Bishop of Tours, France, from about 371, and
founder of the first monastery in Gaul. He is
usually represented as tearing his cloak to
share it with a beggar. His feast day is
Martinmas, 11 Nov. Born in Pannonia, SE
Europe, a soldier by profession, Martin was
converted to Christianity, left the army, and
lived for ten years as a recluse. After being
elected bishop of Tours, he worked for the
extinction of idolatry and the extension of
monasticism in France.