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Happy All Brackets' Day!

After the heady days of Nominationtide, and the submission of hundreds and hundreds of saintly nominations, the Supreme Executive Committee is pleased to release the highly anticipated 2020 Lent Madness bracket. Following their Spring Retreat, held in a secure, undisclosed coffee shop where Herculean amounts of single origin coffee was consumed, the SEC whittled down the field to 32 saints who will compete for the coveted Golden Halo.

This year, All Brackets' Day just happens to fall, appropriately enough, on All Saints' Sunday. Which means that people everywhere will have something to talk about at coffee hour, besides critiquing the preacher's sermon. Let the bracketological conversations, feuds, and smack-talk ensue!

All Brackets' Day also completes the Autumn Triduum (which will surely appear in subsequent Prayer Book revisions) consisting of All Saints' Day (November 1), All Souls' Day (November 2), and All Brackets' Day (November 3).

But enough of this preamble. Let's get to the 2020 bracket!

This year’s saints include heavyweights such as Patrick, Harriet Tubman, Clare of Assisi, Hildegaard of Bingen, Joseph, and Jude, along with many lesser known yet equally inspiring people of faith. Here's the bracket (click for a bigger version).

2020 bracket

As a reminder, or if your new to this wacky online devotion, here’s how Lent Madness works: on the weekdays of Lent, information is posted at www.lentmadness.org about two different saints. Each pairing remains open for 24 hours as participants read about and then vote to determine which saint moves on to the next round. Sixteen saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the Golden Halo.

The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints. Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks, explore legends, and even move into the area of saintly kitsch.

Unlike professional and collegiate sporting events, there is no admission cost for Lent Madness, but souvenirs and study aids are available in the Lentorium. The Saintly Scorecard: The Official Guide to Lent Madness 2020 is now available as are Bracket posters. Although Lent Madness doesn't officially kick off until Ash Thursday, February 27, you're encouraged to order your Lent Madness materials now while supplies last (seriously, we tend to run out of these things in the run-up to Lent). Plus they make AMAZING stocking stuffers. With just 114 shopping days until Ash Thursday, it's not too soon to start loading up!

Twelve “celebrity bloggers” from across the country have been tapped to write for the project: the Rev. Amber Belldene of San Francisco, CA; the Rev. Laurie Brock of Lexington, KY; Anna Fitch Courie of Columbia, SC; Dr. David Creech of Moorhead, MN; the Rev. Megan Castellan of Ithaca, NY; Miguel Escobar of Brooklyn, NY; Neva Rae Fox of Somerville, NJ; the Rev. David Hansen of Woodlands, TX; Carol Howard Merrit of Chattanooga, TN; Emily McFarlan Miller of Chicago, IL; Dr. Sandra Montes of New York, NY; and the Rev. David Sibley of Walla Walla, WA. Information about each of the celebrity bloggers and the rest of the team is available on the Lent Madness website.

As you revel in the joys of All Brackets' Day, join Tim and Scott for a special Facebook Live Bracket Release Party at 8:00 pm EST on the Lent Madness Facebook page. Happy Lent!

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220 comments on “Happy All Brackets' Day!”

  7. I'm rooting for the Odd Couple! Even though I can only vote for one, it'll be touch to decide between Felix and Oscar!

  8. I'm rooting for the Odd Couple! Even though I can only vote for one, it'll be touch to decide between Felix and Oscar!

  9. Ah! Clearly I am going to be learning about many heretofore unknown to me saints. Let the blogging begin. And thank you, dear bloggers, for your diligent, and dare I say, saintly, work.

  10. Ah! Clearly I am going to be learning about many heretofore unknown to me saints. Let the blogging begin. And thank you, dear bloggers, for your diligent, and dare I say, saintly, work.

  13. This is going to be fun! Something to look forward to on this cold November day.
    Emma of Hawaii for the win!

  14. This is going to be fun! Something to look forward to on this cold November day.
    Emma of Hawaii for the win!

  15. My kids are taught by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia here in Nashville, so that’s obviously the default, but this is a difficult bracket. So many holy choices!

    1. Gena, I agree with you and Cecile. We need more music in our lives, and I went to St. Cecilia's in the 60s. Glad she made it into the bracket! Go SCA!

    2. Gena, I agree with you and Cecile. We need more music in our lives, and I went to St. Cecilia's in the 60s. Glad she made it into the bracket! Go SCA!

  16. My kids are taught by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia here in Nashville, so that’s obviously the default, but this is a difficult bracket. So many holy choices!

  17. Loved the fun video of “Lydia” and the Marx Brothers!
    Made my day. These are great choices. Makes me look forward to Lent every year!

  18. Loved the fun video of “Lydia” and the Marx Brothers!
    Made my day. These are great choices. Makes me look forward to Lent every year!

  19. My experience has been that the mystics are often not represented as well as other nominees in Lent Madness. I hope this is not the case this year. Looking forward to this bracket.

  20. My experience has been that the mystics are often not represented as well as other nominees in Lent Madness. I hope this is not the case this year. Looking forward to this bracket.

  25. Poll: how many of the elder saints are at in part imaginary: Hugh of Lincoln, an anti Semitic trope; Wenseslaus, a Christmas carol: Gabriel..

    1. I assume that Tim and Scott are referring to Hugh of Lincoln (c. 1140-1200), Carthusian monk and bishop (who among other things tried to protect Jews from riots), not to the so-called Little Saint Hugh of the blood libel story. And I don't think that J. M. Neale's imaginary story of Wenceslas in a carol needs to somehow invalidate the life of the real Wenceslas (907-29). The existence of Gabriel and other angels is of course out of the scope of historical study; I don't see believing in their existence as a necessity for Christians, but I'm hoping to praise God along with them someday! I think that hearing good stories (both historical and legendary) about the saints - and possibly being inspired to good in our own lives - is the purpose of Lent Madness. Let's enjoy the stories!

    2. I assume that Tim and Scott are referring to Hugh of Lincoln (c. 1140-1200), Carthusian monk and bishop (who among other things tried to protect Jews from riots), not to the so-called Little Saint Hugh of the blood libel story. And I don't think that J. M. Neale's imaginary story of Wenceslas in a carol needs to somehow invalidate the life of the real Wenceslas (907-29). The existence of Gabriel and other angels is of course out of the scope of historical study; I don't see believing in their existence as a necessity for Christians, but I'm hoping to praise God along with them someday! I think that hearing good stories (both historical and legendary) about the saints - and possibly being inspired to good in our own lives - is the purpose of Lent Madness. Let's enjoy the stories!

    3. wikipedia: Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav) c. 911 – September 28, 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935. His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder. His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.

    4. wikipedia: Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav) c. 911 – September 28, 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935. His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder. His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.

  26. Poll: how many of the elder saints are at in part imaginary: Hugh of Lincoln, an anti Semitic trope; Wenseslaus, a Christmas carol: Gabriel..

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