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!

The end (of Lent Madness 2025) 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: Zechariah and Nicolaus Zinzendorf. Perhaps it’s fitting in a year that saw us go A to Z with our saints that, in the end, we end up with two Zs. Who will receive the coveted 2025 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.

This year saw the rise of some new and engaging faces carrying the penitential torch, as Fr. Christian Anderson and Fr. Michael Sahdev, brought some renewed excitement and Beverly Hills-style production values to the team. 

Tim and Scott were especially pleased by this development, as the Supreme Executive Committee hopes to see a new generation joining the Lent Madness stalwarts in the years ahead. (more…)