St. John
the Evangelist and St. Martin of Tours
by Masolino |
St. Martin
was born in Pannonia (now Hungary), joined the Roman army and served in
Italy and then in Gaul, where the famous episode of his ‘charity’ took place.
One winter day in 337 he met a beggar shivering with cold. Martin cut his
cloak in two and handed one to the pauper. At night he saw a dream, in which
Christ, wearing the half of his cloak came and thanked him. Martin left
the Roman army and converted to Christianity. He founded a monastery of
Liguge in Poitou, in 370 he was elected bishop of Tours. Until his death
in 397 he fulfilled his Episcopal functions, worked as a missionary throughout
western France. He founded the monastery of Marmoutier, which became one
of the largest abbeys in the west. His religious work gave him the name
Apostle of the Gauls.
St. Martin is a patron saint of soldiers and knights, as well as of drapers,
furriers and tailors. He is also one of the patrons of French monarchy. |
