness! This week Tim and Scott toss viewers a Hail Mary by explaining why it’s okay to play Lent Madness during the somber season of Lent. They also answer a “viewer” question about how they make a living doing this (spoiler alert: they’re never retiring). And of course, there’s plenty of time for shameless promotion of the Lentorium.
Happy All Brackets’ Day!
After the heady days of Nominationtide, and the submission of hundreds and hundreds of saintly nominations, the Supreme Executive Committee is pleased to release the highly anticipated 2020 Lent Madness bracket. Following their Spring Retreat, held in a secure, undisclosed coffee shop where Herculean amounts of single origin coffee was consumed, the SEC whittled down the field to 32 saints who will compete for the coveted Golden Halo.
This year, All Brackets’ Day just happens to fall, appropriately enough, on All Saints’ Sunday. Which means that people everywhere will have something to talk about at coffee hour, besides critiquing the preacher’s sermon. Let the bracketological conversations, feuds, and smack-talk ensue!
All Brackets’ Day also completes the Autumn Triduum (which will surely appear in subsequent Prayer Book revisions) consisting of All Saints’ Day (November 1), All Souls’ Day (November 2), and All Brackets’ Day (November 3).
But enough of this preamble. Let’s get to the 2020 bracket!
Nominationtide has Arrived!
Welcome to Nominationtide!
For one full week, the Supreme Executive Committee will be accepting nominations for Lent Madness 2020. The nominating period will remain open through next Thursday morning, May 30, at which point this brief exercise in Lenten democracy will be unceremoniously snuffed out.
To insure your successful nomination, please note the Nominationtide Rules & Regulations:
- The nominee must, in fact, be dead.
- The nominee must be on the official calendar of saintly commemorations of some church.
- We will accept only one nominee per person.
- You must tell us WHY you are nominating your saint.
- The ONLY way to nominate a saint will be to leave a comment on this post.
- That means comments left on Facebook, Twitter, or attached to a brick and thrown through the window at Forward Movement headquarters, don’t count.
As you discern saints to nominate, please keep in mind that a number of saints are ineligible for next year’s “saintly smackdown.” Based on longstanding tradition, this includes the entire field of Lent Madness 2019, those saints who made it to the Round of the Elate Eight in 2018 and 2017, and those from the 2016 Faithful Four.
Needless to say Jesus, Mary, Tim, Scott, and previous Golden Halo Winners are also ineligible. Below is a comprehensive list of ineligible saints. Please keep this in mind as you submit your nominations. Do not waste your precious nomination on an ineligible saint!
The Saints of Lent Madness 2019 (all ineligible)
Nicholas of Myra
Rudolph of Gubbio
Paula of Rome
Marcella of Rome
Pandita Ramabai
Damien of Molokai
Photini
Ananais
Zenaida
Apollonia
Gobnait
Hrostsvitha
Marguerite d’Youville
Phillips Brooks
Tabitha
Dismas
Ephrem of Nisibis
Mellitus
Marina the Monk
Dominic
Richard Allen
Hanna Grier Coome
Nicodemus
James the Greater
John Chrysostom
Margaret of Cortona
Ignatius of Loyola
Tikhon of Zadonsk
William Wilberforce
Agatha Lin Zhao
Mary of Bethany
Past Golden Halo Winners (ineligible)
George Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Mary Magdalene, Frances Perkins, Charles Wesley, Francis of Assisi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Florence Nightingale, Anna Alexander, Martha of Bethany
From 2016 to 2018 (ineligible)
Constance
Julian of Norwich
Sojourner Truth
Eglantyne Jebb
Martin de Porres
Maria Skobtsova
Phocas the Gardener
Richard Hooker
Peter
Esther
Stephen
Franz Jagerstatter
Amelia Bloomer
Augustine of Canterbury
Mechtild
Raymond Nonnatus
Martin Luther
As you contemplate your nomination, you may want to take a moment to visit the Lentorium and order your very own Martha of Bethany mug. The 2019 Golden Halo winner will surely assist you in your deliberations.
And now…Let the Nominations for Lent Madness 2020 start rolling in!
Martha of Bethany Wins 2019 Golden Halo!
The Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness congratulates Martha of Bethany for winning the 2019 Golden Halo. Martha became the 10th saint to wear the golden crown by defeating the inspiring runner up Pandita Ramabai. She joins previous Golden Halo winners George Herbert (2010), C.S. Lewis (2011), Mary Magdalene (2012), Frances Perkins (2013), Charles Wesley (2014), Francis of Assisi (2015), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2016), Florence Nightingale (2017), and Anna Alexander (2018).
To help celebrate Martha’s victory, we’ve invited the creative geniuses who have shared their talents throughout this holy season to honor the Golden Halo winner. We’re delighted they answered the call!
For the Golden Halo: Martha of Bethany vs. Pandita Ramabai
Well, friends, we set out upon this Lent Madness journey over five weeks ago on “Ash Thursday.” With your help we have narrowed the field of 32 saints down to just two: Martha of Bethany and Pandita Ramabai (who defeated Zenaida 61% to 39% yesterday). Who will win the coveted Golden Halo of Lent Madness 2019? Only 24 hours and your voting participation will reveal this holy mystery.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome, we’ve met some truly remarkable saintly folks along the way. Perhaps you learned about some saints you’d never heard of or maybe you renewed acquaintances with saints who have long offered inspiration. Of course the entire notion of placing saints in a bracket is absurd — each “contestant” has already earned a crown of righteousness in addition to a “golden halo.” But at the heart of Lent Madness is the abiding conviction that encountering those who have come before us in the faith enriches and enlivens our own walk with the risen Christ.
In the process of this whimsical Lenten devotion we’ve all made some new online friends, encountered a community of believers who take their faith but not themselves too seriously, learned a few things, were inspired by saintly witnesses, and had a lot fun along the way.
Of course we literally couldn’t have done this without our stellar Celebrity Bloggers to whom we offer sincere gratitude: Amber Belldene, Laurie Brock, Megan Castellan, Anna Fitch Courie, David Creech, Marcus Halley, David Hansen, Carol Howard Meritt, Emily McFarlan Miller, and David Sibley. Thanks to Bracket Czar Adam Thomas for his unsung behind-the-scenes work in keeping the bracket updated daily — in his inimitable style. You all rock! And we’re all grateful for your good writing, good humor, and adhering to most, if not all, of the SEC-imposed deadlines.
Free Mug Winners!
Last week, the Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness announced that we would be giving away three free mugs featuring 2013 Golden Halo winner Frances Perkins. These are precious collectors’ items, and it’s possible the winners will sell their mugs for a golden fortune. To enter, people were invited to like and share a post on the Forward Movement Facebook page, and the winner was chosen randomly.
We are pleased to announce that the three winners are Christine Mills, Michelle Crull, and Susan D. Amussen! Soon they’ll be enjoying their coffee (which some have called “satan’s drink”) or tea out of rare, union-made mugs.
Speaking of collectors’ items, if you want to get an early start on expanding your own collection, it’s not too early to pre-order your 2019 Golden Halo winner Lent Madness mug. It will feature the winner of this season’s epic competition, the tenth anniversary year and first-ever all-woman Faithful Four. Be the envy of your friends as you enjoy your favorite warm beverage later this spring or early summer, when the all-new mug ships. It will feature Martha, Pandita, or Zenaida.
