Forward Movement has just announced the bracket for the 2017 Lent Madness! The official release:
For months, the world has been following the news of early November’s competitive election. Today, in response to that demand, the Lent Madness 2017 bracket of saints is hereby released. Democracy meets heaven, as fans around the world study the bracket to decide which of 32 saints will be elected to receive the Golden Halo.
For the eighth year running, people worldwide are gearing up for Lent Madness, the “saintly smackdown” in which 32 saints do battle to win the coveted Golden Halo. This all kicks off on “Ash Thursday,” March 2, but with the bracket release rabid fans of the saints are already picking this year’s favorites.
The bracket is released every year on All Brackets’ Day, November 3rd. This momentous day in the Church Year follows All Saints’ Day (11/1) and All Souls’ Day (11/2) to complete this early November trinity of feast days.
In response to a question about why people should think about Lent in November, Lent Madness creator, the Rev. Tim Schenck, says, “Hey, if people can drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, they can surely deal with Lent in November. Plus it’s either getting jazzed about saints, or dealing with a bunch of depressing politics. So you’re welcome for the gift of frenzied speculation and anticipation as we look toward the season of Lent (Madness).”
The Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, executive director of Forward Movement and Schenck’s Lent Madness co-conspirator, agrees. “We’ve had plenty of focus on sinners in the news lately, so here’s a chance to look at some saints. Sure, all the saints were flawed, too, but we get to look at God’s love at work in their lives.”
This year Lent Madness features an intriguing slate of saints ancient and modern, Biblical and ecclesiastical. 2017 heavyweights include Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, Florence Nightingale, Stephen the Martyr, and Sarah the Matriarch. It also includes several intriguing matchups including Augustine of Hippo vs. Augustine of Canterbury (All-Augustine Anarchy); Fanny Crosby vs. G.F. Handel (Battle of the Bands); and Joseph Schereschewsky vs. Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (Clash of the Consonants).
The full bracket is online at the Lent Madness website www.lentmadness.org.
New to Lent Madness? Here’s how it works: on the weekdays of Lent, information is posted at www.lentmadness.org about two different saints. Each pairing remains open for 24 hours as participants read about and then vote to determine which saint moves on to the next round. Sixteen saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the Golden Halo.
The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints. Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds as we offer quotes and quirks, explore legends, and even move into the area of saintly kitsch.
For those seeking an advanced list of all 32 first round bios along with a personal full-color bracket, the Saintly Scorecard: The Definitive Guide to Lent Madness 2017 is available for pre-order now from Forward Movement.
Like that other March tournament, there will be drama and intrigue, upsets and thrashings, last-minute victories and Cinderellas. Unlike professional and collegiate sporting events, there is no admission cost for Lent Madness, but souvenirs are available in the “Lentorium” part of the Lent Madness website.
So let the saintly games begin! Well, in three months or so.
Photo below: Father Tim Schenck ceremonially burns last year’s bracket poster at Lent Madness’ annual retreat in Hingham, Massachusetts.
All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café
Good to see a Canadian saint (Henry Budd) in the mix.
I'm especially looking forward to the Battle of the Augustines.
I've got to put an oar in for Raymond Nonnatus!
The "nonnatus" is Latin for "not born"—because his mother actually died during birthing, and he was delivered by caesarean section after she was actually dead.
And if that weren't enough, he joined a religious order devoted to ransoming captives from the Muslim forces in Spain, and when he ran out of ransom money, he gave himSELF as ransom.
But he converted two of his jailers with his preaching, and so his captors drilled holes in his lips and inserted
a padlock so he couldn't preach or speak.
In our day, with the battles about births, his birth is notable. His freeing captives from Muslim imprisonment certainly resonates today. And most of us also know one or two preachers who might well be padlocked.
How could anyone surpass this neat guy?
I'm guessing Nonnatus House in Call the Midwife is named for him. It is a British TV series about Anglican Nuns who are midwives in a poor section of London in the late 50s and early 60s.
Yay!! Delighted to know that the SEC is alive and working hard!
Fanny Crosby is my favorite. Blessed Assurance is one hymn text she wrote.