St Joan of Arc

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Joan. St. Joan was born on January 6, 1412. St. Joan was burned at the stake because she was reported to be a heretic after a politically motivated trial. St. Joan was beatified during the year 1909 and canonized during they year 1920.

St. Joan was born into a decently wealthy peasant family who lived in Domremy-Greux which was located in southeast of Paris. When St. Joan was only 12 years old she had experienced a vision and heard many voices that she later identified as Saints Michael the Archangel, Catherine of Alexandria, and Margaret of Antioch.

During the Hundred Years War, which was a very large and long conflict between France and England, St. Joan was able to lead the French troops against the English. Due to her guidance they were able to recaptured the cities of Orléans and Troyes.

This success that St. Joan and her troops had enabled Charles VII to be crowned as king in Reims in 1429. However, during the following year, St. Joan was captured near Compiegne, St. Joan was later sold to the English and she was placed on trial for heresy and witchcraft.

Many professors at the University of Paris had supported Bishop Pierre Cauchon of Beauvis, and the person who judged at her trial was Cardinal Henry Beaufort of Winchester, England and he participated in the questioning of St. Joan in prison.

At the end of the trial, St. Joan ended up being condemned for wearing men’s clothes. Also, English resented France’s military success to which St. Joan had contributed to greatly.

On May 30, 1431, St. Joan was burned at the stake and this took place in Rouen, St. Joan’s ashes were later scattered in the Seine River. A second Church trial was done 25 years later and it reported that the earlier verdict was reached under political pressure.

St. Joan is greatly remembered for her military exploits. However, St. Joan also had a great love for all of the sacraments, which helped her strengthen her compassion towards the poor.

A very popular devotion to her increased greatly during the 19th-century in France and it also increased later again among French soldiers during World War I.

Theologian George Tavard wrote that her life “offers a perfect example of the conjunction of contemplation and action” because her spiritual insight is that there should be a “unity of heaven and earth.”

St. Joan has been the subject of many different books, plays, operas and movies.

St. Joan is the patron saint of France and military members and her feast day is celebrated on May 30.

Prayer to Saint Joan

St. Joan intercede that we may be able to guide more people to Christ. St. Joan help us in moments of stress, trial or temptation, help us to remain calm and surrender ourselves to Christ. St. Joan help us to make the world a better place by being more charitable to others and by praying for others more.

Amen

St. Joan pray for us

St. Joseph pray for us

May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.

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Works Cited

Information (read from, not taken):

Franciscan Media. "Saint Joan of Arc. ”Saint Joan of Arc | Franciscan Media. Accessed 30, May 2021.

Images:

Saint Joan of Arc. May 30, 2021. saint joan of arc saint - Google Search.