Feast day: May 30

We, as a parish family, proudly bear the name of a valiant and courageous patroness, St. Joan of Arc. This remarkable maiden saved her country of France from the English in 1429. She earned her heavenly crown in 1431 when she was burned at the stake for the crimes of witchcraft and heresy.

Her life began simply in Domrémy, France, in 1412. She was the fifth and the youngest child of a peasant farmer. At the early age of thirteen, Joan began to experience supernatural visions. She described them as the voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. These voices were accompanied by a blaze of light. To save France was the mission that was prepared for her. Through God’s help, she overcame such a military feat. A the age of seventeen, clad in white armor and mounted on a horse she just learned to ride, Joan led an army of 4,000 men to victory at Orleans. Later, with Joan at his side, the Dauphin of France was crowned King Charles VII.

In another military campaign Joan was captured and sold to the British. She was brought to trial before a church court. Her visions were declared to be the work of the devil, and she was falsely accused of being a heretic. She was abandoned by the King of France and face her religious foes alone. Her enemies prevailed, and Joan was burned to death in 1431. Her mother, Isabelle Romée, fought for over twenty years to have her daughter vindicated. Finally, a court appointed by Pope Callistus found her innocent in 1456. In 1920, she was declared a saint, not because she was a patriot or a military leader, or because she heard voices, but because she lived totally dedicated to God’s will.

We parishioners of St. Joan of Arc Parish are honored that this faithful servant of God is our patroness. St. Joan of Arc was a gentle, loving, and compassionate girl. She had faith in God and her visions and did not succumb to any threat. She faced death bravely and in her last moments thought only to the welfare of the city of Rouen, where her brief life ended. This “Maid of Orleans” was truly a portrait in fidelity to God.

St. Joan of Arc, pray for us!