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Parish of Wonersh with Blackheath
St Martin
4th C Bishop of Tours
316-397
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St. Martin of Tours is the dedication of St
Martin’s Blackheath.
St Martins day is November 11th.
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Wall painting of St Martin
in St Martin’s Blackheath
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He was born in what is now
Hungary
in 316 son of a tribune (an officer) in the Roman army. It was natural
therefore that he too joined the army.
Early in his life he became a Christian.
His regiment was sent to Amiens
in Gaul, and this town became the scene of the
celebrated legend of the cloak. At the gates of the city, one very cold day, Martin
met a shivering and half-naked beggar. Moved with compassion, he divided his
coat into two parts and gave one to the poor man. The part kept by himself
became the famous relic preserved in the oratory of the Frankish kings under
the name of "St. Martin's cloak"
He became a disciple of St Hilary at Poitiers and was baptised. That night in his
dreams, Martin saw Jesus, surrounded by angels, wearing the half cloak he had
given to the beggar, and he heard Jesus say, "See, this is the cloak which
Martin has given me." Shortly afterwards Martin was baptised, but
continued to serve in the Roman Army until he had completed his term of
service.
From 360 onwards, Martin devoted himself to the monastic
life; indeed, he is regarded as the virtual founder of Western monasticism. His
houses were firstly at Ligugé near Poitiers
and after 372, when he was chosen Bishop of Tours by popular acclaim at
Marmoutier, which became a thriving monastery. In an age when Christianity was
largely confined to towns, Martin saw monasteries as a way of promoting rural
evangelisation based on spiritual centres. He himself was a most assiduous
Bishop, carrying out frequent visitations and defending doctrine.
He died on November 8th 397 at Candes, Touraine. His body was returned to Tours, and in stages a large basilica was
built around it. This sanctuary was the
centre of great national pilgrimages until 1562, when it was sacked &
destroyed. In 1860 the site of St. Martin's tomb was relocated and the present day small
basilica constructed.
His great popularity as a saint was promoted largely by the
biography of him, written by his friend Sulpicius Severus. The Church of France
has always considered Martin one of her greatest saints.
In England, 'Martinmas' was
a key time of the year; it was the time for hiring new servants and for
beginning to salt meat to last the winter through.
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