Joan of Arc’s 600th Birthday and the Significance of Her Birth on the Epiphany.

In eleven days on January 6th of 2012 it will be the 600th anniversary of Saint Joan of Arc’s birth and there will be worldwide celebrations to honor Joan and remember the brilliance of her life. What a contrast, indeed, to the humble way that she entered the world as a simple peasant baby born in an obscure little town. No one among the few friends and family who were aware of Joan’s birth in 1412 would have ever believed that this little baby would grow up to lead the armies of France to victory and become one of the most beloved Saints of God. In fact, the birth of peasant girls in Joan’s day was considered so insignificant that her birth was never even officially recorded however the people of her hometown did remember that Joan had been born on the Feast of the Epiphany. While the people of the world had no idea what Joan would become God in His infinite wisdom of course knew and He may have given the world a clue about Joan with the timing of her birth on the Epiphany. To celebrate Joan’s 600th birthday and as a present to her I thought I would try to explain the great significance of the timing of Joan’s birth on the Epiphany.

Saint Joan of Arc: A Brilliantly Shining Light of God
The Significance of Joan of Arc’s Birth on the Epiphany

“Most beautiful Maid of Heaven, how brilliant is your light.
Like a shining star you point the way to the Father of all light.”
These opening sentences to Maid of Heaven serve not only as a poetic tribute to the brilliance of Saint Joan of Arc’s life but are also an analogy to the birth of Christ and to Saint Joan’s ultimate mission for God to lead people to Christ. That Saint Joan was actually born on the Epiphany seems to be God’s own exclamation point that this was indeed her greatest mission in her short life here on earth. The significance of Joan’s birth on the Epiphany, therefore, can not be understated and considering the amount of mystical phenomena indwelled in her life’s story it seems rather amazing that the exact timing of her birth on the Epiphany has received so little attention by the legions of writers and artists who have covered Joan in every conceivable form of human expression over the years.

Since I finished writing Maid of Heaven in 2006 I have found myself more than a little reluctant to discuss some of the deeper elements of this poem because I fear it will be too difficult to explain to most people because of what I can only refer to as the mysteries of God. Maid of Heaven was for the most part written “in the Spirit” which is a term that most people have heard however few seem to understand or accept. Since Maid of Heaven was written “in the Spirit” it means that while I wrote the words on paper I was not completely aware of all that I was writing at the time. A prime example are the opening sentences which I am now going to attempt to fully explain because I feel that the great significance of Saint Joan’s birth on the Epiphany is something I MUST convey to people.
To continue reading the rest of this paper please visit MaidOfHeaven.com by clicking here

Christmas for Saint Joan of Arc

One can only wonder about how Saint Joan of Arc celebrated Christmas as there is unfortunately nothing in the historic records however there is little doubt that Christmas would have been a very special time for Joan given her intense love and devotion to God. While Joan was growing up in the small town of Domremy she most likely would have attended at least one worship service and possible more on Christmas day at the little church of St. Remy located just next door to her house. Joan may also have made a pilgrimage to the nearby chapel of Notre-Dame de Bermont dedicated to Mary the mother of Christ. Several of the people from Domremy remember seeing Joan “make confession on Easter and on other feast days” so she is likely to have done so as well on Christmas day. However Joan celebrated Christmas she would have focused on Jesus as this was the focus of her life (read last years Christmas blog entry Jesus & Joan for more).

In the days when Joan lived the Christmas celebration continued for twelve days until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th which was the day of greatest celebration in medieval times. [For those who don’t already know the celebration of the Epiphany in Christian tradition refers to the revelation of God to man in the person of Jesus Christ and the central part of the celebration features the arrival of the “Wise Men” who were led to the baby Jesus by a shining star.] For Joan this day was even more special as this was also her birthday. As a gift to Joan for Christmas and for the 600th anniversary of her birthday I recently wrote a paper detailing the significance of Joan of Arc’s birth on the Epiphany titled: "Saint Joan of Arc: A Brilliantly Shining Light of God." This paper will be posted online next week so please check back then.

Until then, a Merry ChristMASS to all!

Countdown to Joan of Arc’s 600th Birthday

We are now only a month away from celebrating the 600th anniversary of Saint Joan of Arc’s birth. To help you countdown a special clock was added to the birthday page at MaidOfHeaven.com that will reach zero at 12 midnight on January 5th in the town of Domremy where Joan was born. The clock currently shows a little more than 30 days to go which can be seen at the top of the page for
Joan of Arc’s Birthday

Please bookmark this page and check back anytime to see how much time is left. This page also contains details about Joan’s birth including quotes from the people who knew her the best and several new pictures of Joan, such as the one at the top of this article titled La Petite Jeannette, were recently added.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CELEBRATE JOAN’S 6OOTH BIRTHDAY!

As part of my own celebration I just recently finished writing a paper titled: Saint Joan of Arc: A Brilliantly Shining Light of God - The Significance of Joan of Arc’s Birth on the Epiphany. I will post this paper here at this blog just after Christmas so please check back then.

Jesus+Maria

Saint Joan of Arc and Veterans Day

How appropriate it is to remember Saint Joan of Arc on Veterans Day as she is the Patron Saint of Soldiers and was herself one of the greatest soldiers to ever live. Veterans Day began as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day and is celebrated every November 11th on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice to end World War I. During World War I there were many reports of Saint Joan appearing to soldiers to inspire them onward in their duty as soldiers for God and country. The picture below is from the book The Broken Soldier and the Maid of France which is a fictional story based loosely upon some of these reports.

One episode from the life of Saint Joan that best demonstrates her own great love and compassion for soldiers occurred just after her greatest victory at the Battle of Patay. Coming across a mortally wounded enemy soldier Joan dismounted from her horse and held the man’s head in her lap and comforted him as he died. In reflecting upon this incident from her life one can only wonder as to the mysteries of God and how through His grace the likelihood that Saint Joan has continued to comfort dying soldiers in a similar way as their loving patron saint.

This Veterans Day let us remember Saint Joan and her example as the ultimate soldier: strong yet merciful, courageous yet loving. A true soldier of God!

Last Great Victory for Joan of Arc

"I am not alone! I have fifty thousand of my own company to fight with me!"

In the autumn of 1429, Charles VII seems to have been completely under the influence of his advisors who urged negotiation rather than battle. In light of this policy Joan of Arc was used in only a limited role when it suited the King and his advisors. For whatever reason they decided to send her to the strategically insignificant town of St. Pierre le Moutier where Joan once again showed her military brilliance by capturing the town despite having limited troops and supplies with which to overcome a stout defense.

During the battle when it appeared that all was lost and her men were retreating Joan again showed her courage and great leadership in completely turning the course of the battle. Joan’s aide-de-camp(my modern title) Jean d’Aulon describes the scene later at her trial of rehabilitation: “After the Maid and her soldiers had maintained the siege before the city for some time, an assault was ordered and made and all did their duty. But because of the great strength of the place, and also the great resistance made by those within, the French were forced to retreat. At this hour he who speaks, being wounded by an arrow in the heel, as such without crutches I could neither move nor sustain myself, saw that the Maid had remained behind with very few soldiers indeed. Fearing what might follow I mounted a horse, and hastily riding to her I asked her what she was doing there alone and why she had not retreated like the rest of the men. But the Maid, lifting the face guard of her helmet replied: ‘I am not alone! I have fifty thousand of my own company to fight with me and retreat I will not until I have taken this town.’ Whatever she might have said she had not with her more than four of five men, as I know for certain as do several others who were looking on, so I urged her to retreat like the rest. Then she told me to tell the men to bring faggots and brush to make a bridge across the moat which she yelled to the rest in a loud voice.”

Shortly thereafter the moat was filled and the town was taken by assault with little resistance to the amazement of d’Aulon. St. Joan of Arc once again prevailed against impossible odds however this was to be her last great victory. While she continued until her capture to have military successes she never again stormed and captured a city the way she did that day in early November of 1429 at Saint Pierre le Moutier.

***(Joan's words at St. Pierre le Moutier are very similar to those of the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 6:23-24 about the unseen army of God all around us.)

Joan's Amazing Leap

During the month October in 1430, Joan of Arc was held prisoner at the Castle of Beaurevoir by the Burgundians who had captured her. Joan had been waiting since the end of May to be ransomed back to her own forces which was the normal custom of the time for military prisoners of war. Unfortunately for Joan the English were not ever going to allow her to again lead armies against them and were negotiating with the Burgundian John of Luxemburg to have Joan sold to them. Joan knew that if she were delivered into English hands she was as good as dead because they had always yelled taunts at her that if they captured her they would burn her.



Joan apparently knew about the negotiations to sell her to the English because she became desperate enough to attempt an escape by jumping from the window of the tower where she was held which was at least sixty feet above the ground. Later at her trial Joan explained about her escape attempt: “I was sold to the English and I preferred to die rather than be in the hands of the English.” Somehow Joan managed to survive the sixty foot drop that would have killed most people but she was knocked unconscious and was later found by her captors ending her escape attempt.

The miraculous feat of Joan surviving such a long fall was recently driven home to me when I had my own fall off of a ladder from about nine feet above the ground. I was very fortunate that I hit on my side and did not break any bones but I was busted up pretty bad with damage to my hand, knees, and face. It is five months later and I am just now getting back to normal with my front teeth still being a little sore. When I think about Joan falling sixty feet with no damage to herself all I can say is amazing, which is the same exclamation that can be used for so much of Joan’s life: AMAZING!

Saint Joan Needs Your Help!

If you have performed a Google search for Joan of Arc lately then you may have noticed that the #1 result returned is for a band named Joan of Arc. This came to my attention about a month ago and after researching this site and band I was able to determine that they have nothing whatsoever to do with the real Saint Joan of Arc. What really disturbs me the most are the offensive and pornographic words used in titles to songs and albums that jumped out at me when I visited this website. I know there have to be millions of school children using Google to research Joan of Arc and instead of finding what they are looking for they are being sent to this website instead. This is terrible and is something Google should deal with if for no other reason than this website has nothing at all to do with the real Joan of Arc and grossly violates their advertised policy to provide the most relevant search results. Below is the letter I sent yesterday to Google complaining about this spam site.

I encourage all of you to complain as well and if you need specific instructions on how to complain to Google online then please visit this special page below:
Page about Spam in Joan of Arc Google Search

Jesus+Maria

Another Spiritual Lesson from Joan

“Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera”
“Aid yourself and God will aid you”

This spiritual truth is one that Saint Joan of Arc exemplified in her life and actions and one that I was only personally able to completely comprehend through studying Joan. I had always heard the old saying that “God helps those who help themselves” however I was taught in the churches that I attended that this was not true because these exact words are not contained in the Bible. When I came to the part of Joan’s life where she was examined by theologians prior to her being given command of the armies of France she was asked: “If God desires to deliver France where is the need for soldiers?” Joan famously responded: “In God’s name, the soldiers will fight and He will grant victory.” The priests examining Joan understood that Joan was correctly saying that God will aid those who attempt to aid themselves trusting in God for the ultimate victory such as the example of David when he stepped forward to face Goliath trusting God for victory.

I was recently reminded again of this spiritual truth in a way that made me think of Joan when a friend of mine sent me a link to a news article about Robert E. Lee’s sword. What caught my attention were the words contained on one side of the sword: Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera. These are the French words that Joan is renowned for speaking during her life and it is highly likely that the French craftsman who made this sword placed them on the sword in memory of one Christian general as a present for another. It is easy to envision Robert E. Lee gazing upon this sword and drawing strength from these words during the darkest moments of his life. (For more go to Joan of Arc & Robert E Lee)

Thank you Joan for continuing to teach me along with everyone else about the truths of God.

Joan at Paris

Joan Of Arc may have failed in her attempt to liberate Paris but few military commanders in history have acquitted themselves so admirable in a defeat. On September 8, 1429, Joan led an assault upon the St. Honore gate at Paris in an attempt to breach the strong walls surrounding the city which ultimately ended in failure when Joan was wounded in the thigh around dusk after a long day of fighting. Not willing to admit defeat herself Joan continued to encourage her men to attack and had to be forcible carried from the battle field. While historians have long debated about the factors that led to the French defeat at Paris one thing that has never been questioned is Joan’s valor. As historian Andrew Lang eloquently writes in his own commentary about Joan at Paris:

“But, through the mist, one figure stands out clear in the sunlight, discerned alike by friend and foe; a girl of seventeen in white armour, who lets herself down into the deep dry fosse, who climbs out on to the dos d'dne under the city wall, and, like Bruce at Perth, fathoms the water of the great fosse with her lance, under a rain of projectiles, till she is smitten through the thigh. Undaunted, unweakened, she cries on the men. History shows no other such picture.”

The following scene from the 1999 movie Joan of Arc is a touching, if not exactly historically accurate, portrayal of Joan’s failure at Paris.


To learn more about Joan at Paris visit these resources at MaidOfHeaven.com:

Eyewitness accounts of Joan of Arc at Paris
Andrew Lang's chapter about Joan at Paris

Joan of Arc leads people to God!

One of the best parts about studying Joan Of Arc is how much you will learn about God. In one of the first interviews I did after writing Maid of Heaven I commented about “how much I was able to learn about God from studying her life.” Here it is several years later and the lessons continue. Recently I was given a picture of a beautiful statue of Joan by my friend and fellow Joan devotee Chris Snidow of PilgrimWitnesses.com. I was intrigued by this statue and wanted to learn more about it.

After contacting another good friend of both mine and Saint Joan, Virginia Frohlick of the St. Joan of Arc Center Online, I found out that the statue portrays a young Joan up at midnight to listen to her Voices. I believe I am drawn to artistic representations of Joan as just a simple young woman because they better demonstrate the great power of God in her life. This particular statue really emphasizes this truth because on it’s base are inscribed the following verses from Psalm 27:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."

Thank you Joan for another lesson on what a great God it is that we serve.

Jesus+Maria

Watch Deadliest Warrior TV program featuring Joan

For everyone who was unable to watch the Deadliest Warrior program featuring Joan on cable TV the entire episode is available below:


Joan of Arc vs. William the Conqueror Episode

Joan of Arc vs. William the Conqueror
Get More: Joan of Arc vs. William the Conqueror

You can also find it online at Joan of Arc on Deadliest Warrior

Joan portrayed on Deadliest Warrior TV program

The Deadliest Warrior TV program that aired this past Wednesday night included Joan in their most recent show titled Joan of Arc vs. William the Conqueror. This show is kind of cross between a history documentary and a professional sports event with three commentators as “experts” breaking down the match up. I enjoyed seeing the weapons demonstrations and thought they did a reasonably good job of portraying Joan however they seemed to have a lot of trouble explaining Joan’s divine inspiration. I think they would have helped themselves by relating what the men who followed Joan said about her as they all shared the same sentiment.

"I believe that Joan was sent by God and that her deeds in the war were the fruit of divine inspiration rather than of human agency." Jean de Metz

"All of the Maid's exploits seemed to me rather divine and miraculous than otherwise. It would have been impossible for any as young as the Maid to have performed such deeds except at the will and guidance of God." Jean d’Aulon

All in all I thought the program was well worth watching and except for one comment by their Doctor about Joan being bipolar (ridiculous) they presented Joan in a way that was positive and should inspire many viewers to want to learn more about her amazing life.

Vive la Joan!

Crowning of Charles VII Anniversary

“… the Dauphin will be made King, and it is I who will conduct him to the coronation.”

On July 17, 1429, Joan of Arc fulfilled her mission to lead Charles VII to his coronation and anointing as King. Joan had predicted that she would lead Charles to his crowing in Reims when she had begun her mission only a few months earlier. What had seemed impossible to everyone except Joan occurred that summer day in late July of 1429 in the Cathedral of Reims when Charles VII was crowned King of France. All the French people loyal to Charles rejoiced at his crowning as echoed by Christine de Pisan in her epic poem The Song of Joan of Arc:

"Now let us welcome our King!
Rejoice at his return from his fall,
overjoyed at the site of his splendor.
Let us all both great and small
step forward to greet him-no one
hold back-salute him with joyful face.
Praising God who has been so kind
let shouts of "Noel!" fill the place."
Christine’s poem was finished shortly after the crowning of Charles VII in Reims and reflects the national sentiments toward Joan of Arc at that time and is well worth reading to better understand the huge impact that this event had upon the people of France. An English translation is available online at MaidOfHeaven.com at
The Song of Joan of Arc by Christine de Pisan

You can also learn more about the coronation and the city of Reims by visiting this page about:
Joan of Arc & Reims

Vive la Joan

The 600th Anniversary of Joan of Arc’s Birthday

Next year will mark the 600th anniversary of the birth of St. Joan of Arc and we are now only six months away from this milestone so I thought it was a good time to make sure that everyone is aware of what is coming. There are many events planned worldwide to celebrate including a parade in New Orleans and a pilgrimage in France to name just a few. The picture below of the statue of Joan with her Voices at the Basilica of St. Joan of Arc near Domremy was taken just last month and you can see how the statues have been recently cleaned and re-painted to get ready.


How are you planning to celebrate Joan’s 600th birthday anniversary next year?

Learn more abut Joan’s birthday and the 600th anniversary at:
Joan of Arc's Birthday

Joan’s Great Victory at Patay

June 18th is the anniversary of Joan’s great victory at Patay on June 18, 1429. While this was Joan’s most overwhelming victory where she annihilated an English army of a least six thousand while losing only a handful of men I have never felt that she receives proper credit for this great victory by most modern historians. Examples of what I mean can be found in the book Joan of Arc: A Military Leader published in 1999 where author Kelly Devries says that “she assisted in the French victory at the battle of Patay” and online in the wikipedia article (disclaimer: I do not consider wikipedia to be a valid historical reference) which says: “Although credited to Joan of Arc, most of the fighting took place at the vanguard of the French army and the battle was over before the main body could arrive.” To me such “criticism,” and that is what it is, would be like saying that Robert E. Lee does not deserve credit for the great victory at Chancellorsville because he was not personally present with Jackson’s flanking corps which is something no true historian would ever try to argue.

I wrote a good article last year about Joan of Arc and the Battle of Patay that relies heavily upon the words of the people present and clearly shows just how much Joan was responsible for the victory at Patay. Please read it and decide for yourself exactly how much credit Joan deserves in leading the French to their overwhelming victory at Patay.

Joan of Arc & the Battle of Patay

Memorial Day and Joan of Arc

How appropriate that Memorial Day this year falls on the anniversary of Joan of Arc’s death on May 30, 1431, which is her Feast Day. Memorial Day began in America as a way to remember fallen soldiers and honor them for their service and ultimate sacrifice. While Saint Joan of Arc was not an American soldier she certainly was the epitome of a true soldier and deserves to be remembered and honored for her service to all humankind. Joan’s feast day is celebrated every year by Catholics on the anniversary of her death and is essentially her memorial day. There is a special page at MaidOfHeaven.com commemorating Joan’s Feast Day which gives eyewitness accounts of her last moments and the heroic way that she died. Joan of Arc Feast Day
As we honor and remember our brave soldiers here in America today I hope everyone will also take a moment to remember and honor Saint Joan of Arc in a similar way for the great soldier of God that she was.

Vive la Jehanne!

Victory at Orleans

On a May 8th Sunday like today in 1429 Joan of Arc achieved complete victory at Orleans. On the morning of May 8th following the previous day’s spectacular storming and taking of the fort Les Tourelles by the French, the English defenders remaining around Orleans left their siege positions and assembled in order of battle in an open field near the city. The French forces came out of Orleans to oppose the English and for an hour the two armies faced each other. During this time Joan called for mass to be held. A citizen of Orleans, Jean de Champeaux, later testified as to what happened next: “The masses completed, Joan said to look and see whether the English were facing them. "No, the English are turned towards Meung,” someone replied. ‘In God’s name,’ Joan replied, ‘They are going. Let them go, while we go give thanks to God and pursue them no farther, since today is Sunday.” And thus total victory was achieved at Orleans as the English retreated away from Orleans. Joan and her army returned to Orleans and celebrated with the citizens of Orleans, a celebration that is renewed every year on May 8th in honor of the “Maid of Orleans.”

Anniversary of Joan Entering Orleans

On April 29, 1429, Joan arrived before the city of Orleans with her army and was greeted by the military commander of the city Jean Count of Dunois who was known as the Bastard of Orleans. Joan was not happy that her captains had not chosen the most direct route to Orleans and displayed her anger in responding to the greeting by Dunois: "Are you the Bastard of Orleans? Was it you who gave counsel that I come here, on this side of the river, and that I am not to go directly where are Talbot and the English?" Joan went on to say:

"In God's name, the counsel of our Lord is safer and wiser than yours. You have thought to deceive me, and you deceive yourself still more; for I bring you better succor than ever came to any knight or city whatever, seeing that it is the succor of the King of Heaven. Nevertheless, it comes to you not through love of me; it proceeds from God himself, who at the request of Saint Louis and Saint Charlemagne, has had pity for the city of Orleans, and has not wished that the enemy should at the same time possess the person the duke and his city."

Despite the harsh greeting, Dunois was thrilled at the arrival of Joan and her army and later described how he felt that the circumstances of her arrival and a miraculous changing of the wind that aided in their crossing of the river Loire into the town led him to believe Joan could only have been sent by God:

“And she crossed the river Loire with La Hire and myself, and we entered all together the town of Orleans. These are the reasons why I think that Joan, and all her deeds in war and in battle, were rather God's work than man's: the sudden changing of the wind, I mean, after she had spoken, which gave hope of aid, and the bringing in of the provisions in spite of the English, who were much stronger than the royal army, and the fact, furthermore, that this young girl swore that she had had a vision in which Saint Louis and Saint Charlemagne prayed to God for the safety of the King and of this city."

To learn more about Joan’s entry into Orleans visit this page about Orleans and Joan of Arc at MaidOfHeaven.com

Joan The Woman

When people picture Joan of Arc they generally see her as either the great warrior or the inspired saint, both of which she certainly was, however she was also at her core a simple young woman and really probably more accurately just a girl. I recently acquired an engraved plate of the picture of Joan above that I really love because of the way that the artist portrays Joan. According to the information I found about this artist, Henrietta Ward, she was inspired to paint this scene by the words below by the nineteenth century English writer Philip Henry Stanhope (Lord Mahon) who said of Joan: "Her young heart beat high with enthusiasm for her native France, now beset and beleaguered by the island strangers. Her young fancy loved to dwell on those distant battles, the din of which might scarcely reach her quiet village, but each apparently hastening the ruin of her fatherland. We can picture to ourselves how earnestly the destined heroine-the future leader of armies-might question those chance travelers whom, as we are told, she delighted to relieve, and for whose use she would often resign her own chamber, as to each fresh report from the changeful scene of war."

When I look at Joan in this picture I see in her face a look of consternation and concern for the beaten down soldier of France which reveals the deep love and compassion that she possessed for the people of her country. It reminds me of the words that Joan’s own mother later spoke about her: “Because the people suffered so much, she had a great compassion for them in her heart and despite her youth she would fast and pray for them with great devotion and fervor.”

This picture also reminds me just how young Joan was: only sixteen when she left home for good and only a few months into her seventeenth year when she led the armies of France to victory. As I contemplate all that this exquisite picture conveys I am left with the thought:

“With God all things are possible”

International Women’s Day

Joan of Arc continues to be a great inspiration to women and will undoubtedly receive a great deal of coverage today on International Women’s Day and throughout March during Women’s History Month. From the beginning of the Women’s movement Joan has been heralded as the epitome of a strong women and her likeness has been used countless times to promote women’s rights such as the poster below promoting women’s suffrage from the early 20th century.

My hope this year is that during all the exposure that Joan receives people will really learn about the true qualities that Joan possessed that made her so strong and such a great women. One of my favorite quotes about Joan by Scottish author and historian Andrew Lang speaks volumes about who Joan really was as both a women and as a person:
"She was the consummation and ideal of two noble human efforts towards perfection. The peasant's daughter was the Flower of Chivalry, brave, gentle, merciful, courteous, kind, and loyal....She was the most perfect daughter of her Church....her conscience, by frequent confession, was kept fair and pure as the lilies of Paradise."

Joan First Meets Charles VII Anniversary

On or around March 7, 1429, Joan of Arc first met Charles VII and the circumstances of their first meeting is one of the many miraculous events in the life of Joan of Arc. According to an eyewitness, Joan, who had never before seen Charles VII or had any idea what he looked like, was able to easily find him in a crowd of people. Apparently Charles had withdrawn into the crowd of people at his court in the castle at Chinon as a way to test her upon learning about her arrival. It must have made a great first impression on Charles that Joan was able to find him out so easily. They withdrew together and had a private conversation where Joan apparently told Charles some secrets that caused him to have “great confidence” in her as he later told some of hose who had witnessed their first meeting.
To learn more including some eyewitness accounts visit the page at MaidOfHeaven.com titled

Joan of Arc & Charles VII: First Meeting

Joan of Arc Movie

If you are looking for a good movie to watch about Joan of Arc you might try the 1948 movie “Joan of Arc” starring Ingrid Bergman. I received an email earlier today from a friend advising that this movie will be broadcast by TCM (Turner Classic Movies) this coming Sunday February 27th (Check your local schedule for exact time).
“This 1948 movie about Joan of Arc is my favorite out of all the Joan of Arc movies because it stays closest to the established history. I especially like the way they incorporated so many of Joan's most famous quotes into the script. Is it perfect, no, but then the perfect movie about Saint Joan has yet to be made and this one at least tries to stay close to the true story of Joan of Arc” from my review about this movie avialable at:
Joan of Arc Book Movie Music Reviews
You can also find more reviews on this page about most of the other movies that have been made about Joan of Arc.

Enjoy!

Joan of Arc's Faith

I have been meaning to set up a special page about Saint Joan’s amazing faith for some time but was inspired to get it done after reading the great comments by Pope Benedict XVI. Joan’s love for God was central to her very being and anyone wanting to really comprehend who she was and what motivated her must be able to understand her faith. The page at MaidOfHeaven.com contains numerous quotes about Joan’s faith by the people who knew her when she was alive as well as quotes by Joan herself abut God.

Learn About Joan of Arc’s Faith Here

Joan-of-Arc

Pope Remembers Saint Joan of Arc

After seeing little to no coverage of Saint Joan of Arc’s birthday earlier this month I was pleasantly surprised to see a great many news reports today about some remarks Pope Benedict XVI made earlier today in Rome praising Joan for being an example to follow for those in public service. Below is the substance of the Pope’s remarks about Joan:

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our catechesis today deals with Saint Joan of Arc, one of the outstanding women of the later Middle Ages. Raised in a religious family, Joan enjoyed mystical experiences from an early age. At a time of crisis in the Church and of war in her native France, she felt God’s call to a life of prayer and virginity, and to personal engagement in the liberation of her compatriots. At the age of seventeen, Joan began her mission among the French military forces; she sought to negotiate a just Christian peace between the English and French, took an active part in the siege of Orleans and witnessed the coronation of Charles VII at Reims.

Captured by her enemies the next year, she was tried by an ecclesiastical court and burnt at the stake as a heretic; she died invoking the name of Jesus. Her unjust condemnation was overturned twenty-five years later. At the heart of Saint Joan’s spirituality was an unfailing love for Christ and, in Christ, for the Church and for her neighbor. May the prayers and example of Saint Joan of Arc inspire many lay men and women to devote themselves to public life in the service of God’s Kingdom, and encourage all of us to live to the fullest our lofty calling in Christ."

Watch Video on MaidOfHeaven.com page about Pope Benedict XVI and Joan of Arc

Thank you Pope Benedict XVI for helping the world to remember what a great example Joan of Arc is to everyone!

More FREE Joan of Arc Books Online

Several new books about Joan of Arc have been added at MaidOfHeaven.com bringing the total number of free online books to eleven. One recently added is Andrew Lang's Maid of France which is well written and well researched and one of my favorite biographies about Joan of Arc.

Read Lang's Maid of France HERE

Also recently added is Christine de Pisan's famous poem about Joan titled the The Song of Joan of Arc or Ditie de Jehanne d'Arc. This is a very beautiful poem in tribute to Joan of Arc.

Read Song of Joan of Arc HERE

For a complete list of all the free books available at MaidOfHeaven.com visit

Free Online Joan of Arc Books

Enjoy!

Thanks!!!

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who helped me to celebrate Saint Joan of Arc’s Birthday this year. The following websites were especially helpful in getting the word out:

Spirit Daily
BigNews.Biz
Free Republic
Roman Catholic Catechism
Catholic Mom in Hawaii Blog

If anyone is wondering why you see little to no coverage of St. Joan of Arc’s Birthday by the mainstream news services well that is a good question. To me it is just more proof of how corrupt and irrelevant our mainstream “Press” has become. Joan is the most famous women to ever live and if you look at the news archives from 100 years ago you will see that she received all kinds of news coverage on her birthday. This is just another example of how today’s “Press” only covers “news” that they are either being paid to cover or is consistent with their social and political agendas for which they are also paid to promote. So much for our so called “Free Press.” Sorry for the rant against the press on this blog devoted to Saint Joan but I also value true freedom as much as St. Joan of Arc did and examples like this really disgust me.

Deo Vindice!

Joan's Birthday

"It was during the night of the Epiphany of Our Lord when men are wont most joyfully to recall the acts of Christ that she first saw the light in this mortal life”

Tomorrow will mark the 599th anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc and I hope everyone will have a chance to celebrate in their own way. I recently added a quote on the MaidOfHeaven.com quotes page by 19th century French artist Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel that reflects some of my own sentiments about Joan:
"Jeanne d'Arc does not belong to France alone but also to all those whose thoughts are elevated enough to grasp the superior and beautiful among goodness."

I will celebrate Joan’s birthday tomorrow by lighting a candle in her honor and by re-reading my poem Maid of Heaven that I wrote to her. I celebrate this way every year and try to spend some time alone with her and God remembering her for who she was and is in Christ. I hope all of you will find your own way tomorrow to honor and remember Saint Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc’s Birthday Page