St. Joan of Arc was born on the 6th of January 1412 was an influential French military commander, martyr and one of the most significant women in history. During the Hundred Years' War she lead a French army to the besieged city of Orléans, where it achieved a strong victory over the English and their rebellious French allies. In 1430 she was captured and burned at the stake by the English. In 1909 she was beatified by Pope Pius X then Canonized by Pope Benedict XV.
Joan’s Significant events
St. Joan of Arc is one of the earliest and best examples of a significant woman to lead an army. During Joan’s early years her visions of saints instructed her to go to Vaucouleurs and meet with Robert de Baudricourt, the local garrison commander at the time. At first, Robert turned her down. He then reconsidered Joan’s request after she gained approval and popularity from other members of her community.
“I was in my thirteenth year when I heard a voice from God to help me govern my conduct. And the first time I was very much afraid”.
After she gained approval from Robert, Joan dressed like a man and set off on a grueling journey which most women at the time would not dare take. This was across the frightening enemy line to Chinon where she would plead her case to the crown prince. After Joan pleaded her case successfully she was told to set off to Orléans, this was the extreme battle where Joan would make a name for herself. Joan then led multiple successful assaults against the rebellious French.
In the Spring of 1430, Joan was captured by the English. Joan was ordered to answer to 70, mostly false, charges against her, including heresy, witchcraft and dressing like a man. The Anglo-Burgundians were aiming to get rid of Joan as she was a powerful woman and of great threat to their cause. She was sentenced and cruelly burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. Before her burning Joan asked for a cross to be held in front of her, looking at the cross her final word was ‘Jesus’.
24 years after the war Charles VII cleared her name through a rigorous trial which proved that Joan was. In 1909 she was beatified by Pope Pius X then Canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. Since then Joan has always been held in the utmost regard as a heroine and her well-known devotion to God.
Joan’s Christian virtues
Throughout Joan’s short peasant life she was extremely religious. She displayed many christian qualities that were extremely rare in women let alone young women at the time. They included communication with saints and leadership. Both of these provided high value throughout her life.
Joan made it extremely clear that her main mission was presented to her by God in the form of voices. Throughout her life Joan followed The Lord’s commands through the voices of Saint Margaret, St Catherine and Saint Michael. Her devotion to the Lord was also evident in one of her goals when she was young was to receive the sacrament of Communion.
Joan of Arc followed the Lord’s orders even though there was no need to join the fight for France. Being a woman she experienced scruitany and sexism which she persevered through to become a highly recognisable and important French heroine.
Miracles performed by Joan of Arc
To become a Saint one must have two verified miracles. Joan had three verified miracles before her canonization in april 1909. Another miracle was performed in August 1909 adding to her large tally of four miracles. Which is double the required two. Her miracles were after her death once she was in heaven where she could perform these on behalf of god.
Joan’s first miracle was the cure of Sister Therese of Saint Augustine from Orleans. Joan cured Sister Therese of crippling of leg ulcers. Joan’s second miracle was to Sister Julie Gauthier, of Faverolles, who was cured of a cancerous ulcer of her left breast. Joan’s third miracle was Sister Marie Sagnier, who was from Frages. She was astonishingly cured of cancer of the stomach.
Joan’s fourth miracle after her canonization was where Msgr. Leon Cristiani took part in a phenomenal cure of Thérèse Belin at Lourdes. Thérèse Belin was unconscious when the Sacrament passed before her, but opened her eyes and sat up when Msgr. Cristiani conjured the name of Joan of Arc. The other miracle was the cure of Miss Mirandelle, said to have had a hole in the sole of her left foot.