Saint Joan of Arc
c. 1412 – May 30, 1431
Saint Joan of Arc is honored as a Savior of France for her heroic defense of her native kingdom against England during the Hundred Years' War. She was martyred for her faith at only 19 years old.
Principal Feast Day: May 30th
House emblem: The fleur-de-lis
House colors: Blue and gold (yellow)
The Life of Saint Joan
During the Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453), the kings of England and France struggled against one another to determine who would control France, one of the wealthiest and most powerful kingdoms in Western Europe. The war ground on for many decades.
By the late 1420s, the English had the upper hand and controlled much of northern France. To solidify their position, they needed to capture Orleans, an important city on the Loire River. The English laid surrounded the city and besieged it. Their goal was to take both the city and the bridge that crossed the Loire.
A young woman in the village of Domremy in northeastern France started to experience visions of the Archangel Michael and two saints, St. Margaret of Antioch and St. Catherine of Alexandria, beginning when she was 13. Once the English laid siege to Orleans in late 1428, these visions told her to go to the young French king, Charles VII, to convince him that God wanted her to help the French achieve victory over the English. That young woman’s name was Joan of Arc.
She convinced the king that her visions were real, and he sent her with a relief army to Orleans in April 1429. Within nine days, the French broke the siege and the English withdrew. The French then went on the offensive, and the English steadily lost ground in the war, finally accepting defeat in 1453.
Joan of Arc had made many enemies among the English and their allies, who accused her of beating them in war by witchcraft. She was captured in May 1530 and handed over to the English. The English put her on trial for heresy and blasphemy, and yielding to visions they claimed were demonic in origin. She was found guilty and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old.
A few years later, a Church court reinvestigated the matter and found that her trial was not properly conducted and that the prosecution was deceitful. She was absolved of all crimes. She was canonized in 1920, and she is the patron saint of France.
Saint Joan of Arc, pray for us.
House Motto
"Sans la grâce de Dieu, je ne saurais rien faire."
"Without the grace of God, I would not know how to do anything."
Prayer for Saint Joan of Arc's Day
O GOD, you have chosen Saint Joan of Arc to defend her country against the invading enemy. Through her intercession, grant that we may work for justice and live in peace. We pray through Jesus Christ, your son, living and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
