Dusty Feasts

The Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours, a/k/a Martinmas (11 November) celebrates a 4th century soldier, turned hermit, monk, and bishop, who is widely venerated across Europe. He is famous for a legend surrounding his decision to cut his own military cloak in half to share it with a beggar, whereafter legend says Christ appeared to him wearing the cloak.

The subsequent veneration of the cloak relic became the origin of the English words chapel and chaplain.

Martin is a patron saint of France, as well as the patron saint against poverty, against alcoholism, reformed alcoholics, beggars, vintners, wine growers, wine makers, soldiers, cavalry, horses, quartermasters, equestrians, riders, geese, innkeepers, and tailors.

There are numerous traditions and foods associated with Martinmas, but this post includes a recipe for the traditional “St. Martin’s Horseshoes” cookies.

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Donal Óg

Donal Óg is an Irish folk song, anonymously written, and dating back to at least the 17th century.

It’s a beautiful and melancholy song of heartache and betrayal, from the perspective of a woman done wrong by a man named Donal.

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Dusty Feasts

The Feast Day of Saint Pope Leo the I, also known as Leo the Great, commemorates the 5th century Bishop of Rome who contributed significantly to developing ideas of papal authority and is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.

He is also well-known for his role in the debates of the Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council, during which he issued the famous Tome of Leo, which elucidated the hypostatic union of Christ’s two natures, divine and human, united in one person. For his theological contributions, he was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV with the title Doctor unitatis Ecclesiae (“Doctor of the Church’s Unity”). Additionally, he is the first of the three Popes listed in the Annuario Pontificio with the title “the Great,” alongside Gregory I and Nicholas I.

+ Includes a recipe for Lamb with Salted Wine Sauce

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Dusty Buildings

The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Cathedral of Saint Mary (Burgos, Spain)

+ With construction starting in the 13th century, this monumental Medieval Gothic cathedral is one of the most important buildings in Spain.

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Dusty Art

The Colossus of Nero

+ Now lost to time, and likely earthquake damage, this monumental statue was one of the most impressive and well-known artworks of Roman antiquity. There is even speculation that the Roman Colosseum got its name from its proximity to this statue.

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Dusty Feasts

The Feast Day of Saint Charles Borromeo (4 November) celebrates the 16th century Italian aristocrat who served as a prelate, Archbishop, and Cardinal. He was an important figure in the Catholic Counter-Reformation. He oversaw significant reforms within the Church, including the establishment of seminaries for the education of priests. Later in his life, he served in Milan during a plague outbreak, not leaving the city even when most civil officials had done so. He went into personal debt at this time to feed thousands of people. He died of a fever, in Milan, at the age of only 46 years old.

He is a patron saint of bishops, cardinals, catechists, catechumens, seminarians, spiritual directors, spiritual leaders, apple orchards, starch makers, colic, intestinal disorder, against ulcers, stomach diseases, Lombardy, Italy, and Monterey California.

+ Includes a feast day recipe for Chimichangas San Carlos

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