Congratulations to 2023 Golden Halo winner Jonathan Myrick Daniels! In a final battle of the J's, Jonathan defeated Joanna the Myrrhbearer to take this year's crown. Both of these last remaining saints, one modern and one ancient, captured the imagination of the Lent Madness voting public, but only one can wear the golden headgear. And that is Jonathan Daniels, Civil Rights era martyr.
Jonathan 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), Absalom Jones (2021), and José Hernández (2022).
To celebrate Jonathan'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 2023. Order your own mug today at the Forward Movement website! They're just $18 and should ship sometime in the early summer.
Would you like to nominate a saint for Lent Madness 2024? 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!
64 comments on “Jonathan Daniels Wins 2023 Golden Halo!”
Tim and Scott: It would be exciting if you could contact Ruby Sales (who was the girl that he saved the life of) who is a wonderful spiritual activist and present her with the honor. I would love to see a Lent Madness special edition where you talk to her.
Yes!! What a wonderful idea!
Brilliant idea!
Fantastic idea. I, too, would love to see this.
Wonderful idea.
May I suggest we nominate Ruby Sales in her own right, instead of just inviting her to talk about someone else, even someone so worthy?
All honor to Ruby Daniels, but I think that she doesn't fulfill the first requirement, that all nominees must be singing in the heavenly choir. I'm sure that she'll be thrilled to hear that Jonathan Myrick Daniels won the golden halo this year.
Oops! Mea culpa (Latin for My Bad). Ruby Sales. I'm conflating her name with that of this year's winner of the Golden Halo. I blame decaf.
I don't think anyone is nominating her for sainthood--only that she should know that Jonathan Daniels won the Golden Halo.
Absolutely. You may be able to reach her through Joaquin Lewis, Pastor of Middle Collegiate Church in NYC. Ruby Sales is a frequent speaker at their Revolutionary Love Conference which, BTW, is scheduled for this month and you can register for the online version.
It’s Jaqui, not Joaquin. Auto correct strikes again.
Auto-correct - definitely an invention of the devil, imo.
That would be awesome!
Great idea, Elaine! Ruby Sales is a wonderful public theologian, a graduate of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge,MA, whose Spirit House Non-profit is dedicated to Jonathan Daniels.
She should definitely get a mug!
Thank you to Forward Movement for putting together this wonderful Lenten Devotion. I have met some Saintly and Heavenly new friends along the way, as I always do. This is always such a blessing to have during Lent. God bless each of you. I wish each of you a holy and blessed Triduum, the most holiest days of our year and a glorious Resurrection Easter Day!!
A well-deserved victory to a literal martyr. And, furthermore, proof of the old schoolyard adage: "Cheaters never win, winners never cheat."
Happy Easter to you all.
So happy my guy went all the way! Woo-hoo!
But I want a tumbler with his face on it! Make it happen and let me know so I can throw some Ameros your way!
Yes - A Golden Halo tumbler would be great! And how about a Golden Halo wine glass?
Thank you so much for all you do for Lent Madness.
I think I can speak for every Episcopalian in Alabama to say thank you to all the people out there who voted for Blessed Jonathan. He is the unofficial patron saint of Alabama. Every August the diocese of AL sponsors a pilgrimage to the spot of his martyrdom in Hayneville AL to remember all of those who gave their lives to right the wrongs of racism in AL (a long list). The struggle against racism goes on but we have the guiding lights of people like Jonathan Daniels to show us the way to a better world. Thank you, Lent Madness, for holding up to the world this great saint.
I always appreciate Lent Madness so much-- not so much for the winners (who are amazing!) but for the Great Cloud surrounding all of them. This year I learned so much not just about Jonathan Myrick Daniels, but also about Chief Seattle of the Duwamish; Florence Li Tim Oi; Joanna the Myrrhbearer; even more about John Donne and J.S. Bach; and many others!!! Thank you to all who make this such a great part of Lent every year.
Jonathan had such amazing faith and self sacrificial love at such a young age. I knew the moment he was on the bracket that he would go deep, if not win the golden halo 2023
I am very happy that Jonathan won! Thanks so much for another great year of Lent Madness! A Blessed Triduum to all.
I am happy Jonathan Daniels was the final result. I wonder if his family would be impressed?
Keeping in mind that the bloggers are merely sherpas escorting their Saint to the mountaintop: congratulations should also go to the Rev. Canon Eva Suarez, who has won for the second year in a row.
Congratulations for Winner of Golden Hali Jonathan Myrick Daniels That’s the result I expected even though not my last choice.
Joanna for Silver Halo
Happy Eastertide✝️We can finally say Alleluia again after the Tridium️
This is the first year I've actively participated, and have learned so much. All of y'all's hard work and research is greatly appreciated! THANK YOU.
The nomination of Joanna the Apostle opened my eyes to Christ's ministry on earth. Her gynocentric patriarchal title and description (Myrrhbearer, "... your girl") in this years "Definitiave Guide" (p37) illustrates perfectly the continued denigration of women. She walked with Christ, made his ministry possible and helped Paul established the church. Thank you for her nomination.
I totally agree with Walker Shaw's description of Joanna the Apostle. The Golden halo winner is awesome, of course, as are all the martyrs of the Civil Rights movement. The result is that, as usual, Joanna remains in the shadows. Can we have a Silver Halo mug for Joanna?
Thank you for your comments and I too hope for a silver halo soup mug for Joanna. We are blessed to have our very own Joanna in our midst.
Never was a saint in our times more needed than this one!
Hooray!! And what a competition this was at the end. I look forward to seeing these other three saints return in future Lent Madness madness. Thanks bloggers! It was fun.
I love the fun and excitement this "contest" brings to our lives, but I am gratified that Blessed Jonathan reminds us that the old-fashioned term "martyr" is not a badge of honor only for the saints of old.
Yay, JONATHAN!
Thank you, Lent Madness, for another 40 day journey with ALL of these holy souls who inspire us by their faith and witness.
To this community which forms, year after year, around Lent Madness, a Blessed Triduum and a Joyous Easter to all!
Thank you for the creativity and imagination that went into 2023 Lent Madness. Jonathan Daniels is a very worthy winner. Can I suggest a contestant for next year? The Blessed Stanley Rother, originally from Oklahoma, was martyred in Guatemala during the civil war. I moved to Guatemala to live last year and find his story inspiring. While the US Catholic Church has built a shrine to Rother in Oklahoma, his heart remains in the historic old church in Santiago Atitlan where it is the object of veneration by the local Mayan community and others (like me). Thanks for your consideration.
Is Jonathan Myrick Daniels the youngest to win the Golden Halo?
So happy with the result and that I had nominated Jonathan.
Thank you so much for this lovely lead-in to Easter. Through Lent Madness you've taught us so much about wonderful, sacrificial saints, as well as outstanding, spiritual lay people in the arts, sciences, sports, etc. These individuals made a difference, and are still inspiring us today. Please keep up the good work!
Hooray for Jonathan! And how about a silver halo for Joanna?!
Thank you, Supreme Executive Council and all bloggers and participants for yet another amazing Lent Madness.
A blessed Triduum to you all.
The alumni of the Virginia Military Institute and the all who worship at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, Virginia are thrilled beyond words with Jonathan Daniels winning the 2023 Lenten Golden Halo!
Members of our congregation were classmates with Jonathan and they remember him well. Others have met the people - Ruby Sales and Richard Morrisroe – who were there when he was martyred.
Jonathan is a martyr of our time, an Episcopal seminarian who walked among us. It is so wonderful he is being recognized!
Thank you for adding to our Lenten journey
Now we need a mug like the Stanley Cup or KY Derby glassware that lists all the winners and the year they won!
Hurrah! Will a picture of Jonathan be on the other side. Perhaps the one shown above?
Hurrah! Will there be a picture of Jonathan on the mug? Perhaps the one shown above.
Thank you for putting this together, Saint Robert Students enjoyed learning about the saints and voting.