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Can you tell me which apostle is depicted with geese in this statue?

Question:

My teacher has statues of the apostles in her classroom. One is depicted with two geese at his feet. Which apostle is this, and what is the meaning of the two geese?

Answer:

I suspect that this statue isn’t of an apostle, but of St. Martin of Tours (ca. 316-397), one of the apostles’ successors. Geese are a symbol of St. Martin because the story goes that, when named a bishop, St. Martin ran away and hid. He was found by his pursuers when a goose’s honking gave away his hiding place.

 

 

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