Nominations for next year’s field of 32 saints are now being accepted by the Supreme Executive Committee. Yes, for the next week we invite you to revel in the joyful, anticipatory Season of Nominationtide.
But before we get to the main attraction, we encourage you to visit the Lentorium. You can prove your love for Lent Madness by loading up on Lent Madness merchandise, including the ubiquitous Lent Madness mug featuring 2015 Golden Halo winner Francis of Assisi, the novel pint glass featuring Silver Halo winner Brigid of Kildare, or the de rigeur purple Lent Madness t-shirt.
And now, on to the main event: the call for nominations for Lent Madness 2016!
As always, we seek to put together a balanced bracket of saints ancient and modern, Biblical and ecclesiastical representing the breadth and diversity of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Inevitably, some will disagree with certain match-ups or be disappointed that their favorite saint didn’t end up in the official bracket. If you find yourself muttering invective against the SEC, we implore you to take a deep cleansing breath. Remember, there’s always Lent Madness 2034.
While the SEC remains responsible for the formation of the final bracket, we encourage your participation in the nominating process. As in past years, we might even listen to some of your suggestions.
As you discern saints to nominate, please keep in mind that a number of saints are ineligible for next year’s “saintly smack down.” This includes previous Golden Halo winners, the entire field of Lent Madness 2015, those saints who made it to the Round of the Elate Eight in 2014 and 2013, and those from the 2012 Faithful Four. Here is a comprehensive list of ineligible saints. Please keep this in mind as you submit your nominations — which you can do ONLY by leaving a comment on this post. Did we mention that the only way to make a nomination for Lent Madness 2016 is to leave a comment on this post?
Also, please note that the saints you nominate should be in the sanctoral calendar of one or more churches. We’re open minded. To a point.
Remember that when it comes to saints in Lent Madness, many are called yet few are chosen (by the SEC). So leave a comment below with your (eligible) nomination!
Past Golden Halo Winners (ineligible)
George Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Mary Magdalene, Frances Perkins, Charles Wesley, Francis of Assisi
The Field from 2015 (all ineligible)
Gregory the Illuminator
Brendan the Navigator
John Keble
Thecla
Francis of Assisi
John Wycliffe
Balthazar
Cecilia
Bernard Mizecki
Margaret of Antioch
Margery Kempe
Jackson Kemper
Bede
Cuthbert
Molly Brant
Swithun
Hadewijch
Juan Diego
Dorcas
Frederick Douglass
Egeria
Hildegard
Barbara
Thomas Ken
Dionysius the Great
Irene the Great
Brigid of Kildare
Elizabeth
William Laud
Kamehameha
Teresa of Avila
David Oakerhater
From 2012 — 2014 (ineligible)
Basil the Great
Lydia
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Bedell
Anna Cooper
Phillips Brooks
Julia Chester Emery
Jonathan Daniels
Hilda of Whitby
Luke
Dorothy Day
Li-Tim Oi
Oscar Romero
Emma of Hawaii
Margaret of Scotland
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
After a mysterious process of bracket discernment at the upcoming SEC Retreat, the 2016 Bracket will be released on All Brackets Day, November 3, 2015. You have until Ascension Thursday, May 14, to make your nomination. In other words, your time is up when Jesus goes up.
For now, we wish you a joyous Nominationtide.
Update:
Thanks for your nominations! Nominations for Lent Madness 2016 are now closed. But stay tuned - All Brackets Day, and the grand unveiling of next year's bracket - is November 3.
443 comments on “Accepting Nominations!”
Lady Julian of Norwich. "All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well."
Ignatius of Loyola. "Teach us to give and not to count the cost."
Sure winners!
I nominate John Muir. "that generations to come may also lie down to rest among the pines and rise refreshed for their work.."
Benedict Joseph Labre
St. Vincent de Paul
Catherine McAuley
Raymond Nonnatus
Julie Billiard
Thea Bowman
St. Martin de Porres
Damien of Molokai - from Belgium to Hawaii to leper colony to death from leprosy to canonization by the Roman church in 2009
Just ran across a couple of saints from the Celtic tradition that I'd like to nominate:
St. Canaire
St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
Saint Guinefort, the holy greyhound
I nominate Jonathan Myrick Daniels (March 20, 1939 – August 20, 1965) who was an Episcopal seminarian and civil rights activist. He was murdered in Hayneville, Alabama, when he saved a young woman activist, while they were working on the Civil Rights Movement in Lowndes County. His death generated support for the Civil Rights Movement. In 1991, Daniels was designated as a martyr in the Episcopal church and is recognized annually on August 14.[1][2] He is memorialized in the Civil Rights Movement and other venues
I'd like to see St. Hilary on the list for next year. I was pleasantly surprised to see how far Kamehameha IV made it this year . Coming from Hawaii it was great to see someone we learned about in 4th grade history considered a "saint". This also includes Emma from a previous year. Mahalo.
And a number of us have nominated a person who, while originating elsewhere, is strongly associated with Hawaii, Father Damian of Molokai.
St. Hilary..........Booker T Washington
Apparently two Saints I have worked with want back in the game. Therefore, I wish to Nominate Thomas Cranmer and St. John Chrysostom!
Yes! But I suppose that would disqualify them from providing the commentary...?
Can't wait Lent to begin again. I nominate St. Jude.
I nominate... Jeanne Marie Gunyon
French
Laity
Contemplative
Courageous
Roman Catholic
Persecuted
Prolific writer still in print
I would offer two very different possibilities for the 2016 brackets: Brother Lawrence and/or Fyodor Dostoevsky. Let the smackdown begin!
The Left Coast is grossly underrepresented. I suggest Cesar Chavez, leader of farm workers. And there is Fr. Junipero Serra, currently proposed by Pope Francis for sainthood, but who has become a controversial figure, despite his establishment of missions all along the California coast.
I nominate St. Dunstan.
St anthony of padua
I nominate the Bishop John Melville Burgess.
John Mason Neale and Catherine Winkworth, hymn translators
I second St.anthony of Padua, finder of lost objects. I also nominate St. Martin De Porres, saint of the new world, biracial and champion of the poor in Peru, and St. Louise de Merillac, patron of social workers.
I nominate St Expeditus -- a saint for busy people want things done now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expeditus
As a graduate of St. Andrews University (Scotland County, NC!), got to go with St. Andrew. And I don't know if he's eligible, but George Fox? Best friend is Quaker and the pacifist ways have had a great influence on me.
I nominate St. Hilary!
My nomination is St. Hilary.
St. Alban
St. Herman of Alaska
I would like to suggest Henry David Thoreau - not a church man I know but his writings on civil disobedience inspired a lot of people and movements to work for justice and freedom. He also wrote about the importance and spirituality of the natural world and in these days of climate change, pollution and general planetary abuse, we could use a little of his wisdom and foresight. We could also use some of his scientific curiosity and persistence in mining for the truth. He may be a hair shirt of a man but perhaps it comes with the saintly territory!
Christina Rossetti
John Donne
Monica
Gregory of Nazanius
Augustine
Thomas Aquinas
As a chaplain who works with oncology patients, I would like to nominate St. Peregrine, one of the truly little known saints, who was healed of cancer himself and is now the patron saint of cancer patients.
I'm glad as well to join in nominating Julian of Norwich. Her words have provided hope and consolation to many of my patients.
And delighted to see that several others are also suggesting Fred Rogers!
I would like to nominate John Woolman, Quaker preacher (1720-1772). He was an early abolitionist and traveled through the frontier areas of British North America advocating against slavery and economic injustice. His journal his been consistently in print since 1774.