St. Joan of Arc
The Maid of Orléans, Patron of France
Feast Day: May 30
Biography
St. Joan of Arc (1412–1431) is one of the most extraordinary figures in human history. A peasant girl from Domrémy in northeastern France, she began hearing the voices of St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Margaret of Antioch at age thirteen. They told her that God had chosen her to help the Dauphin Charles VII reclaim his throne and drive the English from France during the Hundred Years' War. At seventeen, having convinced skeptical officials of her divine mission, she donned armor and led the French army to a stunning victory at the Siege of Orléans in just nine days — a feat that seasoned commanders had failed to achieve. She stood beside Charles at his coronation in Reims Cathedral. In May 1430, she was captured by Burgundian forces and sold to the English, who orchestrated a show trial before a corrupt ecclesiastical court led by Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Despite her youth and lack of education, her answers during the trial showed remarkable wisdom and courage. She was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431, at age nineteen. Her last word was 'Jesus.' Twenty-five years later, a papal investigation declared her trial null and void and proclaimed her innocent. She was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Joan of Arc, you followed the voice of God with courage and conviction despite overwhelming opposition, betrayal, and the certainty of death. Obtain for me the grace to hear God's call in my own life and to follow it with your same fearless devotion, no matter what the cost may be. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Joan of Arc, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Joan of Arc, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.