St Martin died
on Sunday 8 November 397. His funeral was solemnly celebrated in Tours on
November 11, which ever afterwards has been celebrated as St Martin’s Day
in Germany and France. (Editor’s Note: It was the day chosen for the Armistice
between these two powers at the end of World War I and since celebrated as Remembrance
Day in the UK and Veteran’s Day in the US.)
On 11 November each year, the
feast of St. Martin is solemnly celebrated in the Basilica of Tours.
Today, there
are St Martin lantern parades for children on the evening of November 11
throughout France and Germany. (Editor’s Note: Though most Germans and French
today have only a very hazy idea of who Martin actually was, the traditions
surrounding his day – of bringing light to the darkness – remain strong.)
Today, there are 1573 Churches in France
named after St Martin, 652 in Germany, 912 in Italy, 212 in the UK, and 157 in
the USA.
Saint Martin of Tours, Ora
Pro Nobis (Pray For Us)
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