St. Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was born January 6, 1412 in the small French village of Dom Remy. Her parents were peasants, but relatively well-off. Joan was a pious girl who dutifully helped her mother with spinning and other tasks. As a young teen, Joan heard voices that she identified as St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. In May 1428, Joan’s voices ordered her to help the Dauphne, the heir to the throne of France, gain the throne from the English. At first, the royal court paid scant attention to Joan, but her persistence convinced the Dauphne and his advisors that she was sincere. The prince was thoroughly convinced when Joan identified him in a crowd, though he had disguised himself to deceive her; the young peasant woman had never even seen a picture of the Dauphne before. A small armed force was given to Joan and she was able to free besieged Orleans and win several victories. Thanks to her intervention, the King was crowned at Rheims with Joan at his side. However, the English had not been completely defeated; Joan was captured at Compiegne by the Burgundians and sold to the English. The King and his nobles did nothing to save her. After an unfair trail, nineteen year-old Joan was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. Thirty years later, hearings commanded by the pope exonerated Joan from any guilt. After centuries of being honored by the French as a saint and national hero, Joan was canonized in 1920. Her feast is May 30.