SAINT MARTIN OF LEON

Saint Martin of Leon, with Saint Isidore of Seville appearing before him.

St. Martin of Leon
Born 1130 León, Spain
Died January 12, 1203


Feastday: January 12
1130 - 1203


Augustinian confessor of Old Castile, Spain. He was famous in his lifetime for his holiness and ascetical writings. He served at San Marcelo Abbey and then at St. Isidore Abbey in Leon.

A priest and canon regular of the Augustinians; b. at Leon in Spain (Old Castile) before 1150; d. there 12 January 1203. Having been educated in the monastery of St. Marcellus at Leon, he visited Rome and Constantinople. Returning to Spain he took the religious habit at St. Marcellus; but this monastery having been secularized by the bishops he entered the collegiate church of St. Isidore in the same city. The date of his death is given us by the necrology preserved in the monastery.

He wrote commentaries on different Epistles and the Apocalypse, and left numerous discourses on the most varied subjects. His complete works were published first by Espinosa (Seville, 1782), Migne in P.L., LXXXI, 53-64, CCVIII, CCIX (Paris, 1855). The religious of St. Isidore's dedicated a chapel to Martin very early and celebrated his feast each year, but the Church has not officially included him in the list of saints.