Congratulations to 2025 Golden Halo winner Zechariah! In the final battle of Lent Madness XVI, Zechariah defeated a valiant opponent in Nicolaus Zinzendorf 55% to 45% to take this year's crown. Both of these last remaining saints, one ancient and one modern, captured the imagination of the Lent Madness voting public, but only one can wear the golden headgear. And that is Zechariah, marking just the THIRD time in Lent Madness history that a Biblical saint has emerged victorious.
Zechariah 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), José Hernández (2022), Jonathan Daniels (2023), and Julian of Norwich (2024).
To celebrate Zechariah's victory, we will soon be releasing a commemorative mug for your drinking pleasure. Stay tuned for your chance to won a small piece of Lent Madness 2025 history.
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!
55 comments on “Zechariah Wins 2025 Golden Halo!”
I look forward every year to Lent Madness and I do appreciate all the hard work that goes into it.What a fun way to start my day and also learn something about the Saints.
Thank you.
Thanks to the SEC, the celebrity bloggers, and the enthusiastic supporters and commenters without whom Lent Madness wouldn't be the same.
One request: please allow direct replies next year, the comments are much more comprehensible when we can reply right underneath the original comment.
Looking forward to Nominationtide! And learning more next year about both the saints we know and the saints we don't.
Many thanks to the SEC and Celebrity Bloggers for all their hard work in bringing us another enlightening and inspiring season of Lent Madness! I met many saints of whom I want to know much more.
One ask for next year: PLEASE restore the "reply" function to the comments. Without it, we have a serious loss of the ability to converse. If you don't want to bring it back, please tell us why.
Thanks, folks! Nicely done, as always. Fun, interesting and inspiring. It's always a pleasure to be a part of it. Congrats to Michael and Christian for doing a terrific job of combining silliness and spirituality.
Thank you for another great Lent Madness. Looking forward to new and exciting possibilities. Thank you Christian and Michael for your refreshing presence. Tim and Scott, thank you for all you do. Blessings for a happy Easter to all.
Thank you for another wonderful, information filled Lent Madness. Such a fun way to learn.
Blessings and Happy Easter Everyone.
My first year participating in this madness. So fun and educational! Thanks!
What fun every year to read the treasure trove of information about the saints. Thank you Lenten Madness team for your diligence and sense of humor. I look forward to next season.
Zech and Zin were tied in votes from me until yesterday when the Count got one more, but I'm happy to honor "Zechariah and all the saints" in our prayers at tonight's liturgy.
Thanks for another fun and enlightening tournament! ... And now, you have a whole year to fix the Reply function here in the comments.
I was underwhelmed by this news, and have been frequently disappointed by the bracket winners. Then I re-read David Creech's remarks on Zechariah living a life of "holy drudgery" in a time of turmoil and personal disappointment. A simple and unimportant human. I can relate. Who can say what effect he had on his son John? His life of witness in humility and quiet is enough. Huzzah, Zechariah, and thanks to all who bring the Madness every year.
I want to join my sisters and brothers in offering hearty and heart-felt thanks to everybody who makes Lent Madness possible. Tim and Scott and Christian and Michael. All the wonderfully skillful Celebrity Bloggers. All the behind-the-scenes people that I'm not even aware of but that we couldn't do without. And to the Lent Madness Community willing to participate every year in this absurdity and bless one another with wise commentary. I've been doing this now for 12 years and would happily go another 12.
I will admit that in many ways I am definitely a Boomer. I don't do Instagram. I maybe watch a video on Youtube 6 times a year. I always come onto the LM website on my PC to read the blogs and vote, never through my email or on my phone. From the Facebook Live thing yesterday it looks like I will miss out on a lot that Christian and Michael have planned for the future. If there's some way they can figure out to include dinosaurs like me, that would be nice. If not, guess I'll wait until next February and rejoin the Saintly Smackdown.
P.S. Please let's have the reply function working next year. I really have a hard time understanding how we had it for 11 years straight, and then this year did not have it at all.
Happy Easter, everybody. I love you all.
Thanks for the educational fun.
Scott
I was rooting for Zinzendorf in the battle of the Z’s but Zechariah is a worthy choice.
So glad I discovered Lent Madness! So fun and informative! I’ll look forward to next year.
It was a great Lent Madness. I always learn so much. Keep up the good work
Thank-you for a great almost 40 days of saintly wisdom and witness. Usually ZZZ's indicate sleep, but here they educated and inspired me. I wonder if there is a way for comments on composition and delivery to be sent other than on the main section. I don't find they add to the overall impression, even if they are legitimate. As a professor for over 50 years when I am in an oral examination, I ask questions of substance and privately inform the candidate of errors of grammar and composition. Keep up the good work and see you next year.
Congratulations to everyone for this year's lenten game. And of course to Zachariah for the win.
Wanted to comment that every year I read a book brought up by a participant. Well remember Criteria the Revolutionary? Well she and her sisters (related or not) apparently did live in the woods and did assist in releasing prisoners, many of whom were Christians. Their faith was not the impetus though. Still unclear to me how she even became a candidate for the Golden Halo. I will have to listen to it again. I must have missed something on my walks. The book is WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF THE SKY by Emma Hooper. Interesting but incredible story for sainthood. Every year we seem to have one, well Criteria gets this year's "absolutely incredible" award. Lol.
Thanks for an informative few weeks. Onwards!
Zachariah is a worthy candidate. It was a stiff competition in the end, but I think the more worthy candidate won. Thanks everyone for voting!
Really enjoyed another season of Lent Madness! Thanks to all of the bloggers and all the unsung heroes who provide this wonderful Lenten fun. Peaceful Easter to everyone.
Thank you to all involved for a great Lent Madness 2025!
A Blessed Triduum and a Joyous Easter to all!
It was another great year. Congrats to Zechariah on winning the Golden Halo.
I'm already having Lent Madness withdrawal syndrome. Can we play again on Monday, LOL?
Julian of Norwich is/was a woman.
Thank you for an inspirational lent madness. I have found myself reflecting more and more about Zechariah the past few days. He was someone I always sort of glossed over but I now find someone truly inspiring. Thank you! Happy Easter!
Blessings my Saint won.