The Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Joan of Arc on May 30, the day in 1431 when she was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, as a heretic and a witch.
Her life, accomplishments, and character have always interested me greatly and I count her as one of my favorite saints.
In the immense Communion of Saints, Joan certainly ranks as one of the most unique individuals raised to the altars as a canonized exemplar of Christian holiness.
An active life
Born in 1412 in the French village of Domremy in eastern France, Joan of Arc experienced first-hand the violence and ravages of the Hundred Years War, a complex and bloody struggle between England and the French monarchy for the political control of France.
During her childhood, the French were losing badly, the Crown Prince remained uncrowned as king, the English controlled Paris and many French factions, such as the Burgundians, were in collusion with France’s enemies. Around the age of 14, Joan began to hear the voices of Ss. Michael, Catherine, and Margaret tell her to be a good girl and that God has a special mission for her.
Always naturally pious, she deepened her spiritual fervor through prayer and frequent attendance at Mass.
Eventually, her voices made her mission completely clear: Joan was to go to the Dauphin — the Crown Prince — raise an army, lift the English siege of Orleans, get the Dauphin crowned king at Reims Cathedral, and turn the tide of the war.
A tall order for an illiterate peasant girl of 17 who had barely ever left her village!
Against all expectations, Joan accomplished all of these objectives in one year.
She went to the Dauphin at his castle in Chinon, recognized him as the prince, even though he had disguised himself among his courtiers to test her authenticity, raised an army, drove the English out of Orleans, captured other occupied towns along the route to Reims and proudly stood by King Charles’ side when he was crowned in the stunning cathedral where all French kings had been crowned.
I offer a modern analogy to understand the extraordinary nature of Joan’s success.
During the military conflict in Iraq, imagine a teenage girl suddenly showing up in Baghdad, convincing a team of battle-hardened military men that she had the solution, raising extra troops, and pulling off a military victory against all odds.
Wearing shining military armor and carrying a pennant with the fleur-de-lis and the names of Jesus and Mary into battle, Joan led her troops but never personally attacked or killed anyone.
Joan wanted to continue the French advantage, but the king lost interest in Joan and refused to support her subsequent attack on Paris which failed badly.
In an attempt to liberate Compiegne in 1430, the Burgundians captured her outside the city walls and promptly sold her to the English.
Imprisoned in Rouen, Joan suffered through weeks of a Church trial, facing a numerous cohort of priests and theological doctors, who were in the pay of the English, seeking to prove that she was both a witch and a heretic.
They questioned why she wore men’s clothing (a practical decision in battle), the authenticity of her voices, and her relationship with the Church.
Through it all, Joan nobly held her own, giving doctrinal answers with a wit and insight that belied her brief years and limited experience.
Nevertheless, the English burned her at the stake on May 30, 1431, in the town square of Rouen. King Charles did nothing to save her.
In a subsequent rehabilitation trial, the Church reversed the charges of heresy against her in 1456 and Joan was canonized a saint in 1920, almost 500 years after she lived.
What can we learn
What does her brief, remarkable, and unique life teach us? Let me name just a few points.
Joan had a complete docility to the will of God, manifested through the voices of the Church’s saints.
She did what she was asked to do, no matter how seemingly absurd, difficult, or impossible.
She had absolute confidence in the providence of God, that He would make it all work out.
She manifested profound courage, defying her father when she left home, speaking to the Dauphin whom she had never met, leading troops into battle at the risk of her life, arguing with military commanders about strategy, responding to her captors and inquisitors with pluck and spirit, and facing a horrible death by burning with profound faith.
She was devoted to the Eucharist and Confession, prayed often with great fervor, loved the Blessed Virgin and the saints, and was completely docile to the Church, insisting that she was always a faithful daughter of both God and the Church, despite the calumnies of her enemies.
Because of Joan’s actions, France turned the tide in the Hundred Years War and pushed the English out.
Many different groups and agendas have sought to claim St. Joan of Arc as their own exemplar, from French monarchists to feminists, from revolutionaries to reactionaries. Her life and legacy do not fit such neat categories.
In the end, the student of her life is left with the mystery of a soul called by God to undertake a task seemingly beyond human capability, and given the supernatural grace to accomplish it, even at the price of her life.
In the tumultuous and brief life of Joan, as with all the saints, we see vestiges of Jesus Himself.