Feast Day November 11
Patron of Soldiers
AKA Martin the Merciful, The Glory of Gaul
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. He joined the Roman imperial army at
age 15, serving in a ceremonial unit that acted as the
emperor's bodyguard, rarely exposed to combat. As a
Calvary officer, he was and assigned to garrison duty in
Gaul.
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.
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. 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). Martin 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, Marin
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.
When the bishop of Tours died, 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.
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.