St. Martin of Braga was a bishop and evangelizer who spread the faith in the Iberian peninsula in the 500s. He was born in central Europe and made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land before joining other pilgrims who were returning to an area in the northern part of present-day Portugal, where he settled.

He was a highly-regarded scholar—said by contemporaries to be the smartest man of his age—and preached against the Arian heresy, which was gaining ground in the region. His preaching attracted many who had wandered from the faith, including the king. He also built several monasteries.

Because of his connections to the king, he stayed in the royal court for a time, but he continued to live like a monk. He oversaw his monasteries with strict discipline and was promoted to oversee the Church in the region from the city of Braga, a role he kept until his death in 580.

St. Martin’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.

St. Martin of Braga, you evangelized Spain and Portugal—pray for us!