Nominations for next year’s field of 32 saints are currently being accepted by the Supreme Executive Committee. Yes, in addition to Eastertide, today begins Nominationtide.
But before we get to the main attraction, we encourage you to visit the Lentorium. You can prove your love for Lent Madness by loading up on Lent Madness merchandise, including the Lent Madness 2014 tote bag, the Lent Madness wall clock, some Lent Madness 2014 coasters, a Lent Madness 2014 magnet, and much, much more. And, of course, don't forget to stock up on Charles Wesley or Lent Madness perpetual purple mugs.
And now, on to the main attraction, the call for nominations for Lent Madness 2015!
As always, we seek to put together a balanced bracket of saints ancient and modern, Biblical and ecclesiastical representing the breadth and diversity of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Inevitably, some will disagree with certain match-ups or be disappointed that their favorite saint didn’t end up in the official bracket. If you find yourself muttering invective against the SEC, we implore you to take a deep cleansing breath. Remember, there’s always Lent Madness 2029.
While the SEC remains responsible for the formation of the final bracket, we encourage your participation in the nominating process. As in past years, we might even listen to some of your suggestions.
As you discern saints to nominate, please keep in mind that a number of saints are ineligible for next year’s “saintly smack down.” This includes the entire field of Lent Madness 2014, those saints who made it to the Round of the Elate Eight in 2013 and 2012, and those from the 2011 Faithful Four. Here is a comprehensive list of ineligible saints. Please keep this in mind as you submit your nominations — which you can do by leaving a comment on this post.
Also, please note that the saints you nominate should be in the sanctoral calendar of one or more churches. We’re open minded. To a point.
Remember that when it comes to saints in Lent Madness, many are called yet few are chosen (by the SEC). So leave a comment below with your (eligible) nomination!
The Field from 2014 (all ineligible)
Mary of Egypt
David of Wales
Ephrem of Edessa
Catherine of Siena
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Alfred the Great
Lydia
Catherine of Alexandria
Antony of Egypt
Moses the Black
Thomas Gallaudet
Joseph of Arimathea
John Wesley
Charles Henry Brent
Christina the Astonishing
Alcuin
Julia Chester Emry
Charles Wesley
FD Maurice
SJI Schereschewsky
Phillips Brooks
Harriet Bedell
JS Bach
Anna Cooper
John of the Cross
James Holly
Nicholas Ridley
Aelred
Louis of France
Thomas Merton
Basil the Great
Simeon
Past Golden Halo Winners (ineligible)
George Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Mary Magalene, Frances Perkins, Charles Wesley
From 2011 — 2013 (ineligible)
Jonathan Daniels
Harriet Tubman
Hilda of Whitby
Luke
Dorothy Day
Li-Tim Oi
Oscar Romero
Enmegahbowh
Emma of Hawaii
Margaret of Scotland
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Evelyn Underhill
Jerome
Thomas Cranmer
Clare of Assisi
Thomas Beckett
Perpetua
By the way, it's worth remembering that all the talk you hear these days about transparency and accountability is moot for the SEC. We reveal little and answer to no one. So if you don't like the choices that we'll announce at an unspecified future date known only to us (see what we did there?), start your own online devotional.
For now, we wish you a joyous Eastertide and Nominationtide.
985 comments on “Nominations Open!”
Theresa of Avila
Dorothy Day
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jonathan Myrick Daniels
Damien of Molokai
Mother Theresa
John Wesley
Susanna Wesley
Patrick
Fred Rogers
Mary Mackillop (19th c. Scots-Australian, founded the Josephite teaching order, excommunicated by her bishop for reporting a paedophile priest, reinstated by the pope once he learned the full facts, canonised by Benny 16 a few years ago)
John Flynn (early 20th c. Australian Presbyterian minister, on the calendar of the Uniting Church in Australia, founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service, pioneered the provision of health care in remote areas of Australia)
Note: I'd be happy to do some of the research/writing if necessary, particularly re the two Australians.
Please consider Saint Hripsime (alternate spelling: St. Rhipsime) who was one of the first Christian martyrs of Armenia. (Later, in 301 AD, Armenia would adopt Christianity as a state religion and be the first nation in the world to so.) Born into nobility, Hripsime is also known as Saint Arsema by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Saint Ripsimia by the Greeks.
Her “claim to fame” is that while living with a group of virgin nuns in Rome she caught the eye of Diocletian. Threatened with violence when she wouldn’t “give it up” for the Emperor, she and the entire community escaped to Alexandria, not only so Hripsime could avoid his advances, but also so the nuns could remain free from persecution of their Christian beliefs. The group eventually ended up in Armenia, where according to one version of the story, Diocletian who had continued to pursue Hripsime, sent a letter to the pagan Armenian King Tiridates III, demanding he either send her back or keep her for himself. Tiridates summoned Hripsime, and when she came before him, he immediately fell in love with her and wanted to marry. She wouldn’t “give it up” for him either and refused to be sent back to Diocletian as she, along with her fellow nuns, were betrothed to Jesus Christ. Around 290 AD, Hripsime was tortured, had her tongue cut out, blinded, beheaded and cut into pieces. Shortly after, the rest of the nuns were executed as well.
It is said that after the persecutions, King Tiridates and his soldiers turned into wild animals roaming the forests of Armenia. He was healed by St. Gregory the Illuminator who, at that time, was undergoing a conversion of his own. Thirteen years later, under St. Gregory, Armenia would adopt Christianity as it sofficial religion.
Saint Hripsime church in Armenia was constructed in 395 AD on the site of her execution. Tiridates and St. Gregory constructed a martyrium where they placed the remains of the nuns. Today the church houses the catacomb of Hripsime. The current structure, completed in 618, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Her feast days include:
September 29 (Roman Catholic Church)
September 30 (Orthodox Church)
October 9 (Coptic Orthodox Church)
October 9 (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)
June 4 (Armenian Apostolic Church)
St. Hripsime for Lent Madness 2017!
It is so hard when we have those already "canonized" pitted against those who are less known or at least less recognized. What about a whole contest made up of those who haven't already been awarded a "golden halo" by more official bodies?
Aidan of Northumbria - Patron saint of my Episcopal College Ministry. He stirred things up!
Bishop William Gordon (Bishop of Alaska) - he was creative in getting around his see and in 'retirement' fully supported camp ministry
Fred Rogers - he likes us, just the way we are
Phyllis Tickle - a modern-day prophet
I second the nominations of MLK Jr. and Thurgood Marshall, and would like to put forward a few myself: Samuel Seabury of apostolic succession and Revolutionary War fame; St. Raymond Nonnatus, patron saint of midwives and guard against gossip; and my personal favorite, Fanny Crosby - the blind author of so many inspiring hymns - Blessed Assurance, Near the Cross - there's a lot of them!
Brother Roger Schütz founder of the Taize Community
another great one might be Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Fr Michael McGivney founder of the Knights of Columbus and a parish priest with a good idea
Fr. Michael McGivney won't be popular with many followers of this website, but I definitely second your nomination!!
Augustine
Which one? Hippo or Canterbury?
Let's do both. The Battle of the Augustines!
I would like to nominate St Bernadette of Lourdes, Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen.
St. Genevieve, Elizabeth Ann Set on, and St. Anne, mother of Mary.
In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, how about Katharina von Bora--the wife of Martin Luther?
St. Patrick
Hildegarde of Bingen
St. Stephan of Mar Saba
Roland Allen who inspired us to rethink missiology and to value the ministries of clergy who are formed on the local level.
Clarence Jordan
St. Andrew, brother of Peter...? Became a "fisher of men"...
Saint Julia..... My namesake, understand she was martyred for her belief in Christ. Fig & let her compete!
Dig not fig.....
Maya Angelou
I'm happy to second, or fourth, or forty-fourth the following:
Florence Li Tim-Oi+
The Rev. Fred Rogers
Bro. Lawrence of the Resurrection
Susannah Wesley (once saw an excellent one-woman play about her)
Dorothy Sayers (because people should know more about her than just Lord Peter)
Andre Trocne (because I'd like to learn more about him!)
And thanks to Tim and Scott and the commenting community for making my Lent such a delightful -and fun- learning experience! A glorious Eastertide AND Nominationtide to all!
Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf
Jan Hus
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Ignatius of Loyola
Sadhu Sundar Singh
John Woolman
Therese of Lisieux
I second Count von Zinzendorf and Jan Hus.
Fred Rogers
Dorothy Day
Oscar Romero
Henry Nowen
Theresa of Avila
Florence Li Tim-Oi
Bishop Jackson Kemper (he had such a great ground support he needs another run)
Dorothy Day. Clearly the most inspiring person of the 20th Century, although not a "Saint" yet in the Catholic Church. Not only does Pope Francis like her, she scored very favorably among many Americans. (Full disclosure: I had the good fortune of meeting her one time. And, have "thought" of myself as a "Catholic Worker" for more than 45 years — and now I'm in my 60's.)
If only I could live the Gospel like her...
Haven't yet seen this one: Eleanor Roosevelt. I hear some folks are preparing to submit her for consideration to Holy Women Holy Men next time round. Lent Madness can jump start the process.
Giuseppe Verdi
Sr Joan Chittister
Sr Helen Prejean
Fannie Lou Hamer