The Lent Madness Supreme Executive Committee congratulates Francis of Assisi on his victory in Lent Madness 2015. With over 8,200 votes cast, Francis and Brigid of Kildare staged an epic neck-and-neck race throughout the day, fueling saintly passions across the globe. The SEC has certified the election (after having to zap some votes from several over-voters). In the end, rest assured that the result was close but clean.
To honor this achievement we have taken the liberty of rewriting his famous Canticle of the Sun. We suggest this be used in every Easter Day liturgy -- either in the context of the sermon or as a communion anthem.
Canticle of the Sun
(Golden Halo Edition)
Most high, all powerful, all good SEC!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.
To you, alone, Tim and Scott, do they belong.
With a few Celebrity Bloggers thrown in.
Since we don’t pay them much. Mostly free mugs.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your voters,
especially through my Brother Oliver,
who once was seven but now is eight.
His voting touch has been a thing of beauty!
Be praised, my SEC, through Sister Brigid;
in the heavens you have made her bright, precious, and beautiful.
Though not victorious. I might add.
Oh, she of the “Silver” Halo.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Facebook and Twitter,
through which you give your creatures sustenance
and a venue for holy trash talking.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Bracket;
the large poster-sized one that is useful and understated
and holds the place of honor in every church parish hall.
Be praised, my SEC, through Brother Kitsch,
through whom you brighten the night
with glow in the dark statues of the Virgin Mary,
who, by the way, will never be put in the bracket.
Be praised, my SEC, through Sister Golden Halo,
who shines brightly and emits such a blinding aura
that we are unworthy to look her way
for by you, SEC, with the help of the Lent Madness voting public
does she crown the head of victory.
Praise and bless the SEC, and give thanks,
for they serve with such unsurpassed humility.
But wait, there’s more!
Commemorate this great moment in church history by purchasing your very own Francis of Assisi mug. It features Francis with the words “2015 Golden Halo Winner” and “Lent Madness.” This is the perfect gift for every Lent Madness voter, every saint lover...or really anyone who drinks liquid in any form. For that matter, you can always use this mug as a birdbath. The Francis of Assisi Golden Halo Winner Lent Madness 2015 mug is white ceramic, ready to hold 11 ounces of your favorite beverage or something for the birds. Pre-order yours now for just $11. Buy five or more for just $9 each. They’ll ship soon! Buy now!
BRIGID FANS: Your pleas have been heard by the SEC. Due to the exceedingly close nature 
of the competition for the Golden Halo, we are awarding the first ever Silver Halo to Brigid of Kildare. Stay tuned for your chance to own a Lent Madness Brigid-inspired pint glass. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, because we'll announce when the Brigid pint glass is available in the Lentorium. It should be sometime in the next few days.
For now, have yourself a blessed Holy Week and joyful Easter. You've earned it!
108 comments on “Congratulations to 2015 Golden Halo Winner -- Francis of Assisi”
I see the countdown clock has been reset already. You guys.....
(Thrilled to see my man Francis with the Golden Halo. Loved your Canticle of Lent Madness, too; fantastic work!)
Thank you for a great series!
Could King Kamehameha get a bronze? Everyone in the Pineapple Underground was pulling for him.
I so wanted a St. Brigid coffee mug. Will offer the lack of one in my cupboard up as another Lenten sacrifice I guess. Put me down for a pint glass instead.
The Silver Halo is a GREAT addition and I would respectfully beckon the SEC to consider a bronze halo for King Kamehameha! Well done SEC. A WONDERFUL Lenten Spiritual Formation Event. It gets better ever year!
Thank you SEC for Lent Madness! I'm so happy that St. Francis won the Golden Halo this year but I think this drawing of him looks quite a bit like Bette Davis. Am I seeing things?!
We narrowed it down this year to two of the biggest personalities ever.
Of all the saints of all times and places, there simply is not one who can come close to the beautiful loving Francis of Assisi. He can actually claim to be "more popular than Jesus now!" Even Atheists can't bring themselves to attack Francis.
However.
When visiting Ireland, land of some of my ancestors, the spiritual dimension of the land was a constant, palpable presence. Holy wells were not merely places of idle superstition, but places of devotion — thin places.
Brigid (Brig) is a figure that predates Christianity. As such the figure of Saint Brigid can be said to be even bigger than your garden variety saint (we have his statue in our garden too). Also, as a mother who literally invented keening for a lost loved one, she is in a very special category indeed.
Learn more (and it’s really fascinating) at
http://celticmythpodshow.com/blog/brighid-what-do-we-really-know-by-francine-nicholson/
I can't believe that Lent Madness, 2015, is now history. I was rooting for Francis from the start. Can hardly wait for Lent Madness 2016. Happy Easter everyone!
Now all we need is a 50 Days Madness and a Pentecost Madness and an Ordinary Time Madness ... And ...and ...
Thanks, folks. It has been so swell.
What fun this has been - I'm sad to see it over! But I'm looking forward to the chance for a St. Brigid pint glass (in which one could drink milk or iced tea - I'm sure not everyone's a craft beer enthusiast such as myself). Thanks to all the amazing writers and wonderful, thoughtful commenters!
Woohoo! A Brigid glass would be great to help comfort the loss. Congratulations St. Francis. Until next year, cheers!
Wait, does this mean the ballot stuffing incident WASN’T just a cruel April Fool’s prank?!? Then it must have been a, a, uh, let’s see, a conspiracy, yeah, that’s it! Evil Franciscans voted early and often to get our hopes to soar, only to be dashed upon rocks populated by ravenous seals! I mean, what else could it possibly be? Unless those wacky Episcopalians had a hand in it. Gasp! The conspiracy goes deeper than I thought! See you next year! : )
Since I live in a garden-less apartment, my Saint Francis statue is on my desk in my bedroom. Now I'll have to make him a golden halo. Also I plan to order both a pint glass & a mug and drink iced coffee out of both.
And I second the recommendation for Emmegahbowh+ to be in next year's bracket.
Thank you again SEC for giving us all an added dimension to our Lenten journey. As always, we are grateful and thankful for your insightful endeavor. Already looking forward to next year. Blessings and good wishes from St. Luke's, Dallas. And Happy Easter!
Ah, the SEC (blessed are they) excel in wisdom and virtue! What a splendid idea to award a silver halo in such a close contest. And we can get a Francis mug AND a Brigid pint. What joy!
I voted for Francis through all the rounds to the Golden Halo. First time that has ever happened. Now I must go adorn the St. Francis statue with a Golden Halo. Later I'll toast Brigid with a good microbrew.
Thank you for a great Lent Madness! All hail SEC
Kudos for awarding a Silver Halo to the runner-up! Please keep this up in future Lent Madness contests! I had a hard choice with my final vote as I respect or two finalists at equal rate.
Good job all in all. A Happy Easter to you and everybody 🙂
I adore this Lenten Madness... all glory be to the Full Crazy!
Thank you to the SEC, the Celebrity Bloggers, commentators, voters and all the Saints! I have learned so much. This has been a wonderful journey! Have a Happy and Blessed Easter! See you all next year!
This was my first Lent Madness and will eagerly be awaiting the next Lent Madness. Was pulling for Brigid as my Great Grandmother was from County Cork and I have a fondness for things Irish. A Brigid pint glass is a must have for me! Maybe two! No coffee mug for me!
Thanks for the fun and for the opportunity for reflection. Happy Easter.
Oh, my goodness! Who would have ever thought I would be sorry to see the end of Lent. You guys do a great job and have made my Lent more meaningful. Thank you, and my absolute favorite Celebrity Blogger, David Sibley. He's one of my "kids" and I am so proud of him - from his beautifully written collects, to his saving the Crash Day. Have a blessed Easter, all of you.
I love the Brigid pint glass! I totally think she should have a column of fire above her head, though, with the halo around it. 😉