St martin who is

A certain Rusticius, a rich citizen of Tours , went and begged him to come to his wife, who was in the last extremity, and to prepare her for death. Without any suspicions, Martin followed him in all haste, but hardly had he entered the city when, in spite of the opposition of a few ecclesiastical dignitaries, popular acclamation constrained him to become Bishop of the Church of Tours.

Consecrated on 4 July, Martin brought to the accomplishment of the duties of his new ministry all the energy and the activity of which he had already given so many proofs. He did not, however, change his way of life: fleeing from the distractions of the large city, he settled himself in a small cell at a short distance from Tours , beyond the Loire.

Thus, to an untiring zeal Martin added the greatest simplicity, and it is this which explains how his pastoral administration so admirably succeeded in sowing Christianity throughout Touraine. Nor was it a rare occurrence for him to leave his diocese when he thought that his appearance in some distant locality might produce some good. He even went several times to Trier , where the emperors had established their residence, to plead the interests of the Church or to ask pardon for some condemned person.

His role in the matter of the Priscillianists and Ithacians was especially remarkable. Against Priscillian, the Spanish heresiarch, and his partisans, who had been justly condemned by the Council of Saragossa, furious charges were brought before Emperor Maximus by some orthodox bishops of Spain , led by Bishop Ithacius.

Martin hurried to Trier , not indeed to defend the Gnostic and Manichaean doctrines of Priscillian, but to remove him from the secular jurisdiction of the emperor. Maximus at first acceded to his entreaty, but, when Martin had departed, yielded to the solicitations of Ithacius and ordered Priscillian and his followers to be beheaded. Deeply grieved, Martin refused to communicate with Ithacius. However, when he went again to Trier a little later to ask pardon for two rebels, Narses and Leucadius, Maximus would only promise it to him on condition that he would make his peace with Ithaeius.

To save the lives of his clients, he consented to this reconciliation, but afterwards reproached himself bitterly for this act of weakness. After a last visit to Rome , Martin went to Candes, one of the religious centres created by him in his diocese , when he was attacked by the malady which ended his life.

Ordering himself to be carried into the presbytery of the church, he died there in according to some authorities, more probably in at the age of about 81, evincing until the last that exemplary spirit of humility and mortification which he had ever shown. The Church of France has always considered Martin one of her greatest saints , and hagiographers have recorded a great number of miracles due to his intercession while he was living and after his death.

His cult was very popular throughout the Middle Ages , a multitude of churches and chapels were dedicated to him, and a great number of places have been called by his name. His body, taken to Tours , was enclosed in a stone sarcophagus, above which his successors, St.

Britius and St. Perpetuus , built first a simple chapel , and later a basilica Euphronius, Bishop of Autun and a friend of St. Perpetuus , sent a sculptured tablet of marble to cover the tomb. Martin was drawn to that city by a ruse—the need of a sick person—and was brought to the church, where he reluctantly allowed himself to be consecrated bishop.

Some of the consecrating bishops thought his rumpled appearance and unkempt hair indicated that he was not dignified enough for the office. He prevailed upon the emperor to spare the life of the heretic Priscillian.

For his efforts, Martin was accused of the same heresy, and Priscillian was executed after all. He still felt he could cooperate with Ithacius in other areas, but afterwards his conscience troubled him about this decision. Your will be done. The saints are not creatures of another world: They face the same perplexing decisions that we do. When the invaders suddenly decided to enter peace negotiations, Martin was released and obtained a discharge from the army.

As a free man, he began his commitment to Christianity in earnest, studying under famous scholars and teachers of the era. For many years, he preached and evangelized throughout the countryside, living as a missionary and helping the poor and the sick.

His reputation for holiness attracted other monks, and they formed what would become the Benedictine abbey of Liguge, the oldest known abbey in Europe. At a time when bishops were still chosen by the people, he was sought out to serve as bishop after the previous bishop died. Everyone knew Martin was too humble to accept the position, so they resorted to trickery, asking him to come to the church to care for a sick woman. A well-known story surrounds the incident.

When Martin realized their real purpose, he hid from the people of Tours in a shed full of geese. The squawking geese quickly revealed his hiding place, and he reluctantly agreed to serve as bishop.

When Martin was consecrated, in , he chose to continue living a life of humility and compassion, rather than adopting the rich lifestyle of most bishops. He continued caring for the sick and those in great need, and he developed a reputation for saving the lives of prisoners. He made rounds of the parishes in his area, established many new ones and started several monastic communities.