In the fullness of time, the Supreme Executive Committee rests from its Lenten labors and begins accepting nominations for Lent Madness 2018.
In other words...
Welcome to Nominationtide!
For one full week, Tim and Scott will be accepting nominations for Lent Madness 2018. The nominating period will remain open through the evening of Monday, May 22. At which point the window will unceremoniously slam shut.
Please note that the ONLY way to nominate a saint is to leave a comment in this post. Nominations will not be accepted via social media, e-mail, carrier pigeon, brick through a window at Forward Movement headquarters, singing telegram, sky writer, or giant billboard along I-95. Also, at least officially, bribes are discouraged.
As you discern saints to nominate, please keep in mind that a number of saints are ineligible for next year’s “saintly smackdown.” This includes the entire field of Lent Madness 2017, those saints who made it to the Round of the Elate Eight in 2016 and 2015, and those from the 2014 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.
It takes Herculean amounts of shade grown, single-origin coffee for Tim and Scott to put together the Lent Madness bracket.
Also, note that the saints you nominate should be in the sanctoral calendar of one or more churches. When it comes to nominations, the SEC has seen it all over the years: people who are still alive, people who are not Christians, non-humans, etc. While these folks (and animals) may well be wonderful, they are not eligible for Lent Madness. To reiterate, being DEAD is part of the criteria.
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.
And 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! The 2018 field of 32 awaits your input.
The Saints of Lent Madness 2017 (all ineligible)
Fanny Crosby
G.F. Handel
Sarah
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Joseph Schereschewsky
Nikolaus von Zinzendorf
Scholastica
Macrina the Younger
Amelia Bloomer
Phillip Melanchton
Franz Jagerstatter
Joan of Arc
Martin Luther
David Oakerhater
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Canterbury
Raymond Nonnatus
John of Nepomuk
Odo of Cluny
Theodore the Studite
Florence of Nightingale
Anselm of Canterbury
Henry Budd
Cecilia
Moses the Black
John Wycliffe
Mechtild of Magdeburg
Henry Beard Delaney
Aelred of Riveaulx
Stephen
Alban
Past Golden Halo Winners (ineligible)
George Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Mary Magdalene, Frances Perkins, Charles Wesley, Francis of Assisi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Florence Nightingale
From 2014 to 2016 (ineligible)
Thecla
Bernard Mizecki
Frederick Douglass
Molly Brant
Egeria
Brigid of Kildare
Columba
Albert Schweitzer
Julian of Norwich
Absalom Jones
Sojourner Truth
Constance
Vida Dutton Scudder
Kamehameha
Phillips Brooks
Lydia
Harriet Bedell
After the SEC culls through the hundreds of nominations at their annual spring retreat, the 2018 Bracket will be announced on All Brackets’ Day (November 3rd).
In the meantime, we wish you all a joyous Nominationtide.
527 comments on “Nominationtide Is Here!”
I nominate St. Gregory the Great, a monastic, a deacon, pastor and bishop of the Church of God and patron saint of musicians .
John Wesley
Athanasius
Desmond Tutu
St. Brigid
Bishop Tutu is not dead!
Good thing! 😉
And my husband nominates Sir Thomas More
I nominate Katherine Drexel who used her share of a family fortune to found the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and educate the most neglected children, especially in the US.
Also John Neumann, the "Little Bishop" began the parochial school system in the US, beginning in Philadelphia where he was the Archbishop.
Also Eleanor Roosevelt, a passionate advocate for racial equality in the US and human rights all over the world.
Finally I also nominate Frances Xavier Cabrini who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and many schools.
St Aethelthryth!
Blandina!
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne
St. Margaret of Scotland
Yes! I would love to learn more about the "Pearl of Scotland"!
Thomas Cranmer
Yes please, Thomas Cranmer!
Fr. Mychal Judge ("the saint of 9/11")
And a local (for me) one, which I know makes him a very bad nominee - Fr. Solanus Casey, who was just last week advanced another step in the RC canonization process. He was a member of the Capuchin Friars here in Detroit, and devoted his life to feeding the hungry at the soup kitchen which the friars still operate.
Charles Wesley
Radigund: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radegund
Said to have had a role as an international peace-broker.
Second!
St. Edmund, founder of the Edmundites
James the Brother of our Lord who was martyred, Perpetua who also was martyred
Archbishop Oscar Romero
A HUGE YES
Yes
Another yes!
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
David of Wales
Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Mark the Evangelist
Madeline L'Engle
Pauli Murray!!
yes! Yes! YES! Pauli Murray!
Yes to Pauli!
Ignatius of Antioch- Bishop, Martyr, Apostolic Father!!! 1st Bishop of Antioch (where followers of Jesus were first referred to as "Christians"). Writer of several important Epistles; killed by lions in Rome at the Circus Maximus. He was an old man (70's?- old for those times); he was escorted by a company of soldiers from Antioch to Rome. His letter sent ahead to the Christians in Rome, telling of his longing for Christ and urging them not to interfere with his Martyrdom, is rooted in reality and eternity. His Feast Day is October 17.
St. Joseph of Cupertino is said to have levitated during prayer. He is the patron saint of air travelers, pilots and students.
'-St. Bonaventure (Aquinas of the Franciscan order, beautiful theology)
-Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (cool name, early and influential mystical theologian)
-Sitting Bull and the Martyrs of Wounded Knee (killed for Ghostdancing. Had links to Episcopal Church)
John Vianney, Cur d' Ars, parish priest
John Cassian, monk and theologian
Tertullian
Origen
I nominate Helen Keller.
St. John of Beverly, Bishop of Hexham and York (d. 721). He was known as a scholar, a miracle worker, and a contemplative. Because of one of his miracle stories he later became known as the "patron saint of the deaf and dumb." In his early years John lived at the monastery under Hilda of Whitby. As bishop he ordained the Venerable Bede, who adored John and wrote quite a bit about him. Julian of Norwich was a devotee. She described him as “a kind neighbor of pure knowing.” Henry V attributed his win at the Battle of Agincourt to John. Also, the scholar Alcuin had an extraordinary devotion to John. For a while John of Beverly was considered the greatest of English saints, second only to St. George. I think he would be a great addition to Lent Madness for three reasons: 1) There is a renewed interest these days in the contemplative life which John embodied. 2) It would bring renewed knowledge about one of the great English saints who has unfortunately been largely lost to time. 3) There are lots of fun healing stories about his life and later his relics to spice up your LentMadness narratives.
Pauli Murray
Susanna Wesley, the Mother of Methodism (and NINETEEN children)
I nominate - Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
Saint Mother Theodore was a teacher, a founder, a healer, a pioneer. She was a person of deep faith who led others toward God.
https://spsmw.org/saint-mother-theodore/
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin is a GREAT nominee! To know her is to love her!
Second.
Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary International, the world's first service organization
I nominate Team China: Matteo Ricci, Francis Xavier, Lindel Tsen, Eric Liddell, and Pierre Telihard de Chardin.
St. Katherine Drexel
St. Rita of Cascia
St. Therese of the Little Flower
St. Philomena