The end (of Lent Madness 2024) is near! It's hard to believe we kicked things off over five weeks ago on “Ash Thursday” with 32 saintly souls. With your help, the field has been whittled down to just two: Albert Schweitzer and Julian of Norwich. Who will receive the coveted 2024 Golden Halo? That, friends, is up to you.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome, we’ve met some truly remarkable holy people along the way. Perhaps you learned about some folks you’d never heard of before or maybe you renewed acquaintances with saints who have long offered inspiration.

Of course the entire notion of placing saints in a bracket is absurd — each “contestant” has already earned a crown of righteousness in addition to a “golden halo.” But at the heart of Lent Madness is the abiding conviction that encountering those who have come before us in the faith enriches and enlivens our own walk with the risen Christ.

Of course we literally couldn’t have done this without our amazing Celebrity Bloggers to whom we offer sincere gratitude: Laurie Brock, Megan Castellan, Anna Fitch Courie, David Creech, Neva Rae Fox, Miriam McKenney, Emily McFarlan Miller, Keegan Osinski, and David Sibley. Thanks to Bracket Czar Adam Thomas for his stellar behind-the-scenes work in keeping the bracket updated daily. You all rock!

Thank you to everyone at Forward Movement for putting up with our yearly shenanigans. And special gratitude goes to Ashley Graham-Wilcox for helping get words and images into the website each day. She’s a star.

Finally, thanks to all of you who participated by voting, commenting, drinking coffee out of Lent Madness mugs, filling in brackets, talking about saints with friends, liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter (or X or whatever), and allowing us to play a small role in your Lenten journey. We’ve loved having each one of you along for the “madness” and on behalf of the Supreme Executive Committee we wish you a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter.

Before we invite you to cast this final vote, we should note that Anna Courie has ably shepherded Albert Schweitzer through the bracket, while Laurie Brock has done the same for Julian of Norwich. These two veteran Lent Madness contributors are amazing souls, aside from being terrific writers. We’ve asked them for a single image and one quote either by or about their saint. We’ve already heard a lot about Albert and Julian, so now it's time to make your final choice.

The polls will be open for 24 hours and the winner will be announced at 8:00 am Eastern time on Maundy Thursday. Now go cast your vote — the 2024 Lent Madness Golden Halo hangs in the balance!

(more…)

Who will face Albert Schweitzer for the Golden Halo? Well, after he swept past Henry Whipple in yesterday’s contest 67% to 33%, it will either be Julian of Norwich or Andrew the Fisherman.

To get here, Julian defeated Brigid of Kildare, Zita, and Joseph of Arimathea. While Andrew made it past Polycarp, Hyacinth, and Andrew of Milan.

Obviously you didn't miss the final in-season episode of Monday Madness. But just in case here it is.

Vote now!

(more…)

The roar of the crowd -- and the wind noise on this video -- have reached high volumes! Tim and Scott are back with another episode of Monday Madness to cover the Faithful Four. The last in-season episode of Lent Madness XV!

Arrival of Holy Week means that Easter is right around the corner! If you're looking for some help celebrating the joy of Easter, you might like Scott's book, Easter Triumph, Easter Joy, with daily devotions for the 50 days of Easter. And Tim's book, Dust Bunnies in the Basket, offers good humor and spiritual direction for Easter and Lent. Your church might like to pass out colorable posters that create a fun way for the whole family to rejoice each day of Eastertide. Check out Alleluia! 50 Days and 50 Ways to Celebrate Easter, which comes in packs of 25.

The Supreme Executive Committee heartily encourages you to find your way to church this week for the most important liturgies of the year. After casting your votes, of course.

Welcome to the Faithful Four! From an initial field of 32 saints, we are down to a holy four: Albert Schweitzer, Henry Whipple, Julian of Norwich, and Andrew the Fisherman.

Today it’s Albert vs. Henry. To get to the Faithful Four, Albert defeated Henry Mühlenberg, Thomas the Apostle, and Cornelius the Centurion. While Henry made it past Jackson Kemper, Clare of Assisi, and Canaire.

So, what happens in this round? Well, throughout Lent Madness, our saintly heroes have battled via basic bios, quirks and quotes, and even kitsch. In this round, we let our remaining Celebrity Bloggers loose as they answer the question “Why should Saint XX win the Golden Halo?” In other words, they’ve been charged with letting us know why their particular saint is so awesome. We have also invited them to share their two favorite images of their saints.

The Faithful Four continues today and tomorrow and then, on Spy Wednesday, 24 hours of voting begins to determine the winner of the 2024 Golden Halo.

The end is near! Vote now!

(more…)

With three out of the four saints set, today we’ll complete the Faithful Four as Julian of Norwich takes on Jospeh of Arimathea. To make it this far, Joseph zipped past Lazarus and Kassia, while Julian beat Brigid of Kildare and Zita. 

Yesterday Henry Whipple edged Canaire 52% to 48% to advance to the next round.

After today’s vote, we’ll take a collective breath over the weekend to wave palms and hear the Passion Gospel on Sunday. And then next week will bring a fast and furious culmination to Lent Madness XV.

Vote now!

(more…)

The Round of Saintly Kitsch continues as Henry Whipple takes on Canaire for a shot at the Faithful Four. To get here, Henry defeated Jackson Kemper and Clare of Assisi, while Canaire made it past Barbara and Cyprian of Carthage.

Yesterday, Andrew the Fisherman hooked Ambrose of Milan 82% to 18% to make it to the next round.

Vote now!

(more…)

The Elate Eight continues with reckless saintly abandon as Ambrose of Milan faces Andrew the Fisherman. To get this far, Ambrose defeated William Byrd and Gertrude the Great. While Andrew took down Polycarp and Hyacinth. 

Yesterday, Albert Schweitzer became the first saint to make the Faithful Four, as he defeated Cornelius the Centurion 69% to 31%.

Vote now!

(more…)

And then there were eight. Thus begins the Elate Eight and the mad dash towards the Lent Madness 2024 Golden Halo. The remaining saints in our little competition are Albert Schweitzer, Cornelius the Centurion, Henry Whipple (who yesterday defeated Clare of Assisi 57% to 43%), Canaire, Joseph of Arimathea, Julian of Norwich, Ambrose of Milan, and Andrew the Fisherman. But in the end, only one will prevail. 

After basic biographies and quirks and quotes, we now move into the realm of saintly kitsch. Some people, known as Kitsch Kranks, are unable to enjoy the humor of this round. But for the rest of you, enjoy a whimsical romp into the various ways our saints are honored. Or just hold your breath and click on the links below to view the writeups from the previous rounds, and we’ll see you for the Faithful Four.

We kick things off with Albert Schweitzer taking on Cornelius the Centurion in a battle of the ancient and modern. To get to this point, Albert bested Henry Mühlenberg and Thomas the Apostle, while Cornelius made it past Piran of Cornwell and Adomnan of Iona.

If you missed yesterday's Elate Eight edition of Monday Madness, do penance. And then watch it here as Tim and Scott share the Greatest Commandments of Lent Madness.

Vote now!

(more…)

It's time for the round everyone* has been looking forward to: the Elate Eight aka The Round of Saintly Kitsch. Tim and Scott are back to preview the coming contests, as the field narrows and the stakes get higher.

*Not everyone loves this round. As we move from basic biographical sketches in the Round of 32 and then the Quirks & Quotes of the Saintly Sixteen, we come to the always-remarkable displays of saintly kitsch in the Elate Eight. Some people, whom we have dubbed Kitsch Kranks, find this to be unhelpful or even irreverent. The Supreme Executive Committee reminds everyone of the Lent Madness Great Commandments, which might help you weather the next round.

While they didn't mention it in the video, the powers-that-be of Lent Madness would also like to remind you to go to church in Holy Week. A lot! All joking aside, the Holy Week liturgies take us to the very center of our faith. Hope to see you in church. Over and over and over again.

Welcome to the final matchup of the Saintly Sixteen, as Clare of Assisi takes on Henry Whipple. With seven tickets punched for the Elate Eight, Clare and Henry are competing for the last available spot.

On Friday, Julian of Norwich trounced Zita 82% to 18%. She'll face Joseph of Arimathea in the next round.

Vote now!

(more…)