St
St. Joan of ArcSaint Joan Of Arc
The Maid Of France
Saint Joan of Arc was born in Domremy in Lorraine, France, in 1412. Until the age of seventeen years, she lived the life of a simple shepherdess. At this time, she was commanded by Heavenly Voices to lead the French armies against the English forces which had invaded France. She did so with great success. Betrayed, she was tried by civil and apostolic courts and condemned to death. She was burned alive at the stake in Rouen, May 31, 1431. A later trial established her innocence and after due process she was declared a Saint in 1920.
Domremy was a small village in the Meuse Valley. Jacques d'Arc, Jeanne's father and mother, Isabelle Zabillet, were described by their neighbors, " They were good and faithful Catholics; good working-people of good reputation, leading an honest life according to their condition."
No contemporary picture exists of Jeanne d'Arc. She denied ever sitting for a portrait. What did this female soldier of the 14th century look like? The Princess of Hungary, Eugelide, led us to believe that 'Joan had a short neck and a little bright red mark behind her right ear.' Jeanne begins to be mentioned in history, as a young girl of 12 � 13 years old. Jeanne was born into a family of healthy parents, she did her housework, worked in the fields, tended the cattle and took part as a member of a country family. With these tasks, one might expect Jeanne to have rough hands, dark skin from spending so much time in the sun, and strong muscles. It would be expected that a future soldier must be tough and sturdy in order to lead the life which she led for herself.
The people of Domremy, testified that Jeanne 'had moral character and a sweet nature.' Consistent accounts are given that Jeanne's hair was short and black, that she had brown eyes and her complexion was dark and sun-burnt. As Jeanne arrived in Chinon, Philip of Bergamo said, �She was short as to her stature.'
As early as thirteen years of age, Jeanne heard voices from St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret." These voices frightened Jeanne, at first but later she referred to these voices as Angels. Joan was commanded to attend church, to go to France and to raise the siege in the city of Orleans. She was instructed to find Robert de Baudricourt, Vaucouleurs, and that he would give her people to go with her.
May 1428, at the age of 16, she made her first effort to find the Dauphin. Without word to her parents, Joan left Domremy. She visited her uncle for eight days and then went onto Vaucouleurs, where she connected with Robert de Baudricourt. Joan told Robert that she was a servant of the Lord, sent to bring the Dauphin back into power as King of France....
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