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The Story of Joan of Arc, Patron
Saint of France
A popular saint in stories
Joan of Arc is one of the popular saints in the Catholic Church.
Her feast is celebrated every May 30 of the year. She was born
on January 6, 1412, at Domrémy, France. St. Joan was the youngest
of five children to Jacques d'Arc, a peasant farmer.
Supernatural visions at 13 years of age
A pious girl by nature, Joan experienced supernatural visions
when she was about thirteen years of age. She describes these
visions as voices coming from St. Michael, St. Catherine, St.
Margaret, and others. These voices revealed to St. Joan that
her mission was to save France by helping the Dauphin organize
an army and rightfully place him on the throne of France.
Encounter with the Dauphin
To convince the Dauphin of her being sent by God, she went to
the castle to seek audience with him. Since she never saw nor
met the Dauphin in person, it was a great amazement to all
those in the Dauphin's court when she was able to single
him out and identify him despite disguising himself. She
then revealed to the Dauphin what God was asking her to do
for France.
Her prophecies proved her mission
Robert de Baudricourt, the French commander at Vaucouleurs,
laughed at Joan of Arc. However, when the prophecies of
the young maiden came true and the French were defeated
at the Battle of Herrings, he then believed. She also
convinced the theological commission at Poitiers that
she was not a heretic.
Her military success helped crown the Dauphin as king
After being cleared of all suspicions, she led an expedition
to retake the city of Orléans, in a suit of white armor.
Only seventeen years old at the time, St. Joan of Arc
led well her forces to victory. She then also followed
this victory with another one over the British on June 18,
this time capturing Troyes. Finally on July 17, 1429, the
Dauphin was crowned as King Charles VII at Rheims.
Captured by the British and burned at the stake
St. Joan of Arc continued in her military campaigns.
She failed to capture Paris and in one of the following
military campaigns, she was captured on May 24 near
Compiègne by the Burgundians, and sold to the British
by John of Luxembourg on November 21. She was charged
by the British church authorities with heresy and
witchcraft. Tricked into signing a recantation, she
was eventually condemned to be burned to death at
the stake.
Martyr and patron saint of France
Her martyrdom occured on May 30, 1431 in Rouen, France.
However, a court appointed by Pope Callistus II in
1456 found her innocent and soon, centuries later,
she was canonized in 1920. She is the second patron
saint of France and is known as the Maid of Orléans.
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