Born: 1412, Domremy, France
Died: May 30, 1431 burned at the stake

Beatified: April 18, 1909 by Pope Pius X
Canonized: May 16, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV

Feast Day: May 30
Patroness of: France, military members

"God is served first."

"It is better to be alone with God. His friendship will not fail me, nor His counsel, nor His love. In His strength, I will dare and dare and dare until I die."

"All battles are first won or lost, in the mind."

"I am not afraid; I was born to do this."

"Go forward bravely. Fear nothing. Trust in God; all will be well."



Brief biography:

Joan was born to a peasant family in France during the Hundred Years' War.  From a young age, her mother instilled a strong faith in Joan.  She loved the sacraments and prayer as well as cared for the sick and homeless, all while never learning to read nor write.

As an early teenager, Joan started hearing voices which she came to recognize as the St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Margaret of Antioch.  They encouraged her to help with the war in order to return the rightful king, Charles VII, to the throne of France.

When she presented herself to the local commander at age 16, he only sent her to the king after she correctly predicted the outcome of a battle.  The king had Joan examined by theologians after she immediately identified him (who she'd never met) despite him being dressed in disguised in a large room of people.  She marched into battle at Orleans with a banner proclaiming the names of Jesus and Mary, breaking a siege in under 10 days.  She kept traveling with the army, winning victory after victory, regaining much of the French kingdom; all of these victories she predicted prior to them occurring.

Through her efforts, Charles was able to be crowned in Reims in 1429.  Despite her great success, King Charles began to listen to other advisors who were jealous of her power.  When she encouraged him to allow her to push on into Paris, he hesitated allowing the English to solidify their ground.  The French did attack Paris with Joan in their ranks and lost; this began a losing streak for her.  At the battle of Compiegne, she was left outside the city gates when they closed allowing for her capture by the Burgundians (English allies) who in turn sold her to the English.

The English wanted to silence this successful teenager to stop the French once and for all.  They put Joan on trial as a witch, a traitor, and a cross dresser; the French made no effort to defend or retrieve her.  During her trial (with zero support or representation), Joan remained courageous, truthful, and clever in her responses, never once wavering in her love and trust in God. She was condemned for wearing men's clothes and burned at the stake at age 19. 

Twenty to twenty-five years later, her family requested her case be retried and her conviction was overturned.  The Church blamed the political pressure as the source of the false condemnation and execution.  

A devotion to this extremely brave, faithful teenager from the French countryside spread fiercely and quickly.  She is a beautiful example of how to combine a life of prayer, sacraments, and contemplation with action.  We can learn to trust God above all else even in the toughest of battles and to fight for a holy life which glorifies God in the hopes of sainthood.

• Decorate with Fleur-de-Lis: This symbol of the French monarchy turned into a symbol of the Trinity.
• Enjoy French pastries or food to celebrate her heritage
• Write letters to the military or pray for them
• Spend time in prayerful contemplation
• Read the lives of the saints to be encouraged by their example to live your faith boldly just as God is calling YOU to do