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St. Joan of Arc is the patroness of soldiers and of France. She was born in the village of Domremy, France, on January 6, 1412. As the youngest of five children, her mother taught her domestic skills and religion. Joan said, “It was my mother alone who taught me the ‘Our Father’ and the ‘Hail Mary’ and the ‘Creed;’ and from none other was I taught my faith.
Joan was not only a pious and obedient girl but unselfishly generous and kind to her neighbors too. While she never learned to read or write, she was skilled in sewing and spinning.
In the summer of 1425, at the age of thirteen and a half, Joan began to hear the voices of St. Michael, St. Margaret, and St. Catherine. The voices first told Joan to be good and to attend church often, and that God would help her. At first, the voices appeared two or three times a week, but later visited her daily telling her to ‘Go into France’; which she eventually did do.
As the voices become more insistent, they urged her to present herself to Robert Baudricourt, who commanded for Charles VII in the neighboring town for Vaucoulerus.
Joan left Domremy in January 1429 and visited the town of Vaucouleurs. During this time the military situation of King Charles and his supporters was growing more and more desperate. On February 23, Joan rode through the Gate of France, in the company of six men, and arrived in Chinon March 9th. She was accepted and approved by the Archbishop or Reimes, and was allowed to lead the Dauphin’s army.
Joan entered Orleans on the evening of April 29th and by May 8th the city had been freed. The Loire campaign started on June 9th and by June 19th the English were driven out of the Loire valley. The march to Reims started on June 29th and by July 17th Charles was crowned King of France in the cathedral of Reims.
For unknown reasons, King Charles no longer valued Joan’s advice, and she left the court with frustration in 1430.
Joan was abandoned by her friends and was a prisoner of the Burgundians and then handed over to the English. The English wanted to kill Joan and took her to trial from February 21st until May 23rd. She was burnt at the stake in Rouen’s square on May 30th, 1431.
Twenty-five years later, the outcome of Joan’s trial was overturned. The Church of Rome declared Joan a saint in 1930.
The St. Joan of Arc Chapel, located on Marquette University’s campus, is a remnant of 15th century France, and contains a stone in which Joan of Arc prayed before leading her countrymen into battle against the English in 1429.
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