Happy Martinmas!
It seems fitting that Veterans’ Day – Armistice Day – is celebrated on November 11, for this is the memorial of the soldier-saint, Martin of Tours. He was a soldier turned monk turned reluctant bishop, and he was one of the first saints to be venerated who wasn’t a martyr1.
Saint Martin of Tours was born in A.D. 336 in Pannonia, a Roman region containing modern Hungary, Croatia, and Austria. He is celebrated for his humility and compassion. Raised in a pagan family, Martin was drawn to Christianity from a young age, becoming a catechumen by age 10, despite the objection of his parents.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Martin joined the Roman army at age 15 and served as an officer in Gaul (modern France). During this time, he famously cut his military cloak in half to share with a beggar suffering in the cold. That night, he dreamt of Christ wearing the half-cloak and proclaiming, “Martin, still a catechumen, has clothed me.” Inspired, Martin was baptized at 18 and soon left military life, resolving never again to kill.
Martin became a disciple of Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a renowned theologian, and founded a monastic community near Poitiers. His humility and devotion attracted others, and the monastery thrived, becoming the first major center of monastic life in Roman Gaul.
In 371, despite his reluctance, Martin was chosen as Bishop of Tours. As bishop, Martin continued to live a simple life, preaching and helping the poor, while actively opposing paganism in his region. He became known for his humility, charity, and miraculous healings. He sought mercy for prisoners throughout Gaul and defended heretics against execution.
Saint Martin died in 397 and remains one of the most beloved saints in Western Christianity. He was especially popular in the Medieval era. His feast day, sometimes called “Martinmas”, traditionally marked the end of the harvest season in Germany and central Europe, as well as being the octave day of All Saints.
Traditions include feasting on ‘Martinmas goose’ or ‘Martinmas beef’, drinking the first wine of the season, and mumming. In some German and Dutch-speaking towns, there are processions of children with lanterns (Laternelaufen), sometimes led by a horseman representing St Martin. The saint was also said to bestow gifts on children. In the Rhineland, it is also marked by lighting bonfires.
Thousands of churches bear his name, and he is co-patron saint of France, remembered for his compassion, mercy, and dedication to peace. He has appeared as an apparition to several saints throughout the ages, including Saint Odo of Cluny and Saint Joan of Arc.
Over the course of my pilgrimages in Spain and France, I passed many, many churches dedicated to this saint. This is one of my favourites:
And of course, here in Western Washington, we have Saint Martin’s Abbey, of which I am an Oblate.
May you have all the joy of the feast!