Loading...We are half-way through the Round of 32 matches! Around 9,000 people have voted each day, which is a remarkable number. The biggest upset so far is Marina the Monk upsetting Dominic. The biggest disappointment is that in the closest match, James the Greater lost to Nicodemus by a mere 244 votes. A final factoid: Marina the Monk is the only female saint to win a matchup with a male saint!
For those keeping score, my record is 5 correct picks out of 8 matches—actually a bit better than my usual results with March Madness!
And now for a brief summary of the upcoming matches…
Monday, March 18 – Biblical Saints
Tabitha vs. Dismas
Tabitha, an important member of the early Church in Jerusalem, was always helping some of the most marginalized in society. She is an example of how the work of the people in the pews is just as important as those who lead the church.
We know Dismas as one of two men crucified next to Jesus. Unlike the other thief who mocked Jesus, Dismas pointed out that Jesus was innocent and didn’t deserve to die. Jesus assured him by saying, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise”.
My pick: Tabitha
Tuesday, March 19 – Mostly Modern Saints
Phillips Brooks vs Marguerite d’Youville
Phillips as Bishop of Massachusetts was well known for his sermons and church leadership. He authored the Christmas Carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”.
Marguerite was a foundress of the Grey Nuns, the Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal. She is called the “Mother of Universal Charity” and was the first native-born Canadian to be declared a saint.
My pick: Marguerite
Wednesday, March 20 – Monastics and Martyrs
Hrotsvitha vs Gobnait
Hrotsvitha was a Benedictine nun in Germany and today is regarded as the first female German poet and the first female playwright.
Gobnait, along with her brother, founded a convent in Ireland and served as its abbess in the sixth century. The cemetery in which she is buried is littered with crutches, a sign of the enduring faith in her gifts of healing.
My pick: Gobnait
Thursday, March 21 – Miscellaneous Saints
Apollonia vs Zenaida
Apollonia was a Christian martyr in the third century. She threw herself into a fire rather than denounce her faith.
Zenaida, and her sister Philonella, were female physicians in the first century. Zenaida was known for her care of children and those with depression and psychiatric disorders.
My pick: Zenaida
Friday, March 22 – Biblical Saints
Ananias vs Photini
Ananias of Damascus abandoned his own safety to receive, heal and instruct Christianity’s most significant convert: Saul of Tarsus—St. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
Photini was the Samaritan woman who spoke with Jesus at the well in Sychar. She was baptized by the early church on Pentecost, founded a vibrant Christian community in Carthage, and was martyred in Rome by the emperor Nero.
My pick: Ananias
Source: The Definitive Guide to Lent Madness: Saintly Scorecard 2019
