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…)

Today, the Faithful Four concludes as Nicolaus Zinzendorf takes on Sundar Singh. To arrive at this point, Nicolaus defeated Zita of Tuscany, Francis Xavier, and Philip, Deacon and Evangelist.

But the real question of the day is, Who will face Zechariah for the Golden Halo? In yesterday's matchup Zechariah swept past Elizabeth of Hungary 56% to 44% to advance to the Championship round.

Whoever wins, the final battle of Lent Madness 2025 will conclude with 24 hours of voting starting at 8:00 am on Spy Wednesday, with the winner announced at 8:00 am on Maundy Thursday.

And don't forget to join us on Facebook Live at 1:00 pm EST on Wednesday for an exciting live event featuring Christian, Michael, and some of our Celebrity Bloggers as we get hyped about the Championship voting and look to the future of Lent Madness!

Vote now!

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Welcome to the Faithful Four! From an initial field of 32 saints, we are down to a holy four: Zechariah, Elizabeth of Hungary, Sundar Singh, and Nicolaus Zinzendorf.

Today, it's Zechariah vs. Elizabeth. To make it this far, Zechariah defeated Yvette of Huy, Rose of Lima, and Irenaeus. While Elizabeth of Hungary's path went through Felicity, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and Verena of Zurzach. Want to read the write-ups from the previous rounds? Click on the links!

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 2025 Golden Halo.

It being Monday, we bring you today's episode of Monday Madness! The last in-season episode of Lent Madness 2025. Fr. Michael and Fr. Christian are back with all the excitement as we enter the final stretch of Lent Madness! In this episode, they get ready for the epic LIVE Golden Halo event this Wednesday, reflect on how the Faithful Four connects to each day of Holy Week, and share heartfelt thanks for being part of this incredible season. We love Lent Madness—and we love all of you!  Don’t miss the celebration this Wednesday as we gather on LIVE on Facebook at 1:00 pm EST. 

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Welcome to the last battle of the week, the last matchup of the Elate Eight, and the last full week of Lent Madness 2025! Today, Philip, Deacon and Evangelist faces Nicolaus Zinzendorf as they seek to join Zechariah, Sundar Singh, and Elizabeth of Hungary in the Faithful Four.

Yes, you heard that correctly, Elizabeth of Hungary won her contest yesterday with Verena of Zurzach 67% to 33% to snag the final spot in the next round.

So, the Faithful Four is Set. On Monday, Zechariah faces Elizabeth of Hungary; on Tuesday, Sundar Singh squares off against the winner of today's matchup. And then all will be set for Spy Wednesday's  Championship Round.

But first, here's your Daily Lenten Showdown...

Vote now!

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The Elate Eight continues with reckless abandon as Elizabeth of Hungary takes on Verena of Zurzach.

Yesterday, in a VERY TIGHT battle that saw back-and-forth lead changes all day, Sundar Singh prevailed over Emily Cooper 51% to 49% to advance to the Faithful Four. Yes, folks, every (single!) vote counts.

Here's your Daily Lenten Showdown...

Vote now!

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Next up in the Elate Eight is the highly anticipated matchup between two modern saints, Emily Cooper and Sundar Singh. Good luck choosing between these two!

Yesterday, Zechariah narrowly defeated Irenaeus 52% to 48% to snag the first spot in the Faithful Four.

Here's your Daily Lenten Showdown...

Vote now!

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And then there were eight! Welcome, friends, to the Elate Eight. We've moved from 32 to 16 to 8 saints still standing. Or kneeling. But either way, today it's Irenaeus vs. Zechariah, tomorrow Sundhar Singh faces Emily Cooper, on Thursday Elizabeth of Hungary battles Verena of Zurzach, and we round things out on Friday with Philip vs. Nicolaus Zizendorf (who advanced yesterday after defeating Francis Xavier 56% to 44%).

The Elate Eight is also known as the Round of Saintly Kitsch. After basic biographies, quirks and quotes, what else could there be? Now, there are always some folks who take offense at this approach — we call them Kitsch Kranks. Please remember that this round is not meant to belittle or demean our saintly heroes, but to have some fun and gaze in wide wonder at the breadth of devotional practice. So kindly relax and enjoy the spirit of the Madness as we push ever onward toward our goal.

And if you'd find it helpful to review the write-ups from the previous rounds, you can always click the Bracket tab and scroll down to find all the earlier matchups.

Here's your Daily Saintly Showdown with Christian and Michael...

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Happy Monday! And welcome to the FINAL battle of the Saintly Sixteen as Francis Xavier takes on Nicolaus Zinzendorf. Who will snag the final spot in the Elate Eight? That's up to you and the next 24 hours.

On Friday, Verena of Zurzach trounced Lucy Yi Zhenmei 73% to 27% to advance to the next round.

Vote now!

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In the last matchup of the week, Zerena of Zurzach (try saying that five times fast) faces Lucy Yi Zhenmei (try saying that five times fast) as the Saintly Sixteen continues with reckless abandon.

Yesterday, Sundhar Singh singed Zenaida 60% to 40% to advance to the Elate Eight, where she'll face Emily Cooper in what promises to be a tough contest.

And...here's your Daily Saintly Showdown...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW3sRWRUOqw

We'll see you bright and early Monday morning for the final battle of the Saintly Sixteen, as Francis Xavier takes on Nicolaus Zinzendorf.

Vote now!

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