In a year marked by razor-thin margins of victory, the championship round between Teresa of Avila and José Gregorio Hernández did not disappoint! In the end, José snuck past Teresa in a photo finish to win the 2022 Golden Halo. Both of these saints captured the imaginations of the Lent Madness global voting public and both are worthy of this ecclesiastical accolade. We are pleased to award Teresa the (rare) Silver Halo to mark this year's accomplishments.
Rest assured the result, while exceedingly close, is accurate. The Supreme Executive Committee spent the morning in the mezzanine-level review booth conducting a forensic analysis of the voting. There was some cheating involved on both sides and we eliminated those votes (come ON, people!).
José joins previous Golden Halo winners George Herbert (2010), C.S. Lewis (2011), Mary Magdalene (2012), Frances Perkins (2013), Charles Wesley (2014), Francis of Assisi (2015), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2016), Florence Nightingale (2017), Anna Alexander (2018), Martha of Bethany (2019), Harriet Tubman (2020), and Absalom Jones (2021).
To celebrate José's victory, perhaps you'd like a commemorative mug? You can enjoy your favorite warm beverage (the SEC recommends fair trade single-origin 
coffee, though they understand these also work well with tea) while remembering this epic season of Lent Madness 2022. Order your own mug today! They're just $11 and should ship sometime in the early summer.
Would you like to nominate a saint for Lent Madness 2023? Tim and Scott will be opening up the week-long nomination process (aka Nominationtide) in the coming weeks. While many are called, only 32 are chosen. Stay tuned for details!
Finally, 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. Happy Lent!
81 comments on “José Hernández Wins 2022 Golden Halo!”
Jose, can you see? You won! By the dawn's early count.
LOL
As Venezuela is a country that is almost as devoted to coffee as it is to Jose Gregorio Hernandez, nothing could be more appropriate than a blessed JGH coffee mug.
Teresa de Avila is so worthy, but as many of you know already, Jose Gregorio has my heart, a daily reminder of what humans should do for humans no matter what.
I voted only once, but I will admit to a bit of JGH boostering yesterday, shamelessly. 🙂
Thank you, Tim and Scott for all you do every year to make Lent Madness the joy that it is. I know the vote counting and verification was not easy and perhaps a wee bit stressful. We all won because we are here together.
Thank you SEC! I've been playing this, I think since its inception, and I always find it both enjoyable and enlightening. A blessed Easter to you, too, and now I must prepare to sing for these 4 days ahead!
Will a Silver Halo mug to honor St. Theresa be available?
Oops. I spelled Teresa wrong or it was autocorrect! I really wished for a tie.
I also want a Silver Halo mug for St. Teresa. With a vote this close, they'll miss an opportunity if they don't provide one.
I agree
I only voted for Jose twice and not in the finals! While surely a wonderful man, I think he was dwarfed by some of the other saints. But that's just my opinion--maybe others wanted an underdog to win!
We want a mug/glass honoring Silver Halo winner Teresa of Avila! Pretty please?
Yes! Please? Thank you.
This was the best Lent ever! Thank you SEC!
Could we have an opportunity to purchase a Silver Crown mug and memorabilia for Teresa as well?
What a delight to wake up this morning … Jose won! Proud to say… I resisted temptation and held my ground with one vote.
SEC, what was the final vote tally? Any pics of the high level ecclesiastical election canvassing commission at work would be fun!
It would be so wonderful to have the rare Silver Halo cup… it must have been St. Julian of Norwich that was the last Silver Halo winner?? I remember her tea cup that doubled as a cat food dish, but she wasn’t listed as a winner.
Gosh! What a fun Lent season! It wAs truly so much fun meeting the contenders. Especially the dude who was the missionary to the Vikings. The Vikings!!
Have a blessed Easter.
Brigid of Kildare got the Silver Halo in 2015. I have her pint glass right here. (Not a coffee drinker so mugs aren't my thing.)
I would really like to know the final vote count. A tie was an acceptable outcome. But I am glad for el santo medico. And I wish the SEC much rest here at the beginning of the Triduum! LOL*.
*Lots of love/laughing out loud
When I checked this morning, Teresa of Avila was ahead by 7 votes. The final tally appears to be 4,227 to 4,079, a spread of 148 votes and a swing of 155 votes. Shame, shame on the cheaters.
And glory, glory to Teresa of Avila, Dr. Jose Hernandez, all the saints who from their brackets rest, the Supreme Executive Committee, all the celebrity bloggers, and to Ukraine.
I'm not sure I believe the final count. How can they tell fraudulent counts? Did you know this is the third time Teresa of Avila is in the bracket? She was in the first Lent Madness in 2010, and made it to the Faithful Four! In 2015 she was matched up against David Oakerhater and never made it out of the Round of 32. This year I was sure she would take the Golden Halo. With voting that close, I'm not sure they got it right! Thanks for the Silver Halo, at least that's something!
Congrats to Dr. José! I am happy for him so can honestly say I'd have been happy either way and that's a joy in itself!
Of course, if they've officially (be decree of the SEC) endowed Teresa with a silver halo then I personally don't feel a need to nominate her again in 5 years. *wink* Instead I think I'll see about reviewing my mime martyrs research to see if any of them are eligible for nomination for this next year! *grin*
Keep your head down, Mime Girl! “ )
Felicidades, Doctor José Gregorio Hernández. Eres un ganador! But it's Lent Madness, so there are no losers, only winners. And the biggest winners are those of us who compose the global Lent Madness viewing/participating public. We get to play a diverting game during the penitential season that deepens our understanding of the sainted and the saintly. Kudos as always to the SEC and also those whose comments were so informative and enlightening. Happy Lent/Triduum and, soon, Easter to everyone.
There was no wrong choice with these 2 finalists.
Blessed Easter to all.
Thanks Scott and Tim
Can there be a Silver Halo mug for St. Teresa? Thanks!
Thanks to the SEC for a lovely lent madness! Although I'd picked Teresa for the Golden Halo, I did love learning about Dr. Jose.
Re "cheating" - I wonder if those of us voting from work might have similar or same IP addresses...is it possible that some of the "cheating" was just multiple people at one location?
Sad at Theresa's loss. She is a favorite with me for the following prayer
"Oh, Lord I do not love thee.
Oh, Lord I do not want to love thee.
But oh dear Lord, I do want to want to love thee.
Thank you for informative information on the contestants. I had hoped for Teresa to win.
Have a blessed Easter.
Still should have declared a tie.
Thankfully, you didn't have to deal with any hanging chads. Has St. Chad been in the matchup yet?
Thank you, SEC, staff and contributing writers. Lent Madness is such an wonderful part of my annual Lenten experience.
Well, spit, a winner, just like that other Bracket, determined by officials.
That makes me 50/50 this year’s Lent Madness, but still a Tar Heel!
You have the best second, silver halo winner, hope to get a mug too!
Like others, I would love to know just how close it was (and no: we are not going to go all Florida 2000 on you!) Exciting finish. Blessings to all and thanks for another Lent Madness.
It looks José won by a mere 148 votes!
This was my first year participating in Lent Madness! My mom and I both voted and shared with each other for whom we voted. We didn't always agree, but it was fun to have a Lent-driven conversation with her.
I hope, next year, to be timely enough to fill out a bracket.
Happy Maunday Thursday.
I also would like a mug or something to honor St. Teresa. I confess that I am disappointed in this outcome, her work The Interior Castle has had a profound effect on me. Cafe Press does have a mug with her quote "Christ has no hands or feet..." I may order that.
What a fun time during a time of reflection and introspection. Voted for the good doctor earlier, so not sad he won. Thank you all for education, entertainment and enlightenment.
Hey, SEC:
It would be so, so, so awesome if our Jose Hernandez mug had the illustrations of him with that iconic fedora and the halo. Beautiful, like a cream filled, coconut-topped Snoball treat!
I would love to know what exact exceedingly close tally is. Did Jose win by one vote, five, ten, seventeen? The tally shown on yesterday's page is 4227 to 4079, but clearly some corrections were made. Inquiring minds (at least this one) would like to know!
I think that is the correct total as I checked the voting at 3:30 am Pacific (I work swing shift) and she was ahead by 10 votes. I said a prayer for the saintly doctor to somehow still win and went to bed.
it is always good to wake up to an answered prayer.
Will admit to being surprised by the cheating. I do hope the cheaters will answer God’s call to repentance and turn from their wicked ways.
Nothing says "human nature" as much as rampant persistent cheating in a pious Lenten practice of honoring the saints! I resist Calvin's doctrine of depravity, but I can't remember why . . . Perhaps this is the reason Jesus washed the disciples' feet. Happy Maundy Thursday, everybody. Easter is coming.
Please make a mug for Teresa! In fact, we should have a silver halo every Lent Madness year!
or the Silver Halo soup bowl like the was for Julian of Norwich years back
Many thanks for this contest. I always learn so much.
Congrats to Jose.
Lesley
Thanks to all who make this activity possible! The Celebrity Bloggers did such a superb job. I supported Dr. Jose but would honestly be happy with any on the choices, as they are all obviously persons we can learn from, looking at how God worked through their lives. I enjoy this activity so much every year that I almost feel guilty considering it one of my “Lenten disciplines”!