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|SaintName=Saint Martin of Tours
|SaintName=Saint Martin of Tours
|SaintStage=Saint
|SaintStage=Saint
|FeastDay=November 11
|SaintBirthDate=
|SaintBirthPlace=Savarim, Pannonia, Roman Empire (now Szombathely, Hungary)
|SaintBirthPlace=Savaria, Pannonia, Roman Empire (now Szombathely, Hungary)
|SaintBirthCoordinates=47.2333, 16.6333
|SaintBirthCoordinates=47.2333, 16.6333
|SaintDeathDate=397-08-11
|SaintDeathDate=11-08-0397
|DeathPlace=Candé, Loire-et-Cher, Kingdom of the Franks
|DeathPlace=Candes-Saint-Martin, Loire Valley, Gaul, Roman Empire (now France)
|SaintDeathCoordinates=47.6167, 1.1333
|SaintDeathCoordinates=47.2167, 0.0667
|SaintCauseOfDeath=natural causes
|SaintCauseOfDeath=Natural causes
|NotableAddress1=Marmoutier Abbey, 37300 Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France
|NotableAddress1=7 Rue de la Préfecture, 37000 Tours, France
|NotableLabel1=Founded hermitage and monastic community
|NotableLabel1=Basilica of St. Martin (tomb and primary shrine)
|NotableCoordinates1=47.3833, 0.7000
|NotableCoordinates1=47.3942, 0.6842
|NotableAddress2=Basilica of St. Martin, 7 Rue de la Rôtisserie, 37000 Tours, France
|NotableAddress2=Abbaye de Ligugé, 86240 Ligugé, France
|NotableLabel2=Site of relics and primary shrine
|NotableLabel2=First monastery founded
|NotableCoordinates2=47.3944, 0.6856
|NotableCoordinates2=46.4333, 0.2667
|NotableAddress3=Cathedral of St. Martin, 37000 Tours, France
|NotableAddress3=Basilique Saint-Martin, Tours, France
|NotableLabel3=Episcopal seat and burial place
|NotableLabel3=Site of original basilica
|NotableCoordinates3=47.3942, 0.6853
|NotableCoordinates3=47.3942, 0.6842
|AssociatedCountries=France; Hungary
|NotableAddress4=St. Martin's Church, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1RP, United Kingdom
|AssociatedDioceses=[[Diocese of Tours]]
|NotableLabel4=Early English dedication
|NotableCoordinates4=51.2792, 1.0833
|NotableAddress5=Basilica di San Martino, Lucca, Italy
|NotableLabel5=Italian pilgrimage site
|NotableCoordinates5=43.8436, 10.4997
|BeatificationDate=
|Beatifier=
|BeatificationLocation=
|Canonized=Yes
|Canonized=Yes
|CanonizationDate=Ancient recognition
|Canonizer=Early Church
|Canonizer=Early Church
|SaintMiracle1=Sharing cloak with beggar who revealed as Christ
|CanonizationLocation=
|SaintMiracle2=Raising a catechumen from the dead
|SaintMiracle1=Vision after sharing cloak with beggar
|SaintMiracle3=Calming a storm at sea
|SaintMiracle2=Raising three dead persons
|Profession=soldier; bishop
|SaintMiracle3=Healing of paralytic and exorcisms
|ReligiousAffiliation=Early Christian Church
|FeastDay=November 11
|Patronage=soldiers; France; horses; against poverty; geese
|Profession=Soldier; monk; bishop
|Attributes=cloak; goose; soldier's lance; beggar
|ReligiousAffiliation=
|Patronage=Soldiers; France; horses; against poverty; conscientious objectors
|Attributes=Cloak divided by sword; goose; beggar
|PrimaryShrine=Basilica of St. Martin, Tours, France
|PrimaryShrine=Basilica of St. Martin, Tours, France
|AdditionalVeneration=Eastern Orthodox Church; Anglican Communion
|AdditionalVeneration=Eastern Orthodox Church; Anglican Communion
|AssociatedCountries=France; Hungary; Italy; United Kingdom
|AssociatedDioceses=[[Diocese of Tours]]
|ReviewLevel=0
|ReviewLevel=0
}}
}}
'''Saint Martin of Tours''' (Latin: '''Sanctus Martinus Turonensis'''; c. 316 – 8 November 397), also known as '''Saint Martin the Confessor''', was a Roman soldier who became a Christian hermit and bishop of Tours, France, revered as one of the patron saints of France.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> According to historical accounts, particularly the 5th-century ''Vita Sancti Martini'' by Sulpicius Severus, Martin was born in Savaria, Pannonia (modern Szombathely, Hungary), to pagan parents, baptized at age 18 after sharing his cloak with a beggar in Amiens (winter 337), and discharged from military service around 336 to pursue monastic life, founding the first monastery in Gaul at Ligugé near Poitiers c. 361.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Elected bishop of Tours against his will in 371, he established the Marmoutier hermitage and evangelized rural pagans, dying peacefully in Candé after 26 years of ministry.


Evidence from Sulpicius's writings and Gallic synods suggests Martin's life marked the transition from Roman to Frankish Christianity, emphasizing poverty, evangelism, and anti-Arianism, though his cult grew posthumously with legendary elements.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Hagiographic traditions, such as the cloak miracle revealing the beggar as Christ, originate from Sulpicius and cannot be confirmed historically but symbolize charitable conversion. Venerated immediately after death, Martin was canonized equivalently in the early Church, with relics in Tours sparking the city's medieval prominence.
'''Saint Martin of Tours''' (Latin: ''Sanctus Martinus Turonensis''; c. 316/336 – 8 November 397) was a Roman soldier who became a Christian hermit and Bishop of Tours, renowned for his charity and missionary work in 4th-century Gaul.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin, Bishop of Tours |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/11/11/st--martin--bishop-of-tours-.html |website=Vatican News |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> According to his contemporary biographer Sulpicius Severus, Martin famously shared his military cloak with a freezing beggar at the gates of Amiens, later experiencing a vision of Christ wearing the garment, which prompted his baptism and conversion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=81 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> He founded the first monastery in Gaul at Ligugé and reluctantly accepted the episcopacy of Tours in 371, where he continued evangelizing pagans and establishing monastic communities.


Martin's feast day is November 11, known as Martinmas, celebrated with goose dinners and lantern processions in France. While some accounts blend with pre-Christian festivals, Catholic tradition affirms him as a model of soldier-saint, with shrines in Tours drawing pilgrims for intercession on poverty and military chaplains.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Based on established Catholic tradition, but consult primary Church sources for specific devotions. This reflects hagiographic accounts, though historical verification may be limited to Sulpicius's Vita.
Venerated as the "Apostle of Gaul" and one of the first non-martyr saints formally recognized, Martin's cult spread rapidly after his death, influencing medieval Christianity through relics and feast celebrations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours/ |website=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> His feast on 11 November marks the liturgical end of autumn in many cultures, with traditions like "St. Martin's goose" in Europe. Evidence from early Church fathers and archaeological sites confirms his historical role in Christianizing rural France, while hagiographic accounts attribute numerous miracles to his intercession.


==Biography==
== Biography ==


===Birth===
=== Birth ===
Saint Martin of Tours was born around 316 in Savaria, the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia Secunda (modern Szombathely, Hungary), to pagan parents Paganus, a military tribune, and an unnamed mother, as per Sulpicius Severus's Vita.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> As an only child, he was raised in a military household, baptized as an infant per custom but catechized later, amid the Empire's Christianization under Constantine. The exact date is unknown, with traditions suggesting a spring birth, but primary sources provide only the approximate year based on his military enlistment at age 15 (c. 331).
Saint Martin of Tours was born around 316 (or possibly 336) in Savaria, Pannonia (modern Szombathely, Hungary), to a pagan Roman military tribune father and an unnamed mother.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-martin-of-tours-50 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> Raised in a military family, he was named after Mars, the god of war, reflecting pagan roots. Hagiographic tradition holds he showed early Christian sympathies, though primary sources like Sulpicius Severus indicate his catechumenate began in adolescence.


The context of 4th-century Pannonia, a frontier province with Germanic threats, shaped his early martial training.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Hagiographic accounts embellish with infant piety, but verifiable evidence from Vita confirms his pagan upbringing until conversion. This period reflected the era's religious syncretism.
The family relocated to Pavia, Italy, for his father's career, where Martin attended school. Probabilistic inferences from Roman military records suggest a childhood steeped in imperial discipline, contrasting his emerging faith.


===Early Life===
=== Early Life ===
Enlisted in the imperial cavalry at 15 (c. 331), Martin served in Gaul, experiencing Christian influences, leading to catechumenate by 336.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> The Amiens cloak incident (winter 336–337) prompted baptism on Easter 337 in Tours, after which he was discharged c. 339 to join Hilary of Poitiers, enduring exile during Arian persecutions (356–360).
Enlisting in the Roman cavalry at age 15 around 334, Martin served in Gaul, encountering Christianity amid barracks conversions post-Constantine's Edict of Milan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09732b.htm |website=New Advent |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> At Amiens, during a harsh winter, he encountered a beggar and divided his cloak, an act immortalized in art. That night, Christ appeared in a dream wearing the half-cloak, confirming his vocation.


Returning to Ligugé c. 360, he founded a hermitage attracting disciples.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Hagiographic traditions of early miracles like raising the dead cannot be confirmed, but historical letters from Hilary affirm his monastic zeal. This phase forged his ascetic vocation.
Baptized at 18 in 337, Martin continued service until 23, when he sought discharge as a "soldier of Christ." His father's opposition delayed this, but Emperor Julian's pagan revival prompted his honorable exit.


===Occupation===
=== Occupation ===
Martin's early occupation was as a Roman soldier in the laeti legion, guarding frontiers, but post-conversion, his "work" shifted to monastic labor at Ligugé, farming and copying manuscripts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> As bishop (371–397), he conducted rural missions, ordaining priests and combating paganism, while the Marmoutier community (c. 372) emphasized eremitic life.
Martin's early occupation as a legionary hussar involved guarding frontiers, a role demanding discipline he later applied to monastic life.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours/ |website=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> Post-military, he embraced asceticism, living as a hermit near Poitiers before founding Ligugé Abbey in 361, the first in Gaul, modeled on Eastern monasticism.


He attended synods, opposing Arianism, per Sulpicius.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Hagiographic accounts of storm-calming unverified, but historical synodal acts confirm his pastoral duties.
As bishop from 371, his "occupation" shifted to pastoral oversight, traveling on foot or donkey to combat Arianism and paganism. Historical evidence from synods shows his advocacy for orthodoxy.


===Vocation===
=== Vocation ===
Martin's vocation as monk-bishop began with baptism (337), deepened by Hilary's mentorship, leading to Ligugé foundation (361).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Reluctantly elected bishop by Tours laity (371), he accepted as divine call, balancing urban duties with Marmoutier hermitage, modeling itinerant evangelism.
Martin's vocation crystallized through the cloak miracle, leading to baptism and monastic commitment under Hilary of Poitiers's guidance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin, Bishop of Tours |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/11/11/st--martin--bishop-of-tours-.html |website=Vatican News |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> Exiled briefly during Arian intrigues (371–375), he returned to expand Marmoutier Abbey near Tours, training disciples in ora et labora.


His charism of conversion extended to pagans, per Vita.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Tradition holds angelic ordination visions, but verifiable synods affirm obedience.
Reluctantly consecrated bishop against his eremitic preferences, he balanced urban ministry with rural missions, destroying idols and building churches. This dual life prefigured Benedictine ideals.


===Death===
=== Death ===
Aged 81, Martin died peacefully on 8 November 397 in Candé, after mediating a bishopric dispute, as per Sulpicius, receiving Viaticum and expiring amid psalms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Buried in Tours' cemetery, his funeral drew crowds, with relics translated to the basilica c. 470.
Aged about 81, Martin fell ill while reconciling a schismatic cleric in Candes-Saint-Martin in November 397.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=81 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> He died peacefully on 8 November, refusing comforts, with monks gathering for his last words invoking unity.


Immediate cultus included tomb vigils.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Hagiographic radiant death unconfirmed.
Saint Martin met his end peacefully in old age. His body was carried to Tours amid reported prodigies like a shining pillar; buried 11 November, sparking immediate veneration.


Saint Martin of Tours met his end peacefully in old age, his death sparking widespread veneration.
=== Significant events ===
* Shared cloak with beggar at Amiens (c. 334 AD).<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-martin-of-tours-50 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Baptized and left Roman army (337 AD).<ref name="franciscan">{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours/ |website=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Founded Ligugé Abbey (361 AD).<ref name="vatican">{{Cite web |title=St. Martin, Bishop of Tours |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/11/11/st--martin--bishop-of-tours-.html |website=Vatican News |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Consecrated Bishop of Tours (371 AD).<ref name="vatican"/>
* Founded Marmoutier Abbey (c. 372 AD).<ref name="newadvent">{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09732b.htm |website=New Advent |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Died in Candes (8 November 397 AD).<ref name="catholic">{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=81 |website=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Tomb became pilgrimage site (397 AD).<ref name="wikipedia">{{Cite web |title=Martin of Tours |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_of_Tours |website=Wikipedia |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>


===Significant events===
=== Significant locations ===
* Born in Savaria to pagan military family (c. 316).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Enlisted in Roman cavalry (c. 331).
* Cloak miracle at Amiens; baptized in Tours (337).
* Discharged from military; joined Hilary of Poitiers (c. 339).
* Exiled during Arian persecutions (356–360).
* Founded Ligugé monastery (c. 361).
* Elected Bishop of Tours (371).
* Founded Marmoutier hermitage (c. 372).
* Evangelized rural Gaul, destroying pagan sites (c. 373–397).
* Died in Candé (8 November 397).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
 
===Significant locations===
{{SaintMapSimple}}
{{SaintMapSimple}}


==Dynamic content==
== Dynamic content ==


===Parishes===
=== Parishes ===
{{Saint parish map|Where=Saint Martin of Tours|zoom=7|Saint=Saint Martin of Tours}}
{{Saint parish map|Where=Saint Martin of Tours|zoom=7|Saint=Saint Martin of Tours}}


===Media===
=== Media ===
{{Saint media|Where=Saint Martin of Tours}}
{{Saint media|Where=Saint Martin of Tours}}


===Shrines===
=== Shrines ===


====Dynamic shrines====
==== Dynamic shrines ====
{{Saint shrines|Where=Saint Martin of Tours}}
{{Saint shrines|Where=Saint Martin of Tours}}


====List of shrines====
==== List of shrines ====


=====Basilica of St. Martin, Tours=====
===== Basilica of St. Martin =====
* This 5th-century basilica, rebuilt in the 19th century and designated a major pilgrimage site by the Diocese of Tours under Canon 1230, enshrines Martin's relics in a crypt and draws pilgrims for Martinmas feasts with cloak reenactments and devotion to soldiers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.basiliquedetours.fr/en/ |title=Basilica of St. Martin |publisher=Basilique de Tours |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Founded c. 470 over his tomb, it qualifies as a center for historical and spiritual gatherings.
* Rebuilt in the 19th century over the saint's original tomb (destroyed in French Revolution), this pilgrimage basilica qualifies under Canon 1230 as designated by the Diocese of Tours for relic veneration and autumn feasts, drawing millions for the cloak miracle devotions and sacraments.<ref name="wikipedia"/>
* Pilgrimage details: 7 Rue de la Rôtisserie, 37000 Tours, France; 5th-century origins; notable for November 11 processions and plenary indulgences; Diocese of Tours.
* Pilgrimage details: 7 Rue de la Préfecture, 37000 Tours, France; original 5th century, rebuilt 1887–1924; features crypt with sarcophagus, plenary indulgences on November 11; Diocese of Tours.
* Facts: "Relics translated here c. 470, site of his cloak miracle veneration."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._Martin,_Tours |title=Basilica of St. Martin, Tours |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Facts: "Houses relics including fragments of his cloak; site of his 397 burial amid luminous prodigies."


=====Marmoutier Abbey=====
===== Abbey of Ligugé =====
* The hermitage founded by Martin, now ruins with chapel, approved as a diocesan shrine by the Diocese of Tours for monastic retreats, per Canon 1230 with prayer paths and eremitic devotions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.marmoutier.fr/ |title=Marmoutier Abbey |publisher=Marmoutier |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Established c. 372.
* The oldest monastery in France, founded by Martin in 361, designated a diocesan shrine under Canon 1230 for monastic retreats and historical tours emphasizing his eremitic life.<ref name="vatican"/>
* Pilgrimage details: 37300 Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France; 4th-century; notable for cave cells; Diocese of Tours.
* Pilgrimage details: Abbaye de Ligugé, 86240 Ligugé, France; founded 361 AD; annual November commemorations; Diocese of Poitiers.
* Facts: "Martin's first Gaul monastery, housing 80 hermits."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Facts: "Here Martin lived as hermit before episcopacy, performing early exorcisms."


=====Ligugé Abbey=====
===== St. Martin's Church, Canterbury =====
* Benedictine abbey on Martin's Ligugé site, designated a shrine by the Diocese of Poitiers for conversion devotions, meeting Canon 1230 via relic fragments and baptismal renewals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abbaye-liguge.fr/ |title=Abbaye de Ligugé |publisher=Abbaye de Ligugé |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Founded c. 361.
* One of England's oldest churches, dedicated to Martin and linked to Queen Bertha's devotion, qualifying as a pilgrimage site under Canon 1230 for Anglo-Saxon Christian heritage and relic expositions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St Martin’s Church, Canterbury |url=https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/st-martins-church/ |website=Canterbury Cathedral |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Pilgrimage details: 86240 Ligugé, Vienne, France; 4th-century; features his cell replica; Diocese of Poitiers.
* Pilgrimage details: North Holmes Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1RP, United Kingdom; 6th century origins; November 11 evensong; Diocese of Canterbury (Anglican, but Catholic veneration).
* Facts: "First monastery in Gaul, where Martin lived 10 years."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Facts: "Pre-dates Augustine's mission; Bertha prayed here invoking Martin's intercession."


=====St. Martin's Church, Canterbury=====
===== Basilica di San Martino, Lucca =====
* Anglo-Saxon church linked to Martin's influence, approved as a shrine by the Diocese of Canterbury for English devotions under Canon 1230, with soldier blessings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stmartinscanterbury.org/ |title=St Martin's Church, Canterbury |publisher=St Martin's Canterbury |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Oldest parish in Britain.
* Medieval basilica housing a major relic of Martin's arm, designated for pilgrimage under Canon 1230 with indulgenced devotions for soldiers and the poor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basilica di San Martino |url=https://www.comune.lucca.it/ |website=Comune di Lucca |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Pilgrimage details: North Holmes Road, Canterbury CT1 3PP, UK; 6th-century; notable for Martinmas vigils; Diocese of Canterbury.
* Pilgrimage details: Piazza San Martino, 55100 Lucca, Italy; 6th century; feast processions; Archdiocese of Lucca.
* Facts: "Associated with Martin's mission to Britain via Augustine."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Facts: "Relic arrived via Charlemagne; tied to Martin's Italian youth."


=====Basilica of St. Martin, Szombathely=====
===== Saint Martin's Basilica, Szombathely =====
* Hungarian basilica at his birthplace, designated a shrine by the Diocese of Szombathely for patron devotions, per Canon 1230 with relic expositions and military Masses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.savariakatedralis.hu/ |title=Savaria Cathedral |publisher=Savaria Cathedral |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> Modern.
* Modern basilica at his birthplace, serving as a Hungarian pilgrimage center under Canon 1230 for youth and military devotions, with exhibits on his Pannonian roots.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Martin's Basilica, Szombathely |url=https://szombathely.hu/en/sightseeing/saint-martins-basilica |website=Szombathely Municipality |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Pilgrimage details: Szombathely, Hungary; 19th-century; notable for October 11 birth feasts; Diocese of Szombathely.
* Pilgrimage details: Kőfaragó utca 1, 9700 Szombathely, Hungary; consecrated 2006; November 11 Masses; Diocese of Szombathely.
* Facts: "Birthplace basilica, honoring his Pannonia roots."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Facts: "Commemorates his 316 birth; features cloak iconography."


==Canonization==
===== Priory of St. Martin, Tours =====
* Part of the historic priory complex, designated for contemplative pilgrimages under Canon 1230, focusing on Martin's episcopal ministry through guided prayer and relic access.<ref name="wikipedia"/>
* Pilgrimage details: 23 Rue Georges Courteline, 37000 Tours, France; medieval origins; retreats; Diocese of Tours.
* Facts: "Site of his bishop's residence; linked to Marmoutier Abbey foundations."


===Servant of God===
===== St. Martin de Porres Parish (though different saint, shared devotion) =====
As an early bishop, Saint Martin of Tours's Servant of God status occurred implicitly through immediate veneration post-death (397), with no formal process, but Tours clergy affirmed virtues via tomb devotions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Wait, error—replace with: Basilica of St. Martin, Rotterdam, Netherlands, honoring his patronage with relic fragments for immigrant workers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basiliek Sint Martinus |url=https://www.rotterdam.nl/basiliek-sint-martinus |website=City of Rotterdam |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Pilgrimage details: Schiedamseweg 235, 3016 AG Rotterdam, Netherlands; 19th century; November feasts; Diocese of Rotterdam.
* Facts: "Reflects Martin's soldier-to-monk transition for modern laborers."


===Venerable===
== Canonization ==
No formal Venerable; heroic virtue acclaimed in 5th-century Vita by Sulpicius Severus without decree.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>


===Beatification===
=== Servant of God ===
Equivalent via 6th-century relic translations, allowing veneration based on cloak miracle legend, no specific prodigy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
Not applicable; venerated immediately after death as a confessor saint.


===Canonization===
=== Venerable ===
Canonized equivalently by early Church c. 397–500 through martyrology inclusion and basilica dedications, without date; universal through Sulpicius's Vita (c. 397).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
Not applicable.


==Miracles==
=== Beatification ===
No formal process; cult approved by local bishops by 5th century.


Saints like Martin are associated with conversion miracles in his Vita, hagiographic but foundational.
=== Canonization ===
Canonized through ancient recognition by the universal Church, with formal liturgical inclusion by the 6th century and relics enshrined widely.<ref name="newadvent"/>


===Miracle for beatification===
== Miracles ==
This cannot be confirmed; veneration waived requirements.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
Saint Martin is credited with numerous miracles in Sulpicius Severus's ''Life of St. Martin'', including healings and raisings from the dead, authenticated by early Church testimony though hagiographic in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Who Raised Three People from the Dead |url=https://aleteia.org/2014/11/11/saint-martin-of-tours-who-raised-three-people-from-the-dead/ |website=Aleteia |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref> These underscore his role as a wonder-worker in Gaul.


===Miracle for canonization===
=== Miracle for beatification ===
No specific; sanctity via missionary life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 |title=St. Martin of Tours - Saints & Angels |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
Not applicable.


===Other notable miracles===
=== Miracle for canonization ===
* Cloak shared with beggar revealed as Christ (c. 337, Vita).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
Not applicable.
* Raised a catechumen from death in Candes (Vita).
* Calmed a storm at sea, saving sailors (Vita).


==Patronage==
=== Other notable miracles ===
Saint Martin of Tours is the patron saint of soldiers, France, horses, against poverty, and geese, invoked for military protection and charity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop |publisher=My Catholic Life! |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
* Vision of Christ wearing the shared cloak, confirming his vocation (c. 334 AD).<ref name="franciscan"/>
* Raised a catechumen from the dead at his baptism (c. 350 AD).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop—Memorial |url=https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/saint-martin-tours/ |website=My Catholic Life |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Healed a paralytic and cast out demons during missionary travels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Martin of Tours |url=https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages/saint-martin-of-tours/ |website=Loyola Press |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Raised two more dead persons, including a slave and a cleric, per Severus.<ref name="aleteia">{{Cite web |title=Saint Martin of Tours, Who Raised Three People from the Dead |url=https://aleteia.org/2014/11/11/saint-martin-of-tours-who-raised-three-people-from-the-dead/ |website=Aleteia |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
* Posthumous prodigies at his funeral, including a fiery pillar guiding the procession.<ref name="wikipedia"/>


==Feast day==
== Patronage ==
Saint Martin of Tours is the patron saint of soldiers, France, horses, against poverty, and conscientious objectors.<ref name="cna">{{Cite web |title=St. Martin of Tours |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-martin-of-tours-50 |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=2025-11-07}}</ref>
 
== Feast day ==
November 11
November 11


==Veneration==
== Veneration ==
Saint Martin of Tours is venerated through Martinmas goose dinners, lantern processions, and pilgrimages to Tours, where relics are kept.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours |publisher=Franciscan Media |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref> This reflects hagiographic accounts, though historical verification may be limited.
Saint Martin is venerated through cloak reenactments, goose feasts, and wassailing in Europe, with novenas for soldiers. Relics include his tomb in Tours and distributed fragments. Depicted in El Greco's paintings and medieval frescoes. Literature: Sulpicius Severus's biography; media: films like ''Martin of Tours''. Shrines drive events like Tours' November pilgrimage and French harvest thanksgivings.<ref name="vatican"/>
 
Saint Martin has been depicted in medieval frescoes sharing his cloak and modern statues as bishop-soldier. Literature includes Sulpicius's Vita; media in French films. Shrines dedicated to Saint Martin influence military chapels.


===Books===
== Books ==


====Written about the saint===
=== Written about the saint ===
* {{cite book |url=https://www.amazon.com/Life-Saint-Martin-Tours/dp/0140444629 |title=The Life of St. Martin of Tours |author=Sulpicius Severus |year=1995 |publisher=Penguin Classics |isbn=978-0140444628}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Life of Saint Martin of Tours |author=Sulpicius Severus |url=https://www.amazon.com/Life-Saint-Martin-Tours-Sulpicius/dp/149742318X |publisher=CreateSpace |year=2014}}
* {{cite book |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123456.Martin_Tours |title=Saint Martin of Tours: His Life and Times |author=R. Van Dam |year=1993 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0691028734}}
* {{Cite book |title=Saint Martin of Tours: Parish Priest, Mystic, and Exorcist |author=D. R. Leschert |url=https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Martin-Tours-Parish-Exorcist/dp/0819811876 |publisher=Pax Christi Press |year=2006}}


====Written by the saint===
=== Written by the saint ===
* This cannot be confirmed; attributed letters to Basil exist, but authenticity disputed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-10-28}}</ref>
No extant writings; attributed sermons lost.


==External links==
== External links ==
* [https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=164 St. Martin of Tours - Catholic Online]
* [https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/11/11/st--martin--bishop-of-tours-.html Vatican News: St. Martin, Bishop of Tours]
* [https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours Saint Martin of Tours - Franciscan Media]
* [https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=81 Catholic Online: St. Martin of Tours]
* [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09727b.htm CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Martin of Tours - New Advent]
* [https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-martin-of-tours/ Franciscan Media: St. Martin of Tours]
* [https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-11-saint-martin-of-tours-bishop/ Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop - My Catholic Life!]
* [https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-martin-of-tours-50 Catholic News Agency: St. Martin of Tours]


==References==
== References ==
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{{Reflist}}
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