In this corner, Mary Magdalene. Her opponent? Joan of Arc.

In what's shaping up as a matchup of two religious heavyweights, Thursday's showdown will pit two of the best-known and most-revered female saints in Christian history against each other.

The winner will go on to the Round of Saintly 16, with a chance to compete in the Elate Eight, the Faithful Four, and the championship round to earn the Golden Halo.

The loser? Well, she's knocked out of the contest.

"I think this may very well be the year of the woman," said the Rev. Tim Schenck, an Episcopal priest and sports fan who founded LentMadness.org, a hybrid of March Madness and Lenten piety, in 2010.

The first two years, male saints dominated the contests. Last year, C.S. Lewis defeated Thomas Becket in the final round, and in 2010, George Herbert bested Julian of Norwich to take the Golden Halo. But this season may be different, Father Schenck said, although he never makes predictions. "There's some very strong women in it this year," he said. "I think Mary Magdalene is very popular right now and it's going to be an interesting round when she goes against Joan of Arc."

The whole idea of Lent Madness, with saints vying against one another in single-elimination, NCAA hoops-style brackets, is completely absurd, Father Schenck is quick to acknowledge. But it's also a lot of fun and, hopefully, educational too.

"It started on a whim, really. The basic idea was that there's no reason Lent should be all doom and gloom or that it should be dreary, which is often the perception. I love Lent. What could be better than a season specifically set apart to be closer to God? So I thought, 'OK, what can I do to do something that is fun and engaging and also educational?' And I just kind of came up with Lent Madness."

Lent Madness has been gaining adherents, with up to 2,700 voting for a single saintly showdown this year. Some matchups generate hundreds of comments from voters of all religious denominations around the globe.

Father Schenck, rector of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Hingham, Mass., said he enjoys coming up with the field of 32. He tries to get a "good balance" of ancient and modern, men and women. Some of the saints have been officially canonized, others are saints "with a lower case 's,' " Father Schenck said, not officially given sainthood but "commemorated" on the Episcopal calendar.

"The intrigue grows and the absurdity of the matchups makes it even more appealing," Father Schenck said. "But let's face it, one saint is not better than another."

LentMadness.org provides biographies of each contestant so voters can make informed decisions. "Celebrity bloggers" talk up the showdowns the way sportscasters hype and analyze major events.

Take the Mary Magdalene vs. Joan of Arc matchup, for example.

Lent Madness explains that Mary of Magdala traveled with Jesus throughout his ministry, was arguably his most devoted disciple, and was the first witness to the Resurrection of Jesus as Christ. Unfortunately, she's "often confused with the 'sinner' mentioned in Luke's Gospel, Mary of Bethany (sister of Lazarus), and unnamed others including the woman possessed by demons."

Joan of Arc, meanwhile, the subject of countless books and movies, was a 15th-century French peasant girl who heard voices and saw visions telling her to develop her piety. She defeated the English at Orleans in 1429 but was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1431. A new trial by the Church in 1450 overturned the conviction and declared her a martyr, and Joan was declared a saint in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson, rector of Toledo's St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, is a Lent Madness enthusiast. "I have a couple of friends around the country that are voting and we comment on each other's brackets and how we're doing," he said.

His wife, the Rev. Jen Williamson, a United Methodist minister, and his secretary, Laura Empie, a Roman Catholic, also have brackets.

"It think it's a great educational tool and it's pretty fun," Father Williamson said. "When you go to Lent Madness, you can learn a little more about our heritage and the folks who have shaped the religion in ways that we continue to benefit from."

Just as in college basketball, there have been some upsets, such as when Philander Chase, a bishop and founder of Kenyon College, defeated Thomas Merton, a famous 20th-century Catholic monk.

"That really busted my bracket," Father Williamson said.

Upcoming matches will feature Rose of Lima against Brigid, then a "Tarsus tussle" with Paul of Tarsus battling Theodore of Tarsus. The "Elate Eight" round starts March 27 and the Golden Halo is to be decided April 4.

Father Schenck said he hopes nobody is too offended by Lent Madness -- including God. "If God doesn't have a sense of humor, I'm hosed," he said.

Contact David Yonke at: dyonke@theblade.com or 419-724-6154.

First Published March 10, 2012, 5:00 a.m.