Editing Tours (section)

==Catholics from Tours==
[[File:LeoDupont.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Leo Dupont|Venerable Leo Dupont]], ''Holy Man of Tours'']]
Tours is a special place for Catholics who follow the [[Catholic devotions|devotion]] to the [[Holy Face of Jesus]] and the adoration of the [[Blessed Sacrament]]. In 1843, Sister [[Marie of St Peter]] of Tours reported a vision which started the devotion to the [[Holy Face of Jesus]], in reparation for the many insults Christ suffered in His Passion. The ''[[The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion (Prayer)|Golden Arrow Prayer]]'' was first made public by her.

The [[Venerable]] [[Leo Dupont]] also known as The [[Holy Man of Tours]] lived in Tours at about the same time. In 1849 he started the nightly adoration of the [[Blessed Sacrament]], which spread throughout France. Upon hearing of Sister [[Marie of St Peter]]'s reported visions, he started to burn a vigil lamp continuously before a picture of the [[Holy Face of Jesus]]. The devotion was eventually approved by [[Pope Pius XII]] in 1958 and he formally declared the Feast of the [[Holy Face of Jesus]] as Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) for all Roman Catholics.<ref>Dorothy Scallan. "The Holy Man of Tours." (1990) {{ISBN|0-89555-390-2}}</ref> The [[Oratory of the Holy Face]] on Rue St. Etienne in Tours receives many pilgrims every year.

Tours was the site of the episcopal activity of [[St. Martin of Tours]] and has further Christian connotations in that the pivotal [[Battle of Tours]] in 732 is often considered the first decisive victory over the invading Islamic forces, turning the tide against them. The battle also helped lay the foundations of the [[Carolingian Empire]].<ref>Davis, Paul K. (1999) "100 Decisive Battles From Ancient Times to the Present" {{ISBN|0-19-514366-3}}</ref>