Heaven Spoke — and St. Joan of Arc Took Up Her Sword

Heaven Spoke — and St. Joan of Arc Took Up Her Sword

Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel, “The Trial of Joan of Arc,” ca. 1909 SAINTS & ART: The Church honors Jeanne d’Arc as a virgin martyr and national patroness, whose courage, purity and fortitude continue to inspire Catholics and converts in a secular age.

In a France divided by the Hundred Years' War, a peasant teenager burst in like a ray of faith and fire. Joan of Arc, born in 1412 in Domrémy, claimed to listen to the voices of Saint Michael, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret. These voices did not ask her to pray... they asked her to release France. And she, without military instruction, dared to do so. Dressed in armor, she led troops, lifted the siege of Orleans and allowed Charles VII to be…

Saint Joan of Arc was a woman of unshakable faith with an iron determination to face the times of violence that was going through her country. Today she is considered patron saint of France, of the soldiers, prisoners and of all those who fight adversity, and despite the centuries that have passed, her story continues to be told through films, books, sculptures, paintings and stained glass. Who was and what did Joan of Arc? Joan was born in Domr…

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in Domrémy, a small village in France. From a young age, she claimed to receive visions and guidance from saints, calling her to a special mission: to lead France to victory during the Hundred Years’ War. At just 17 years old, Joan convinced Charles VII to allow her to lead troops to lift the siege of Orléans, a critical turning point in the war. Though young and untrained, her courage and faith inspired French f…