The 32-Saint Bracket for Lent Madness 2010
As someone who was raised on “Tobacco Road” and attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I know a little about ACC basketball and March Madness. The Demon Deacons, in fact, have just won their match against the Texas Longhorns in overtime, 81-80. This is the opening round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. More excitement is sure to come.
Well, in the spirit of all that is true and noble, the Rev. Tim Schenck, an Episcopal priest in Massachusetts, has established Lent Madness (a.k.a, “The Saintly Smackdown”). It includes an impressive 32-saint bracket, which you can explore in more detail by clicking on the picture above. You will note that it’s about to go from the Saintly Sixteen to the Elate Eight. The way this works is that a vote takes place on Tim’s blog to choose between saints in each matchup as they make their way toward the Golden Halo.
There’s still time to vote here in the last matchup of the Saintly Sixteen between Stephen the Martyr and Hildegard of Bingen. As the Rector of St. Stephen’s Church (or, more formally, the Church of St. Stephen the Martyr) in Edina, Minnesota, I urge you to vote for Stephen, a deacon and the first martyr of the Christian faith! Unfortunately, Hildegard is leading at the moment, so cast your vote now!
UPDATE: The voting has now come to an end. This was a tough one for those of us who are proud to be Non-Demon Deacons and/or Martyrs. Hildegard of Bingen maintained her lead over Stephen the Martyr right up to the final buzzer. But our collective push there in the second half was noted on Tim’s blog, Clergy Family Confidential. Thanks, Tim, for the shout out!
