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Patron Saint of the Martin Family
Also known as Martin the Merciful; The Glory of Gaul - Memorial 11 November
Saint Martin of Tours (Latin: Martinus), (316/317 – November 11, 397 in Candes) was a bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Roman Catholic saints. Some of the accounts of his travels may have been interpolated into his vita to give credence to early sites of his cult. His life was recorded by a contemporary, the hagiographer Sulpitius Severus. He is the patron saint of soldiers.
Saint Martin of Tours (Latin: Martinus), (316/317 – November 11, 397 in Candes) was a bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Roman Catholic saints. Some of the accounts of his travels may have been interpolated into his vita to give credence to early sites of his cult. His life was recorded by a contemporary, the hagiographer Sulpitius Severus. He is the patron saint of soldiers.
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When the bishop of Tours died in 371, Martin was the immediate choice to replace him. Martin declined, citing unworthiness Rusticus, a wealthy citizen of Tours, claimed his wife was ill and asking for Martin; when he arrived in the city, he was declared bishop by popular acclamation, consecrated on 4 July 372.
Moved to a hermit's cell near Tours. Other monks joined him, and a new house, Marmoutier, soon formed. He rarely left his monastery or see city, but sometimes went to Trier to plead with the emperor for his city, his church, or his parishioners. Once when he went to ask for lenience for a condemned prisoner, an angel woke the emperor to tell him that Martin was waiting to see him; the prisoner was reprieved.
Martin himself was given to visions, but even his contemporaries sometimes ascribed them to his habit of lengthy fasts. An extensive biography of Martin was written by Sulpicius Severus. He was the first non-martyr to receive the cultus of a saint. Born c.316 at Upper Pannonia (in modern Hungary)
Died 8 November 397 at Candes, Tours, France of natural causes; by his request, he was buried in the Cemetery of the Poor on 11 November 397; his relics rested in the basilica of Tours, a scene of pilgrimages and miracles, until 1562 when the catheral and relics were destroyed by militant Protestants; some small fragments on his tomb were found during construction excavation in 1860
Moved to a hermit's cell near Tours. Other monks joined him, and a new house, Marmoutier, soon formed. He rarely left his monastery or see city, but sometimes went to Trier to plead with the emperor for his city, his church, or his parishioners. Once when he went to ask for lenience for a condemned prisoner, an angel woke the emperor to tell him that Martin was waiting to see him; the prisoner was reprieved.
Martin himself was given to visions, but even his contemporaries sometimes ascribed them to his habit of lengthy fasts. An extensive biography of Martin was written by Sulpicius Severus. He was the first non-martyr to receive the cultus of a saint. Born c.316 at Upper Pannonia (in modern Hungary)
Died 8 November 397 at Candes, Tours, France of natural causes; by his request, he was buried in the Cemetery of the Poor on 11 November 397; his relics rested in the basilica of Tours, a scene of pilgrimages and miracles, until 1562 when the catheral and relics were destroyed by militant Protestants; some small fragments on his tomb were found during construction excavation in 1860
Born to pagan parents; his father was a Roman military officer and tribune. Martin was raised in Pavia, Italy. Discovered Christianity, and became a catechumen in his early teens. Joined the Roman imperial army at age 15, serving in a ceremonial unit that acted as the emperor's bodyguard, rarely exposed to combat. Cavalry officer, and assigned to garrison duty in Gaul.
Trying to live his faith, he refused to let his servant to wait on him. Once, while on horseback in Amiens in Gaul (modern France), he encountered a beggar. Having nothing to give but the clothes on his back, he cut his heavy officer's cloak in half, and gave it to the beggar. Later he had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak.
Baptised into the Church at age 18. Just before a battle, Martin announced that his faith prohibited him from fighting. Charged with cowardice, he was jailed, and his superiors planned to put him in the front of the battle. However, the invaders sued for peace, the battle never occurred, and Martin was released from military service at Worms. Spiritual student of Saint Hilary at Poitiers.
Trying to live his faith, he refused to let his servant to wait on him. Once, while on horseback in Amiens in Gaul (modern France), he encountered a beggar. Having nothing to give but the clothes on his back, he cut his heavy officer's cloak in half, and gave it to the beggar. Later he had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak.
Baptised into the Church at age 18. Just before a battle, Martin announced that his faith prohibited him from fighting. Charged with cowardice, he was jailed, and his superiors planned to put him in the front of the battle. However, the invaders sued for peace, the battle never occurred, and Martin was released from military service at Worms. Spiritual student of Saint Hilary at Poitiers.
On a visit to Lombardy to see his parents, he was robbed in the mountains - but managed to convert one of the thieves. At home he found that his mother had converted, but his father had not. The area was strongly Arian, and openly hostile to Catholics. Martin was badly abused by the heretics, at one point even by the order of the Arian bishop. Learning that the Arians had gained the upper hand in Gaul and exiled Saint Hilary, Martin fled to the island of Gallinaria (modern Isola d'Albenga).
Learning that the emperor had authorized Hilary's return, Martin ran to him in 361, then became a hermit for ten years in the area now known as Ligugé. A reputation for holiness attracted other monks, and they formed what would become the Benedictine abbey of Ligugé. Preached and evangelized through the Gallic countryside. Many locals held strongly to the old beliefs, and tried to intimidate Martin by dressing as the old Roman gods, and appearing to him at night; Martin continued to win converts. He destroyed old temples, and built churches on the land. Friend of Saint Liborius, bishop of Le Mans.
Learning that the emperor had authorized Hilary's return, Martin ran to him in 361, then became a hermit for ten years in the area now known as Ligugé. A reputation for holiness attracted other monks, and they formed what would become the Benedictine abbey of Ligugé. Preached and evangelized through the Gallic countryside. Many locals held strongly to the old beliefs, and tried to intimidate Martin by dressing as the old Roman gods, and appearing to him at night; Martin continued to win converts. He destroyed old temples, and built churches on the land. Friend of Saint Liborius, bishop of Le Mans.
Patronage against impoverishment; against poverty; alcoholism; beggars; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Burgenland; cavalry; Dieburg, Germany; Edingen, Germany; equestrians; France; geese; horse men; horses; hotel-keepers; innkeepers; Kortijk-Dutsel, Belgium; Mainz, Germany; Olpe, Germany; Pontifical Swiss Guards; quartermasters; reformed alcoholics; riders; diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany; soldiers; tailors; vintners; Virje, Croatia; wine growers; wine makers; Wissmannsdorf, Germany
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ST MARTIN’S CELTIC CROSS
Iona is a small island off the Isle of Mull in western Scotland. It has been a "Holy Isle" from time immemorial. An early Gaelic name for it was "Isle of the Druids". In the sixth century St. Columba (Columkille) went there from Ireland and founded a monastic settlement; still later there was a Medieval Beuedietine Abbey on the same site; in the 1930's this was rebuilt by Sir George MacLeod for the newly founded Iona Community - a centre for prayer, reflection and reconciliation.
We know a great deal about the life of St. Columba. He went to Iona in 563. The settlement there would have been in the Celtic style, the monks living in separate cells, coming together for meals and community prayer. From Iona the monks went to mainland Scotland, preaching the Gospel and setting up other foundations.
Columba went back to Ireland in 575AD where he defended the poets of Ireland at the council of Drumcaet. From there he travelled on, visiting some of his earlier foundations and founded the monastic settlement at Drumcliffe. He returned to Iona, which was now his home, and died there in 597.
Iona continued to grow and flourish, and during the 7th Century it had the largest library in Europe and there are supposed to have been 300 crosses. The Viking invasions meant the total destruction of the library and almost all the crosses - there are now only three left, the most famous being the cross dedicated to St. Martin of Tours. This cross was probably carved towards the end of the 8th Century.
Martin lived in France in the last years of the 4th Century. He was a soldier, a member of the Roman Imperial Army. He became a Christian but remained in the army to complete his appointed term. There is a famous painting by El Greco narrating a story from this period of his life - the sharing of his cloak with a beggar. At some time in his life he had read about St. Antony of Egypt who had left city life to live as a hermit in the desert. This appealed to Martin and when he left the army he set up a hermitage near Poitiers in France. He gathered other men around him on an organised basis. Each monk/hermit had his own cell but they all met for meals and communal prayers and were bound in obedience to the head of the settlement. When Martin was chosen Bishop of Tours he moved his fellow hermits to a settlement just over a mile from Tours and continued to live as a monk among them. It is a matter for conjecture how a cross on Iona in Scotland, an island that had such close and continuing connection with the Columban monasteries in Ireland, is dedicated to this French saint.
In fact many churches in Scotland and England are named after him and it is thought that St. Ninian of Scotland visited Tours. Also St. Martin's life by Sulpican Severus is reproduced in the "Book of Armagh:, one of the great Irish Manuscripts now in Trinity College, Dublin. Certainly the early Irish monks also knew about St. Antony and St. Paul, the desert fathers, reproducing the story of the raven who fed them in the desert as a allegory for the Eucharist, on several of the Irish High crosses. It is easy then to see how the story of St. Martin and his monastic settlement would have appealed to them as a man to be admired and venerated
We know a great deal about the life of St. Columba. He went to Iona in 563. The settlement there would have been in the Celtic style, the monks living in separate cells, coming together for meals and community prayer. From Iona the monks went to mainland Scotland, preaching the Gospel and setting up other foundations.
Columba went back to Ireland in 575AD where he defended the poets of Ireland at the council of Drumcaet. From there he travelled on, visiting some of his earlier foundations and founded the monastic settlement at Drumcliffe. He returned to Iona, which was now his home, and died there in 597.
Iona continued to grow and flourish, and during the 7th Century it had the largest library in Europe and there are supposed to have been 300 crosses. The Viking invasions meant the total destruction of the library and almost all the crosses - there are now only three left, the most famous being the cross dedicated to St. Martin of Tours. This cross was probably carved towards the end of the 8th Century.
Martin lived in France in the last years of the 4th Century. He was a soldier, a member of the Roman Imperial Army. He became a Christian but remained in the army to complete his appointed term. There is a famous painting by El Greco narrating a story from this period of his life - the sharing of his cloak with a beggar. At some time in his life he had read about St. Antony of Egypt who had left city life to live as a hermit in the desert. This appealed to Martin and when he left the army he set up a hermitage near Poitiers in France. He gathered other men around him on an organised basis. Each monk/hermit had his own cell but they all met for meals and communal prayers and were bound in obedience to the head of the settlement. When Martin was chosen Bishop of Tours he moved his fellow hermits to a settlement just over a mile from Tours and continued to live as a monk among them. It is a matter for conjecture how a cross on Iona in Scotland, an island that had such close and continuing connection with the Columban monasteries in Ireland, is dedicated to this French saint.
In fact many churches in Scotland and England are named after him and it is thought that St. Ninian of Scotland visited Tours. Also St. Martin's life by Sulpican Severus is reproduced in the "Book of Armagh:, one of the great Irish Manuscripts now in Trinity College, Dublin. Certainly the early Irish monks also knew about St. Antony and St. Paul, the desert fathers, reproducing the story of the raven who fed them in the desert as a allegory for the Eucharist, on several of the Irish High crosses. It is easy then to see how the story of St. Martin and his monastic settlement would have appealed to them as a man to be admired and venerated
Normans