A Piece of Cloak: St. Martin of Tours
Martin was born in Hungary around the year 317. The son of pagan parents, he became a catechumen and served in the Roman army until, after he had given half his cloak to a beggar at Amiens, a vision of Christ inspired him to receive the sacrament of Baptism and to become a monk. Ordained an exorcist by Saint Hilary of Poitiers , he lived a life of solitude in various places before establishing a monastery at Ligugé, where he remained until he was named bishop of Tours in 371. After his episcopal consecration, Martin continued to lead the same life of humility and mortification he had lived as a monk; he later founded the abbey of Marmoutier, which became a center of evangelization for the region. In time, Martin founded a number of other communities and he is popularly honored as the founder of monasticism in Gaul. The life of Saint Martin was one of constant prayer and service to his monks and his people. Honored as a miracle worker, his biogra...