Why did he cut his coat in two?

It was in present-day Hungary that Saint Martin was born in 316. At that time Roman law governed the country which obliged young men, sons of soldiers, to pursue an identical career. This is why Saint Martin was enlisted and sent to Gaul.

In 353, he offered half his coat to a poor man. Do you know why he cut it in two? Military regulations at the time considered that half of the uniform belonged to the army and the other half to the soldier. He therefore symbolically gave the part that belonged to him. That same evening Jesus appeared to him in a dream, wearing his cloak.

He was baptized the following year, and then obtained his discharge from the army. He then followed Hilary of Poitiers. After a forced exile and numerous adventures, he was able to return to Gaul, and was elected bishop in spite of himself, so appreciated was he.

He founded numerous parishes, performed miracles, participated in the synod of Vienna, the council of Bordeaux and died of exhaustion at the age of 80 in Candes.