St. Martin of Tours came from a well-to-do Roman military family and to no one’s surprise joined the army at 15 years of age. At 18, he chose to be baptized and as he took on the challenge of living out his Christian Faith he realized he could no longer continue fighting. His vision of a world of peace and harmony was an attribute that would be picked up by St. Francis of Assisi much later. From his teenage years, Martin began sharing what he had with the poor. One of the most famous and symbolic stories around St. Martin was his decision to cut his officer’s cloak in half to give it to a poor beggar who had nothing to keep him warm. St. Martin was released from military service after enduring abuse and ridicule in the army. He then dedicated his life to working with the poor, building churches, and winning converts. He lived like a hermit in his later years even after he became a bishop, and when he died at 81 years of age in the year 387CE he was buried at his own request, in the Cemetery of the Poor in Tours, France. Soldiers, tailors and innkeepers all recognize St. Martin as their patron today.
