Feastday: January 12
Birth: 1130
Death: 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.
Saint Martin of Leon (Spanish: San Martín de León; c. 1130 – January 12, 1203) was a priest and canon regular of the Augustinian Order. Born at León, Martin, along with his father Juan, withdrew from the world to the canonry of St. Marcellinus in León after the death of his mother. Martin was educated at this canonry, and after the death of his father, Martin decided to undertake a major pilgrimage, visiting the cities of Rome and Constantinople.
Returning to Spain, he took the religious habit at St. Marcellinus, but after seeing this monastery had been secularized by the bishops he entered the collegiate of church St. Isidore in the same city. This is a church he went on to endow and is where Saint Isidore was buried, hence its name.
Martin distinguished himself by his zealous observance, his charity, and his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. The date of his death is given to us by the necrology preserved in the monastery. He died on January 12, 1203 of natural causes. The religious of St. Isidore's dedicated a chapel to Martin very early and celebrated his feast each year.
Works
Martin wrote commentaries on different Epistles and the Apocalypse, and he left numerous discourses on the many varied subjects. His complete works were published first by Espinosa (Seville, 1782), Migne in Patrologia Latina, LXXXI, 53-64, CCVIII, CCIX (Paris, 1855).
