Eglise Saint-Martin - Haltinne

Saint Martin was the bishop of Tours who died in 397.

The Eastern Churches also call him "Saint Martin the Merciful". He was born in Pannonia, now Hungary, on the frontier of the Roman Empire, where his father was garrisoned. At the age of 15 he became a soldier, because Roman law required the sons of soldiers to join the army.

He was transferred to Gaul and it was there, in Amiens , that he met the shivering poor man to whom he gave half his coat and from whom he learned in the night that it was Christ who had made this request . He became a Christian and founded the first monastery in Gaul, in Ligugé, in Poitou. There he was kidnapped by the citizens of Tours , who made him their bishop .
Why did Maarten only give half of his coat?
Each new recruit to the Roman army received a gift from the Emperor or the Senate corresponding to half of his equipment - the other half he had to pay for himself. Maarten only gave the part of the cloak that belonged to him. The other part belonged to the Roman state.

His feast day is November 11.

Willem Vandenameele