Today in Lent Madness action, it's Hiram Kano vs. Lucy of Syracuse. Japanese priest who ministered in the midwest and was incarcerated during World War II vs. an early Christian martyr beloved by Scandinavians.
Yesterday, Iraneaus of Lyon edged James the Just 53% to 47% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen, where he'll face Athanasius of Alexandria.
Remember that everyone gets ONE VOTE. Don't risk being cast into the outer darkness of Lent Madness! It is most unpleasant.
Vote now!
Our alphabetical march through the saintly alphabet continues as Irenaeus of Lyons squares off against James the Just. The winner will face Athanasius of Alexandria, thereby setting up the first set battle of the Saintly Sixteen.
Yesterday, Gregory the Great swam past Hugh of Lincoln 62% to 38% to advance to the next round.
And if, for some reason, you missed yesterday's episode of Monday Madness -- complete with actual Breaming News -- you can repent and watch it here.
Vote now!
Stop whatever you are doing and grab some popcorn. You won't want to miss this week's episode of Monday Madness with BREAKING NEWS from the Supreme Executive Committee. Tim and Scott briefly talk about the somewhat rocky opening of Lent Madness XVI, during which some people have had problems voting. (These security measures have been necessary due to cheaters!) But the SEC is trying new settings now, so we'll hope today's vote goes well.
But we've buried the lede. The big news is that the SEC is diving behind the purple curtain to make way for two new public faces of Lent Madness. We won't spoil it here. You have to watch the video to see which two talented priests emerged triumphant after a global search in Lent's Got Talent.
And...we're back for the first full week of saintly action as Gregory the Great squares off against Hugh of Lincoln!
In the only Saturday matchup of the season, Elizabeth of Hungary snatched a spot in the Saintly Sixteen by soundly defeating Felicity 70% to 30%.
Stay tuned later today as Tim and Scott share some Breaking News on a fun-filled, informative, and never-a-dull-moment edition of Monday Madness.
Vote now!
Welcome to the ONE AND ONLY Saturday matchup of Lent Madness 2025! Today in a battle between two popular saints with fascinating backstories, it's Elizabeth of Hungary vs. Felicity.
Yesterday, Emily Cooper trounced Dunstan 82% to 18% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen.
We'll see you at church for the First Sunday in Lent (Great Litany, anyone?) and then see you back here first thing Monday morning for the first full week of saintly action as Gregory the Great takes on Hugh of Lincoln.
Vote now!
On this second day of Lent Madness 2025, we continue our alphabetical journey through the bracket as Emily Cooper faces off against Dunstan. 19th century American deaconess vs. 10th century English bishop. In other words, the kind of wacky matchup you will only find right here at Lent Madness.
Yesterday, Athanasius of Alexandria deterred Richard Meux Benson 61% to 39% to become the first saint to advance to the Saintly Sixteen. Yes, there were a few Opening Day glitches, but in the end, everyone's votes got counted -- despite the occasional error message. Thanks for your forbearance as we continue to address issues as they arise.
We're excited to offer another fun and helpful resource created by Lent Madness super fan Lindsey Hardegree. Click here to download a free template to help you track your saintly predictions, keep notes on saints that particularly inspire you, and keep a personal record Lent Madness history. Thanks, Lindsey!
And don't forget that tomorrow is the ONLY Saturday matchup of the season as Elizabeth of Hungary takes on Felicity. After this matchup, all voting will take place exclusively on the weekdays of Lent (it's a math thing, you wouldn't understand).
Time to vote!
We're back! Welcome to the opening matchup of Lent Madness 2025 or, if you speak Latin in the home, Lent Madness XVI. This year we're going A to Z with our saints, and we kick things off with Athanasius of Alexandria vs. Richard Meux Benson (that's the A vs. B, for the alphabetically challenged). Of course, these two saints are much than their letter lineage. But that's what our amazing Celebrity Bloggers are here for -- to bring to life the varied aspects of our saintly lineup over the coming weeks.
If you’re a veteran of the Saintly Smackdown, we’re delighted you’re back for another year of saintly thrills and spills. If you’re joining us for the first time, we’re especially glad you’re along for this wild penitential ride. If you’re curious about what this is all about, or you've been coerced into participating by a friend, spouse, or member of the clergy, check out the About Lent Madness tab on the website. We assure you this is not fake news about a fake online Lenten devotion. Lent Madness is a real thing!
To experience the fullness of the Lent Madness experience, the Supreme Executive Committee (the somewhat benevolent dictatorship that runs this whole enterprise) encourages you to do several things. First, "like" Lent Madness on Facebook. Second, subscribe to the Lent Madness e-mails so you never miss a vote — you’ll get each matchup hand-delivered to your inbox on the weekdays of Lent. You can do this by going to the home page of our website and entering your e-mail address (near the top right). Third, you can support the ministry of Lent Madness by heading over to the Lentorium and purchasing Lent Madness swag, thereby impressing everyone in your virtual pew.
But mostly, we encourage you to read about the 32 saints participating in this year’s edition of Lent Madness, faithfully cast your (single!) vote on the weekdays of Lent, and add your comments to the great cloud of participating witnesses that gathers as the online Lent Madness community each year. If you’re wondering when your favorite saint will be competing – in order to rally your friends and neighbors (creative campaigning is encouraged, voter fraud is not) – you can check out the 2025 Matchup Calendar.
To aid in your enjoyment of Lent Madness this year, check out two excellent resources created by fans. Fr. David Simmons has once again created printable stickers for use on your giant bracket posters. You can print these stickers on standard Avery labels. Download for free here and here. And as the Supreme Executive Committee highlighted in this week's Monday Madness, you can also use these fantastic Lent Madness trading cards created by Allison Bird Treacy.
Now, go cast your VERY FIRST VOTE of Lent Madness 2025!
Today we begin our forty-day journey to Easter. The Lenten season invites us to rend our hearts, to take an unflinching look at the ways in which we have fallen short of our calling as followers of Jesus Christ. Difficult? Certainly. Necessary? Absolutely. Joyful? Yes, eventually.
As our Book of Common Prayer reminds us, during Lent we "prepare with joy for the Paschal feast." How can this be? It is always joyful when someone finds Jesus or returns to him. And returning to Jesus is something we all need to do again and again.
The world can look hopeless. Chaos and violence fill the news. Greed and fear seem endemic. It appears that evil has won the day. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers a hope-filled truth.
In the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we see the deep reality of the world. Death, evil, and sin do not, in fact, define us. Instead, our world is defined by grace, mercy, and hope. The resurrection of Jesus shows us that God's love is stronger than the worst the world can muster: stronger than the mightiest empire, able to defeat even death.
Yes, it's time for another action-packed, fun-filled episode of Monday Madness. This one, according to Scott, is lemon scented! Tim and Scott bring you a preview of the opening contests of Lent Madness 2025. Figuring out which saint is up against which saint is as easy as ABC this year. No, seriously.
If you want maximum bracketology, you can read the Saintly Scorecard on your Kindle. Our printed scorecards sold out this year! Of course, you don't NEED to buy anything. You can tune in each voting day of Lent to read the bios right here. And if you want help remembering to do that, just sign up for Lent Madness emails by typing your address into the box on the home page of this website.
Want another fun way to study the saints? Check out these FREE Lent Madness trading cards, created by Allison Bird Treacy. Print your own cards for home, church, or your workplace. We love it when fans are inspired to join in the holy fun of the Saintly Smackdown!
And don't forget, it all kicks off on Ash Thursday, March 6. Happy (almost) Lent!
It's time for not just another episode of Monday Madness, but the season premiere. Tim and Scott are back with an action-packed, fun-filled episode. In this installment, they explain how the lineup of saints in Lent Madness 2025 is unprecedented in the history of Lent Madness. Tune in to find out how this year's line-up is unique.
Today, as the Supreme Executive Committee reminds us, is also the last day to order your Lent Madness merch for (almost) guaranteed delivered by this Sunday, the Sunday before Lent! You can order your Saintly Scorecard as single copies for just $5, or you can buy ten for the bargain price of only $20. By the way, this year's scorecards will be worth a fortune someday. The printed matchup calendar is wrong, so you'll want to download and print the correct one. But enjoy the error-laden scorecard. Like a mis-struck penny, they'll be worth a fortune someday.
While you're browsing in the Lentorium, pick up your giant bracket posters, which sell for the ridiculously low price of $15. And the ridiculousness is compounded if you buy 5 or more, dropping the price to a steal at $10 each!
