Wow. All this saint stuff sure makes us hungry. Fortunately we have a Celebrity Chef on staff to assist with all your culinary needs. Maria Virginia Ross typically shares a recipe -- and some saintly insights -- on the Saturdays of Lent. You can find her posts on our Facebook page (you HAVE liked the Lent Madness Facebook page, right?). If you pray really hard, perhaps Maria will deliver the savory delight in question to your doorstep. If your prayers are less effective, you may have to actually follow the recipe and make it yourself. Either way, we're pleased to offer this bonus saintly service to the Lent Madness public.

Maria Virginia Ross

Maria Virginia Ross, Lent Madness Celebrity Chef, shares saintly recipes on our Facebook and Twitter pages on the weekends during Lent to help stave off the inevitable Lent Madness Withdrawal. A member of the laity, she attends Church of the Servant Episcopal in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she serves on the Wilmington Faiths Against Gun Violence Team. She also serves on the Blessed Bakers Team taking turns baking Communion Bread for Sunday services and cookies for inner-city youth programs. Maria blogs about Jesus, saints, angels, spiritual journeys, recovery, and food at Saints and Recipes. She’s a retired full-time mom, amateur photographer, beach meanderer, mountain hiker, intuitive empath, hippie, Whovian, and creator of the Bohemian Writers Coffee Club. Maria is writing a book about the Saints. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

1. If you could have dinner with any saint, who would it be and what would you serve? (and, duh, why?)
St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of my birthday and crazy courage. I would serve him whatever I was having for dinner because St. Francis didn’t care about food. He either fasted or ate with great appreciation whatever feast was placed in front of him. Like a Bohemian, he was all craft first. And, while he had many talents, including writing, his craft was following the Way of Jesus Christ at all times and in every situation. For dessert, I would only ever serve him Honey Almond Cookies because those were his favorite, and he’s mine.

2. What hymn would you pay money never to hear again? And which hymn are you convinced is on the play list in heaven?
I can’t remember the names of all those boring, in-one-ear-out-the-other hymns. My favorite hymn is “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light,” by Kathleen Thomerson, Episcopal Hymn 490 After not attending church during my teens and early twenties, I visited an Episcopal church, we sang this song, and that was it. I was in.

3. You're busy during Lent. Why do you make time for the Saintly Smackdown? What do you get out of it personally? 

• It’s fun.
• It’s funny.
• I’m introduced to Holy People I barely, or never, knew existed. Many times this leads me to deeper research and writing for Saints and Recipes.
• Connections are made.
• Miracles happen.