Diocese Invited to Join St. Francis House in Lent Madness This Season
This Lent, one of our campus ministries will once again help bring a little extra joy — and a lot of learning — to the season.
St. Francis House Episcopal Student Center in UW Madison will participate in Lent Madness 2026, the popular churchwide Lenten devotion that invites people to learn about saints through a daily, bracket-style matchup.
Even more exciting, St. Francis House has been invited to announce one of this year’s official matchups and share the news with the wider church community.
It’s a natural fit for a ministry rooted in conversation, curiosity, and gathering around tables.
Matchup posts will begin the first week of Lent, on Thursday, February 19. We are looking forward to playing along with you!
Learning the saints — together
For those new to Lent Madness, the format is simple: each day in Lent, two saints are paired in a friendly “competition.” Participants read short biographies and vote for the one who most inspires them. Winners advance through the bracket until one saint receives the Golden Halo.
Along the way, people discover stories of courage, faithfulness, justice, and compassion — often encountering saints they’ve never heard of before.
What begins as a lighthearted activity quickly becomes something deeper: formation, storytelling, and community-building wrapped into a few minutes a day.
At St. Francis House, Lent Madness has become a way to spark conversation among students and young adults. A bracket on the wall or a quick vote between classes can turn into thoughtful discussions about vocation, service, and what faithful living looks like today.
It’s accessible, welcoming, and low-pressure — especially for students or newcomers who might not be ready to jump into a full study group but are curious about faith.
In other words, it’s exactly the kind of small, relational practice that campus ministry does so well.
An invitation to the whole of DioWis:
St. Francis House hopes its participation encourages others across the Diocese of Wisconsin to join in, too.
Lent Madness works beautifully in all kinds of settings:
coffee hour conversations
youth groups
adult forums
parish social media
friendly intergenerational competitions
All it takes is a printed bracket and a willingness to have a little fun together.
Whether you’re a large parish or a small congregation, it’s an easy way to add daily engagement during Lent and to connect people with the wider story of the Church.
How to Get Involved
Lent Madness is designed to be easy and welcoming for all ages and parish sizes. Here’s how your parish or group can take part:
1. Visit the official Lent Madness site for resources
Matchup posts will begin the first week of Lent, on Thursday, February 19. We are looking forward to playing along with you! Go to the Lent Madness bracket page to view the full 2026 bracket online and order a poster for your community to follow:
🔗 LentMadness.org Bracket & Resources — https://www.lentmadness.org/#bracket
2. Sign up for email updates and daily matchups
From the home page, you can sign up for email notifications so your group gets reminders and matchup announcements throughout Lent.
3. Share in worship and formation spaces
Display the printable bracket poster in your parish hall, coffee hour space, or fellowship room.
Use daily matchups as short reflections during coffee hours, weekday studies, youth groups, or adult forums.
Encourage friendly parish-wide predictions or “saint pools” to spark conversation and intergenerational engagement.
4. Follow and share online
Follow St. Francis House and Lent Madness so you can see when they announce daily! Connect with the broader Lent Madness community on social media and through the Lent Madness website — a great way to bring your local participation into dialogue with others across the church.
Why Participation Matters
Lent is a season of reflection, tradition, and spiritual formation. Activities like Lent Madness create gentle daily rhythms that help congregations encounter the saints of the Church’s calendar with curiosity and joy. By doing so together — in parish halls, campus ministries, and households — Episcopalians of all ages can deepen their appreciation for the cloud of witnesses surrounding us.
St. Francis House invites diocesan congregations large and small to join them this Lent — whether you follow along online, host your own bracket activities, or simply read and vote each day. Together, we can make this a season of shared discovery and joyful devotion across the Diocese of Wisconsin. Faithful — and joyful
Lent is often associated with solemnity, but it’s also a season for intention, growth, and community. Activities like Lent Madness remind us that spiritual formation can include laughter, learning, and shared stories.
Watch for St. Francis House’s upcoming matchup announcement this winter — and consider how your parish might follow along or host your own bracket.
Because sometimes the simplest invitations — a story, a vote, a conversation — are the ones that draw us closer together.
