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!”
I would like to nominate someone when it is time, but I don't know if they have been a "contestant" in the past? Is there anyway I can find out.
We nominate Hildegard of Bingen (in case she has not already won the Golden Halo)
Thank you for another fun and enlightening season.
Gee, I am amazed at myself - I actually backed the winner!
HOORAY! AND a very deserving tribute to this modern day saint and martyr!
Someone mentioned talking with Ruby Sales about her experiences with Jonathan. She is an amazing woman who followed in his footsteps, attending the same seminary as he for graduate work to enable her to pursue her work in spirituality for social justice. Surely something this 17-year old girl never dreamed of during that hot Alabama summer.
The person who really should be interviewed is Richard Morrisroe, the Catholic priest who was standing behind Jonathan and was also shot! Jon was killed instantly; Richard was hit in the back and the hip as he pulled back another young black woman, Joyce Bailey, who had been also been in with them in the Hayneville jail.
In 1965 the local funeral home hearse also served as an ambulance. Jonathan’s body was thrown in the hearse and Richard was put on the stretcher and placed over Jon. The horror of that was not lost on the critically wounded priest.
Morrisroe spent over a year in the hospital and another year recovering his ability to walk. Like Ruby his life was transformed in a way he couldn’t have anticipated. Richard left the priesthood , went to law school, got married, had children (his son is named Richard Jonathan), and both in his legal career and retirement he has continued his work for racial justice and civil rights.
I have had the great good fortune to come to know Ruby Sales, Richard Morrisroe, and Judith Upham, a classmate of Jon’s at EDS who was also in AL. It is a humbling experience to be in the presence of any of these people, much less all of them at the same time. But the most poignant and humbling of all is Richard. He is still in pain and walks with a noticeable limp as a result of the same shotgun that killed Jonathan.
PS Someone also mentioned contacting Jon’s family. His sister Emily has died. She was the last of his immediate family.
Reverendisimi ~
It occurs to me that you could save a lot of time and effort in your next saintly Lenten endeavour by eliminating all of the unnecessary voters (everybody except me) and simply sending me the match-ups each day. The results could be reported as usual. The way this would work, and work perfectly, is that whoever I vote FOR is eliminated and the one for whom I did NOT vote is promoted to the next round. Easy-peasy and pretty much unerring when compared with the cumbersome results of counting all those other votes.
Sue and her Aunt Jan have learned a lot and shared many conversations over the phone. We struggled to cast our one joint vote. Because my aunt has macular degeneration, I read the posts to her, and we have lively discussions before casting our vote. Thank you for this year's rich experience and the excellent contributions of your bloggers.
This was my first year celebrating Lent Madness. I think I found out about it through the monks of the Unvirtuous Abbey. It was my lent practice this year. (I suffer from depressions, so given that fact I try to add something rather than subtract during lent.)
I have deeply enjoyed reading and voting. For the first time in my life I got a true understanding for what sainthood is all about. So thank you for that!
I found navigating the comments sometimes a bit hard on my phone, but I hope to do that more next year, because what I saw from the community seems lovely.
I'm gonna miss this. Does anyone have any tips for black hole that I see looming on the horizon now I no longer have my (week)daily votes?
Thank you to all involved for another wonderful Lenten journey. Very happy that Jonathan Myrick Daniels won the Golden Halo. I would also like to see a Silver Halo mug for Joanna-as others have mentioned. A Blessed Triduum and a Happy Easter to all!! Also,(in honor of Eric Liddell) Happy National Tartan Day!
All this talk about the Silver Halo made me think. Could someone do a Kickstarter every year for the Silver Halo winner and all the proceeds be donated to Forward Movement?
I WON! LentMadness for my parish of Saint John’s Northampton,MA! Now I can poneeveryone with my hand up and my ring up at church on Easter. HailtheeFestival Day!
Call me Angel Reese.
Nominate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England..
I'd like to nominate (she has to win the Golden Halo sometime!) Teresa of Avila. I also offer for your consideration as nominees Kateri Tekawitha and Father Trevor Huddleston.
I don't suppose anyone will read my post at this late date. I just took down my poster/bracket, though, and I feel so sad. Lent Madness has gotten me through some rough days.
See everyone next year.
What, no gift for Joanna? It’s been awhile since you had a gift for number two. Will you reconsider?
My heart was with Chief Seattle the whole way but I am biased as a born and bred Minnesotan. Still, this was an amazing year and God bless the saints, the supreme executive committee and all of our beloved faith partners.
How creative! My second year, thanks!