Today is the feast of St Martin of Tours - a most influential saint in the history of Europe. I recently read the book about him by the excellent historian Regine Pernoud, published by Ignatius Press. From that book, I learnt that the hymn "Iste Confessor" normally used in the office for Confessors was originally composed for St Martin. The chant for this hymn has stayed in my mind since I nervously intoned it at the Merton conference in the summer.
Fr Mark at Vultus Christi has a good post about St Martin who cut his cloak in half to provide for a beggar and later saw Christ saying that he had clothed him. The antiphons in the office today constantly remind us that St Martin, when dying, said that if it was necessary for his flock, he would not refuse the Lord's work.
Psallite Sapienter provides the information that Luther, being baptised today, was given the name of this saint.
It is also Remembrance Day today. I have been reading the life of Fr William Doyle, the Jesuit priest who was killed by a shell burst at Ypres while in no-man's-land, to give the sacraments to a wounded soldier. His biography, by Alfred O'Rahilly, is available for download at the Internet Archive.
6 comments:
It is interesting also to note that chaplains (cappelani) were originally the priests charged with guarding the holy cloak (cappella) of St Martin.
Father, An edited version of 'Father William Doyle SJ.MC' is available with the current edition of 'Catholic' published by the F.SS.R, and can be ordered direct on line through their website 'Transalpine Redemptorists at home'. I strongly recommend this book, and personally believe Fr Doyle to have been a saint. Apparently many favours and cures have been received through his intercession, and I would like to know if and where it is possible to obtain a relic of Fr Doyle for his intercession for the cure of a very sick young man. If any readers can help please feel free to email me at 'bri.marg@btinternet.com'. Thank you. Brian C.
Many thanks, Brian.
Brian - I have emailed you with my contact details. I have the relic, and you are welcome to borrow it while you have need of it. I found it among my late father's things last week.(He got it, I think, from one of his tutors at SFX Liverpool, and carried it with him in WW2, and (it appears) all his life afterwards.) It literally fell out of the book-case where I keep his effects. (I was off work following an operation and sorting out the spare bedroom). I hadn't seen the relic for years (it is a scrap of his uniform in a suede-backed wallet with his picture and name on the front. I had intended to google him (without much hope) to find out who he was, and see if his cause had progressed, so I was surprised and delighted to see Fr Finigan's blog and your comment.
Regarding relics, certainly there are no first class relics as he was blown to smithereens by German artillery in WWI.
He was very popular with the men because he risked his life for them innumerable times. They also liked to stay near him because he returned unharmed again and again from his forays unto the battlefield.
One of my favorite stories is at the end of the book, after his death, when his parents are being robbed in their home by an armed bandit. It suddenly dawns on him that he is robbing the parents of Fr. Willie. On realizing this he withdraws with many apologies- evidently a veteran of the war.
I stumbled across this book many years ago at a used book sale and it is one of my treasures.
The full edition of Fr Doyles biography is available in book form from Carmel of Plymouth books which is now run by the SSPX
By the way is St Martin of Tours the patron Saint of travel agents and pilgrimage organisers ?
Post a Comment