Born in circa 1412, St. Joan of Arc was born into a small community known as Dorémy, France. Joan grew up very poor with a family of farmers. She never learned to read or write. At thirteen, she began hearing voices from St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Margaret of Antioch and they told her that God had a mission for her.
France was in the middle of the Hundred Years War. At the time, the English owned the majority of France and the rightful ruler, Charles VII of France, was not crowned yet. Joan believed that God told her to help Charles become the King and drive the English out of France.
Joan convinced Charles to let her lead troops in 1429. And she went into battle wearing armor and carrying a banner instead of a sword. And later that year, she led over 4,000 troops in the Siege of Orleans, and they won the battle and drove the English out of France completing the first part of her mission. And again, that year, she helped Charles VII travel to Reims where he was crowned King of France. When she completed this, she now completed her mission from God all in one year.
But, in 1430, Joan was captured by enemy forces and sold to the British for 10,000 francs which is worth roughly $50 million in today’s US Dollar. King Charles tried to match this offer to buy her back, but the French treasury was depleted leaving him powerless. Joan was later but on trial for heresy and wearing men’s clothing.
She was sadly found guilty on both accounts due to this highly politically rigged trial and was ordered to be executed. She was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, at only 19 years old.
Years later, the Church declared that her trial was unfair and that she was innocent. St. Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. And today, St. Joan of Arc is even one of the few saints that can be brought up in a conversation without exactly talking about Catholicism. And that is the story of St. Joan of Arc.