Yes, the 32 saints in the 2020 Lent Madness bracket are the real stars of this penitential show. But we have a dozen Celebrity Bloggers scheduled to write this year and we're pretty jazzed about them all! You can read their bios here.

Of the 12, nine are making return engagements, two are brand new, and one is returning to the fold after taking a year away from the Madness.

Our returning bloggers (aka gluttons for punishment) are Amber Belldene, Laurie Brock, Megan Castellan, Anna Fitch Courie, David Creech, David Hansen, Emily McFarlan Miller, Carol Howard Merritt, and David Sibley. If the names are familiar, it's because they have wowed legions of Lent Madness fans over the years with their saintly descriptions, flowery prose, and the spiritual gift of procuring top-notch kitsch. Also, many of them have books which you should buy, in order to support their lavish lifestyles of the (spiritually) rich and (church) famous.

Another familiar name to longtime Lent Madness aficionados is Neva Rae Fox, who returns after taking a breather last year to recuperate from too much adulation.

We are especially pleased to welcome Miguel Escobar and Sandra Montes to the Lent Madness (somewhat dysfunctional) family. Here's some information about our two newest Celebrity Bloggers:

(more…)

In an annual tradition, the (relatively) benevolent Supreme Executive Committee of Lent Madness, is taking a moment to bestow upon you, the Lent Madness public, a few free things.

Of course, participating in Lent Madness itself is completely free. I mean, it's nice to have shiny giant bracket posters and Saintly Scorecards -- these items make the Golden Halo shine even brighter and make glad the hearts of Tim and Scott. But you can download and print your own bracket, Google all the saints, and simply check in on this website each weekday of Lent to read what our fabulous Celebrity Bloggers have to say about them before casting your votes.

But pasted in below is a completely FREE newsletter article you're welcome to use in your parish newsletter or print out and paste on your bathroom mirror for the duration of Lent. Also, feel free to use any of the accompanying graphics.

Like the ubiquitous Ginsu Knives, however, THAT'S NOT ALL! We also have ready-made bulletin inserts to print and use on the Sunday before Lent.

(more…)

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!

(more…)

Welcome to Nominationtide!

For one full week, the Supreme Executive Committee will be accepting nominations for Lent Madness 2020. The nominating period will remain open through next Thursday morning, May 30, at which point this brief exercise in Lenten democracy will be unceremoniously snuffed out.

To insure your successful nomination, please note the Nominationtide Rules & Regulations:

1. The nominee must, in fact, be dead.
2. The nominee must be on the official calendar of saintly commemorations of some church.
3. We will accept only one nominee per person.
4. You must tell us WHY you are nominating your saint.
5. The ONLY way to nominate a saint will be to leave a comment on this post.
6. That means comments left on Facebook, Twitter, or attached to a brick and thrown through the window at Forward Movement headquarters, don’t count.

As you discern saints to nominate, please keep in mind that a number of saints are ineligible for next year’s “saintly smackdown.” Based on longstanding tradition, this includes the entire field of Lent Madness 2019, those saints who made it to the Round of the Elate Eight in 2018 and 2017, and those from the 2016 Faithful Four.

Needless to say Jesus, Mary, Tim, Scott, and previous Golden Halo Winners are also ineligible. Below is a comprehensive list of ineligible saints. Please keep this in mind as you submit your nominations. Do not waste your precious nomination on an ineligible saint!

The Saints of Lent Madness 2019 (all ineligible)

Nicholas of Myra
Rudolph of Gubbio
Paula of Rome
Marcella of Rome
Pandita Ramabai
Damien of Molokai
Photini
Ananais
Zenaida
Apollonia
Gobnait
Hrostsvitha
Marguerite d'Youville
Phillips Brooks
Tabitha
Dismas
Ephrem of Nisibis
Mellitus
Marina the Monk
Dominic
Richard Allen
Hanna Grier Coome
Nicodemus
James the Greater
John Chrysostom
Margaret of Cortona
Ignatius of Loyola
Tikhon of Zadonsk
William Wilberforce
Agatha Lin Zhao
Mary of Bethany

Past Golden Halo Winners (ineligible)

George Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Mary Magdalene, Frances Perkins, Charles Wesley, Francis of Assisi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Florence Nightingale, Anna Alexander, Martha of Bethany

From 2016 to 2018 (ineligible)

Constance
Julian of Norwich
Sojourner Truth
Eglantyne Jebb
Martin de Porres
Maria Skobtsova
Phocas the Gardener
Richard Hooker
Peter
Esther
Stephen
Franz Jagerstatter
Amelia Bloomer
Augustine of Canterbury
Mechtild
Raymond Nonnatus
Martin Luther

As you contemplate your nomination, you may want to take a moment to visit the Lentorium and order your very own Martha of Bethany mug. The 2019 Golden Halo winner will surely assist you in your deliberations.

And now...Let the Nominations for Lent Madness 2020 start rolling in!