Lent Madness!

If you’re looking for an unusual way of celebrating Lent and helping students learn about saints at the same time, have a look at Lent Madness. Started in 2010, this is a slightly crazy, sports-competition-inspired annual journey to voting a saint in to win the Golden Halo for the year. In the organisers’ words:

The format is straightforward: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint. 16 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 coveted 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.

We are unlikely to be able to vote in the “real thing” from NZ, but exactly the same structure could be set up within a school, and the resources, blog posts and quirky ideas of the original can easily be used. Have a look at the website to find out more.