The Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness heartily congratulates Florence Nightingale on winning the 2017 Golden Halo!
To celebrate this momentous victory, the SEC has commissioned Lent Madness hymn writer extraordinaire, Sister Diana Doncaster, to pen a hymn for the occasion. Enjoy!
Ode to Flo
Tune: Hymn to Joy, Hymnal ‘82, 376, Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee
Joyful are the ones who voted for our Florence Nightingale.
Joyful more the ones whose lives and health she guarded without fail.
Joyful are the ones who’ve followed in her noble nursing ways.
Joyful we who still are learning how to live strong in our faith.
Florence won the Golden Halo long before Lent Madness came.
Faithful to her call to service, faithful to Christ’s healing grace.
Longed to serve the church, but sent home, went forth into battle’s roar.
So we offer God our praises for such saints who’ve gone before.
Let us join the happy chorus which Lent Madness has inspired,
With the saints who’ve taught us well that lived love is all God requires.
None are perfect, all have struggled, all have learned the ways of Grace.
May we fumble in their footsteps, ‘til we meet Christ face to Face.
What's nearly as important as announcing the Golden Halo winner? Sharing the Lentorium link to the winner's swag! Click here to pre-order your very own Florence Nightingale 2017 Golden Halo Winner mug (stethoscope sold separately).
Blessings to all as we head into the Triduum and enter into the death and resurrection of our Lord. It's been a privilege to have you join us on our Lenten pilgrimage!
150 comments on “Florence Nightingale Wins 2017 Golden Halo!”
Thank you SEC! I can hardly imagine all the work that must go into this madness, but it has touched me deeply the last two years, and I believe that must be true of many others as well. And so much fun!!! I will miss it so much, but look forward to Ash Thursday, 2018. Blessings to you all!
Thank you SEC. I learn so many interesting stories each year during Lent Madness. It's a wonderful experience, and I have been able to pass along this great way to learn about all types of saints to friends and family: "For the saints of God are just folk like me and I mean to be one, too"
Would it be possible to do a covered cup or a water bottle in addition to the mug? For many of my beloved nurse friends,they have to have covered beverages in their places of service like the hospital or clinics. Thank you for such an educational Lent!
This is an excellent idea. We're actually looking into it. Stay tuned after Easter...
Questions for the Supreme Executive Committee:
How do you pick the candidates and their pairings for the chart each year ?'
Why do you include some candidates from previous years ?
How do you go about picking Those ?
How can you so devilishly pick two for a day's voting that make it so hard for us to pick just one ?
As Lent Madness continues thru' the years, do you have replacements picked in case either of you becomes unable to continue your good work ? (I want my descendents to have the privilege of being able to take part in this great earning experience...)
Most Awesome that my Golden Halo pick won!! Florence was a really wonderful smart woman who was so sensible about cleanliness being the key to not getting infections. Such an easy thing to wash your hands. The rest of my bracket was busted except for Florence. This was my first time playing this and it was super fun. Really enjoy the SEC - you guys are so much fun. I am a brand new Christian and am being baptized on Easter Eve - I'm so excited I can barely stand it! Excited for my bracket next year!
Blessings to you Laura, and welcome to the family! See you next year (and don't miss the 50 Days of Fabulous during Eastertide...Laurie Brock and her cohorts do a fabulous job!). Blessings to all for a holy Triduum and a glorious Easter.
Florence looks so sad on her Golden Halo mug! Wish she looked a little happier!
Florence might have been one of those people who constantly had to say, " I AM smiling!"
Thanks to ALL! Including everyone who takes the time to make a comment. I learn so much from you all. Happy Easter!
Another inspiring Lenten Madness Season! I have been especially moved when one commenter says he or she is sick or distressed in some way and subsequent commenters offer consolation or prayers for the distressed one. A real ministry.
Thank you all, dear SEC, fabulous Celebrity Bloggers and all in the Lent Madness Global Viewing Public...it has been a blessing being with you this Lent. See you all next year.
This was my first Lent Madness and I am hooked! What fun to learn about the saintly people of yore.
Thank you for the lessons of life and the spirit. It brings us all closer to each other and God.
Sister Diana, thank you for all the new hymns this Lent.
Wishing you and your Community a Blessed Easter.
This was my first Lent Madness and I really enjoyed it. I picked a lot of winners. I had a really hard time at the end. Even though I voted for Franz, I thought Florence would be great also. Great fun. Thank you.
Congrats Flo! What an educational and fun Lent Madness season it's been. I've learned so much about all these fascinating saints; I feel I know them. Blessed Triduum to one and all. See y'all next year!
It's been a wonderful journey! Thank you to the SEC, the Bracket Czar, wonderful Celebrity Bloggers, Sister Diana, the staff at Forward Movement, the Lent Madness Global Community/Commentariat, and all the saints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJMy9JMxMUc Have a Blessed Holy Week and a Joyous Easter!
Sooooo much fun. I looked forward to each day!! LENT MADDNESS has mojo, y'all have mojo, I've got it too. God Bless and have a wonderful celebration of Jesus resurrection; ❤Easter! So long for now
Thank you again for teaching us about our saints in such a fun way! Just attended the Maundy Thursday Service at Grace Church I Nutley, New Jersey. #watchandpray
And .... today, one of the TV networks here in Australia broadcast "The Lady With a Lamp" (1951) as its lunchtime movie. Coincidence, or .....?
Way to go St. Flo! I would love to be able to show my fellow nurses Flo's latest and GREATEST achievement with a cool water bottle! Thanks to Flo's insights into infection control we can't have open containers on the unit. Thanks to one and all for your passion, creativity and appreciation for all Crazy Christians ( as Michael Curry calls us:) !
This was my third year to enjoy Lent Madness after it was first introduced to our church. I look forward to it every Lent and an disappointed when it ends. Keep educating us and entertaining us. Happy Easter!
Thank you for doing Lentmadness. What a wonderful way to learn about the saints. Can't wait for next years.
Thank you for this new adventure for me, learning about these saints and I am happy these Saints.
I am happy Florence won as I have a sister who is an R.N A granddaughter in law who is a Nurse Practitioner and several nieces who have varying degrees in the nursing profession. I look forward to year 2 for me next Lent.
I love this new hymn and sang it as I read her wonderful words. Keep up this wonderful tradition!
Worthy winner! Nobody I voted for won their bracket this year - new record of picking the losers!
The hymn also goes to the Battle Hymn of the Republic - refrain "Florence won the Golden Halo (x3) we praise God for her faith"?
Philippa
You made me laugh when you wrote of your "new record of picking the losers!" I dared to hope that Moses the Black would go all the way to the Halo, but alas…And even though I voted for Franz in the final battle, I knew he wouldn't win. As a resister of the Nazis, he was just too similar to last year's winner Bonhoeffer. A joyful Easter to you!
Thank you so much to everyone who worked on this Lent Madness-so fun and informative. I'm sorry Stephen didn't make it, but ultimately voted for Florence. A blessed Easter to all and see you next year.
It's early morning, Holy Saturday. I walk the silent, empty halls of Lent Madness. Is anybody here? HELLO…Hello…hello…
I seem to be alone. I will continue to return today, hoping for one last comment.
I cannot yet let the Madness go.
Good morning, Harlie. A blessed Holy Saturday to you. My heart and ears are still ringing with the power of Tenebrae last night, the ancient Psalms, the gathering darkness, the great crashing, dissonant chord that tells of all Creation in grief over the death of Jesus, and the single candle, promising the return of the Light.
Good morning, Diana! So good to hear from you. Cool that you should speak of Tenebrae. We did it for the first time here at our parish. Very powerful. At the end, the Ministers bowed to the altar and left, but the congregation didn't move. They sat there in silence for a surprisingly long time, in prayer and contemplation. I'm guessing we'll do it again next year, eh?
Our normally chatty congregation also stayed in silence, left in silence. There are times when even the most eloquent must fall silent before holy mystery.
There's nothing like good Liturgy. I grew up with the idea that written prayers and ritual were just "empty ceremony", but that's not true, that's not true at all. When Liturgy is done well, with faith, God touches us.
Even when it's poorly done, the Spirit manages to slip in through the cracks if we're willing.
Oh, yes. So what's next for you today (and tonight)? We've got the Great Vigil at 6:30. This year we're doing all nine Lessons (count 'em, nine!), besides the Epistle and Gospel. I think this may be another first for us. AND we'll have large enough congregational candles that we won't have to blow them out after the Exultet. Of course, how we're going to juggle a service bulletin, a hymnal, and a candle remains to be seen, but I think people will like the longer lasting candlelight.
Just home from a GLORIOUS Easter Vigil (only 4 lessons compared to your nine. 9 requires serious stamina and, as you noted, serious candle power. I got to preach, we had a baptism, the choir sang the Beethoven Hallelluia - two services tomorrow after which I will either float off into the skies in sheer bliss or, more likely, come home and take a very long and blissful nap. btw, I bought Franz Jaggerstatter's letters from prison and am finding it rich reading.
Welcome to our household!
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So glad you had a great Easter Vigil. We did too. Sue preached last night as well. Perhaps when we come out to visit in June we can arrange to be there when you preach.
As for the candles, I was a bit worried that it might be awkward holding one and turning pages at the same time, but it worked out fine. Beethoven's Hallelujah I'm not familiar with. Will definitely google it. What's the title for Franz's prison letters? Today Sue has two more service, I have one. Afterwards we're going to an Easter buffet at a local restaurant, and then home for "a very long and blissful nap". We're both retired, so each day of Easter Week we're going to do something celebratory: attend a play, go out to eat, visit a museum, etc. I also bought "A.D. The Bible Continues" for us to watch over the Fifty Days. It didn't get very good reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, but I don't care. I want to see some Jesus Action! Well, I better go have breakfast. I can have sugar in my coffee now, every day!
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia!
Frank Jaggerstatter: Letters and Writings from Prison
Thanks. Just listened to Beethoven's Hallelujah, while eating. Beautiful!
To anyone who may read this, Happy Easter Monday.
The second day of Easter always finds me with mixed feelings. Oddly, I have a slight sense of loss after Holy Week, Easter Eve, and Easter Day has been concluded. For the past week I have spent my evenings at the church, in the company of my fellow believers, reliving those mighty acts of God whereby salvation has come to all people and Heaven and Earth made one. After the joy of Easter Day Mass and the following celebrations, Easter Monday can have a touch of sadness, since there will no longer be that intense nightly spiritual, emotional, and communal experience. Those parishes that have Mass on the days of Easter Week are truly blessed, but most churches don't have the number of clergy required to do this. In the average parish, by the end of Easter Day, the priest(s) and deacon(s) are exhausted and need Easter Week to recover.
But my wife and I have developed ways to "prolong the magic", as it were. Each of the days of Easter Week we worship together using the Propers for Easter Week out of the Book of Common Prayer. The Gospel for each of these days recounts the various appearances of Jesus after his Resurrection. In addition to this liturgical observance, each day we do something celebratory: Go out to eat, attend a play, take a trip to the park, etc. Being retired makes this easy. And when we pray before eating I say "Alleluia, Christ is Risen!" and my wife responds "The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia!"
Throughout the Fifty Days of Easter we strive to maintain that sense of wonder and joy in our Lord' triumph over sin and death. In Christ's Resurrection is our resurrection, in his victory is our victory.
Happy Easter Monday to you, as well and I hope you have a blessed Eastertide!
Thanks, Margaret!
Thank you so much for Lent Madness. I learned a lot form each post. I appreciate the work (and fun) that the two of you put into making it something to look forward to everyday.
I am certainly looking forward to next year and as we will have a new priest I am going to see about drumming up interest to make it a parish endeavor.
Blessings to all who participated!
Congrats to Flo...but what about Franz? My friends and I are waiting to see what swag will be offered featuring this year's Silver halo winner, Franz Jaggerstatter!
Well, I think I may have run out of comments, at least for the time being.
Happy Easter Tuesday, everyone!
I do think our Silver Halo winner deserves a Pint Glass or something. . . .
a Pint Glass sounds like a very suitable commemorative. (chants: Pint!-glass!-Pint!-glass!)