St Martin of Tours – Feast Day

St Martin of Tours is known as the first conscientious objector and a great peacemaker in the Christian church. His feast day of 11 November (or the nearest Sunday) which is also observed as Remembrance Day for remembering those killed in wars (it was called Armistice Day following the First World War).

Lutherans have had a long history of responding to the gospel call to be peacemakers. One of the initial motivations for the formation of a Lutheran peace movement in the US was the need to support those resisting the draft through conscientious objection to military solutions to conflict.  Lutherans and Conscientious Objection to the Draft outlines the history of Lutheran Peace Fellowship, dating back to 1940.

For more contemporary information on current issues relating to the military service, see LPF’s resource: Youth and the Military (PDF)

For further information on St Martin of Tours, here are several links:

Martin of Tours

St. Martin’s Day

St. Martin — patron saint of conscientious objectors

Nov. 11 St. Martin’s Day

SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS BISHOP, CONFESSOR—316-400

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