For the sixth year running, people worldwide are gearing up for Lent Madness, the “saintly smackdown” in which thirty-two saints do battle to win the coveted Golden Halo.

“Calling itself the world’s most popular online Lenten devotion, Lent Madness brings together cut-throat competition, the lives of the saints, humor and the chance to see how God works in the lives of women and men across all walks of life,” notes a news release from organizers.

The creator of Lent Madness, the Rev. Tim Schenck, said, “People might think Lent is all about eating dirt and giving up chocolate, but it’s really about getting closer to Jesus.”

Schenck, who is rector of St. John’s Church in Hingham, Massachusetts, added, “The saints aren’t just remote images in stained glass windows or pious-looking statues. They were real people God just happened to use in marvelous ways.”

Lent Madness began on Schenck’s blog in 2010 as he sought a way to combine his love of sports with his passion for the lives of saints. Starting in 2012, he partnered with Forward Movement, an official ministry of The Episcopal Church, to bring Lent Madness to the masses.

The Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, Schenck’s Lent Madness co-conspirator, said, “Throughout Lent, as we’re having fun with the competition, we are also inspired by how God used ordinary people to do extraordinary things.”

Gunn, who is executive director of Forward Movement in Cincinnati, Ohio, added, “That’s the whole point of the Christian life: to allow God to work in us to share God’s love and proclaim Good News.”

“Schenck and Gunn form the selfappointed Supreme Executive Committee, a more-or-less benevolent dictatorship that runs the entire operation,” the release states.

Here’s how it works: On the weekdays of Lent (which began Thursday, Feb. 19), information is posted at www.lentmadness.org about two different saints. Each pairing remains open for 24 hours as participants read about and then vote to determine which saint moves on to the next round. Sixteen 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 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,” organizers explained.

This year Lent Madness features an intriguing slate of saints ancient and modern, Biblical and ecclesiastical. 2015 heavyweights include Teresa of Avila, Frederick Douglass, Francis of Assisi, Hildegard of Bingen, Balthazar and the Venerable Bede. The full bracket is online at the Lent Madness website.

This all kicked off on “Ash Thursday,” Feb. 19, but it’s not too late to take part. To participate, visit the Lent Madness website. “Like that other March tournament, there will be drama and intrigue, upsets and thrashings, lastminute victories and Cinderellas,” the release promised.

Ten “celebrity bloggers” from across the country have been tapped to write for the project including the Rev. Amber Belldene of San Francisco, California; the Rev. Laurie Brock of Lexington, Kentucky; Dr. David Creech of Morehead, Minnesota; the Rev. Megan Castellan of Kansas City, Missouri; the Rev. Laura Darling of Oakland, California; Neva Rae Fox of Somerville, New Jersey; the Rev. Nancy Frausto of Los Angeles; the Rev. Canon Robert Hendrickson of Denver, Colorado; the Rev. Maria Kane of Houston, Texas; and the Rev. David Sibley of Manhasset, New York. Information about each of the celebrity bloggers and the rest of the team is available on the Lent Madness website.

This year’s Golden Halo winner will join illustrious company. Previous winners were George Herbert, 17th century English poet, 2010; C.S. Lewis, 20th century British writer and theologian, 2011; Mary Magdalene, disciple of Jesus, 2012; Frances Perkins, 20th century American public servant, 2013; and Charles Wesley, 18th century English preacher and hymn writer, 2014.

People looking for a Lenten discipline that is fun, educational, occasionally goofy, and always joyful, are invited to join in the Lent Madness journey.