JESUS MARIA

“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel – which means God with us.”

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

At this time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ, I hope everyone will remember how much our beloved St. Joan of Arc loved Jesus and devoted her life to serving Him. Joan was so focused on Jesus that she had His name along with His mother’s emblazoned on the banner that she carried to lead her men into battle. She also closed most of her letters with Jesus Maria right after her own signature. Of course what is most telling to me about the focus of Joan’s life were her final words “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” as she departed this world to be with her Lord in His kingdom.

A very merry CHRISTmass to all.

Jesus Maria

Maid of Heaven Video Trailer about Joan of Arc

The video trailer for the Maid of Heaven book is available at YouTube where it seems to have had quite an impact on people who posted comments like:

“This was really great! very touching indeed”

“I burst into tears after watching this”

“Really Awesome!!!”

If you have not seen it yet now is your chance. Just click the arrow in the middle of the video and it will start playing. When I created this video trailer I wanted it to be not only about St. Joan of Arc’s life but also about what I call her immortal light that still shines so brightly today and inspires so many people. I hope you enjoy the video.

Joan of Arc’s Last Great Victory

"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 of Arc at Paris

The statue above of St. Joan of Arc is located at Place des Pyramides in Paris. Unfortunately, Joan herself never entered Paris as the attempt she made to liberate the city on September 8, 1429, failed. This was Joan’s first military defeat however the circumstances that led to the failure at Paris were clearly not her fault. Probably the biggest factor was the delay in launching the assault on Paris after Charles VII was crowned King on July 17, 1429. If Joan and her army had been allowed to immediately march upon Paris after the coronation they most likely would have gained an easy victory as there were only a small number of Burgundian troops guarding the city at that time. Instead of immediately marching to Paris, Charles hesitated and entered into several worthless treaties with Burgundy. The delay allowed the Burdundians the time they needed to strengthen their defenses and obtain re-inforcements from the English. Such delays in military history have usually proven to be extremely costly e.g., Napolean at Waterloo, Germans with Operation Barbarosa, Confederate Army at Gettysburg to name few.

As for Joan, she did everything she could to achieve victory at Paris despite the long odds created by the inexcusable actions of her King. She personally led the assault and kept her troops fighting hard all day in an effort to overcome the walls of the city. Just after sunset Joan was wounded in the thigh by a bolt from a crossbow. Lying wounded she urged her troops and commanders to continue the assault but they carried her to the rear against her wishes and the assault died out. Joan wanted to renew the assault the next day but orders from Charles VII arrived that no further attempt should be made to take Paris and the army was withdrawn several days later. Joan once stated on the march to the coronation at Reims that she “feared only treachery.” It was ultimately treachery and not the enemy that defeated Joan at Paris.

"By my staff, the place would have been taken."

St. Therese and St. Joan of Arc

About a year ago I set up a special page detailing the devotion of St. Therese of Lisieux to St. Joan of Arc The page contains poems about St. Joan as well as several pictures of St. Therese dressed as St. Joan for a play that she had written to honor St. Joan. You can see the page at:
St. Therese and St. Joan of Arc

After I shared the page with an online group about Joan of Arc where I am a member one of the ladies noticed something remarkable in one of the pictures of St. Therese. There are crosses in her eyes. We had quite a discussion at the group trying to explain the crosses and several theories were put forward which motivated me to do more research into the photographs. I found out that St. Therese’s sister Celine was an avid photographer who took many photos of St. Therese which are contained in a book titled The Photo Album of St. Therese of Lisieux
http://books.google.com/books?id=YNJNAAAACAAJ&dq=st+theresa+lisieux+photo+album&ei=_waDSsrIN6nEzgSXv-XdCg

I obtained a copy of this book from a local Catholic University and was most interested to see if the crosses were still visible in her eyes in the original photographs. The book states that the photographs are “un-retouched” and “reproduced directly from the plates developed in the late 19th century.” Remarkably, the crosses are still visible in the same picture although it is a little harder to see them. The other valuable information that the book contained was a map of the Carmelite convent and some descriptions of the different courtyards and the locations where the pictures were taken.

From my own limited investigation I have not been able to find any plausible earthly explanation for the crosses in St. Therese’s eyes. I figured that over the course of the past year someone more knowledgeable in photographic techniques of the 19th century would give me an explanation but so far that has not happened. I guess at this point I am wondering if this is indeed a real miraculous occurrence that no one previously noticed until the photograph was digitally prepared for the Internet. If so then it is time that everyone knows about it thus the purpose of this blog entry.

Maid of Heaven on Google Books

Google finally set up Maid of Heaven on Google Books so that a limited number of pages can be previewed. If you would like to preview my book about Joan of Arc and read a few pages and see some of the historic pictures contained within just go to the link below. WARNING they did a lousy job copying the cover so refer to the image below for a more accurate representataion of what the cover actually looks like.

http://books.google.com/books?id=NQ_B0G8d2RMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=joan+of+arc&lr=&ei=31d3Sv3nIqO4ywSmiaTcAg

A Million Page Views!

The big news this month at MaidOfHeaven.com was that the site achieved a milestone in going over One Million Page Views since going online in early 2007. When I first set up the site it was mainly designed to give information about my book Maid of Heaven but I soon realized that there was a great need on the Internet for detailed history about Joan of Arc. Except for a few exceptional sites the vast majority contained little more than encyclopedia type information about Joan and her life. I am thrilled that so many people have visited MaidOfHeaven.com and been able to really learn all about Joan and her amazing life. If you would like to read the press release articles about this major milestone visit the articles at:
http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109539&Itemid=36
http://www.prlog.org/10278612-joan-of-arc-website-celebrates-millionth-page-view.html
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/joan-of-arc-website-celebrates-its-millionth-page-view-107748.php
http://www.prurgent.com/2009-07-09/pressrelease45485.htm

Go Here for all Press Releases Related to Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc Books

Are you looking for a good book to read to learn more about Joan-of-Arc ? Of course I am partial to Maid of Heaven but there are many great books out there about Joan and quite a few are available online for free. One of the best is Mark Twain’s fictional account of Joan’s life which is available online at MaidOfHeaven.com at:
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

For a list of all the online books available at MaidOfHeaven.com go to:
Joan of Arc Books Online

For a list of even more online books about Joan of Arc available at various places on the internet visit the page below and scroll down to the section titled:
Books Online

I hope these lists of free books will make it easier for everyone to learn all about the remarkable St. Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc's Crowning Achievement

“Huzzah after huzzah swept the army from van to rear; and as for Joan, there where she sat her horse gazing, clothed all in white armor, dreamy, beautiful, and in her face a deep, deep joy, a joy not of earth, oh, she was not flesh, she was spirit! Her sublime mission was closing – closing in flawless triumph.”

On July 17, 1429, Joan of Arc achieved what was her greatest accomplishment in liberating France when Charles VII was crowned King of France. Many people, including historians, have a hard time understanding the strategic brilliance of Joan in focusing upon getting Charles VII crowned in the traditional way so that the people of France would view him as their legitimate King. Joan understood that to achieve ultimate victory over England it was necessary to unite France behind one King. Unfortunately for Joan the crowning of Charles VII also marked the pinnacle of her career. But she had changed the course of history and ultimately the man she conducted to throne of France would lead France to complete victory over the English.

Joan of Arc's Voices

A couple of new pages have been added to MaidOfHeaven.com to honor the Saints that spoke to and guided St. Joan and that she referred to as her Voices. The Saints were St. Michael the Archangel, St Margaret of Antioch, and St. Catherine of Alexandria. Each page contains a historic painting and a brief description of the Saint as well as relevant quotes by St. Joan about her Voices. The pages are available at:
St. Michael
St. Margaret
St. Catherine

Joan of Arc Quote

Joan-of-Arc
Anyone that knows me or has spent much time at MaidOfHeaven.com understands how much I revere the actual words that St. Joan of Arc spoke while she was alive. There is something almost magical about some of her quotes and I love to re-read them from time to time to feel closer to her. Unfortunately, not everyone respects St. Joan as I do as many of her famous quotes have been distorted and used improperly. One distorted quote that I see quite frequently on the internet is: "I am not afraid ... I was born to do this." The actual words that Joan spoke from which this quote was derived were: “I do not fear the soldiers, for my road is made open to me; and if the soldiers come, I have God, my Lord, who will know how to clear the route that leads to messire the Dauphin. It was for this that I was born!"

The big problem I have with the new version is the removal of what to Joan would have been the most important part: God. Saint Joan of Arc knew exactly what the source of her strength was and she always gave credit to God for everything that she accomplished in her life. I therefore think the proper derivation of Joan’s words in this instance would be:

"I am not afraid because God is with me. I was born for this!"

My new version is much truer to Joan’s original words and one that I hope will eventually supplant the false version as more people learn the truth about who St. Joan of Arc really was.

Vive la Jehanne!

Joan of Arc Cultural Depictions

A new page titled Joan of Arc Cultural Depictions has been added at MaidOfHeaven.com. This page lists all of the most famous artistic creations that have been created to honor and represent St. Joan of Arc. The list contains entries in Literature, Theater, Paintings, Sculpture and Film. It is really amazing to see all the great artists that have attempted capture St. Joan and the wonderful art they have produced over the years. I know I enjoy browsing through them so I am sure this will become a very popular page that should help everyone better learn about St. Joan.

You can visit Joan of Arc Cultural Depictions at http://www.maidofheaven.com/joanofarc_cultural_depictions.asp

Anniversary of Battle of Patay

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Patay, which was the most overwhelming victory that Joan of Arc achieved in her military career. After the battle of Orleans the English military leaders were concerned but still confident they could defeat the French when they engaged in combat. After the overwhelming victory by Joan of Arc at Patay the English leaders realized they were in serious trouble and that Joan was a real military commander to be feared.
To learn more about the battle of Patay try some of the resources listed at:
http://www.maidofheaven.com/joanofarc_long_biography.asp#loire

Celebrate Joan of Arc's Feast Day Today

Today, May 30th, is St. Joan of Arc's Feast Day which is an official day of remembrance and celebration for Roman Catholics. You don’t have to be Catholic, however, to also celebrate the life of Saint Joan on this special day every year. Joan’s Feast Day is also the anniversary of her death when she was burned at the stake by the English on May 30, 1431. In order to remember Saint Joan and celebrate her amazing life MaidOfHeaven.com maintains a special page about her Feast Day at:
Joan of Arc Feast Day
This year I added some statements by Church officials that were present when she died. I tried to pick those that really reflected Joan’s great faith and how well she showed her faith as she died. I was most touched by the statement of the court bailiff, Jean Massieu, that "even several of the English, were moved by this to great tears and weeping, and indeed several of these same English, recognized God's hand and made professions of faith when they saw her make so remarkable an end."
Even after all my study and all I know about St. Joan she still continues to amaze me.


Jehanne d'Arc
Born January 6, 1412
Died May 30, 1431

Anniversary of Joan of Arc's Capture Today

The anniversary of Joan’s capture on May 23, 1430, is not one I really like to remember but I thought I would use it this year as an opportunity to clear up a big misconception that exists about her capture. It seems that most movies and even many books blame her capture upon the closing of the gates of the city of Compiègne however it was actually the raising of the drawbridge over the river Oise that caused Joan to be cut off from Compiègne and safety. As Joan herself later testified at her trial: “And the river lay between Compiègne and the place where I was taken. And there was only between the place where I was taken and Compiègne just the river, the boulevard, and the moat of the said boulevard.”

There are some good pictures of Compiègne and the river Oise and drawings of where Joan was captured online at: http://www.stjoan-center.com/Album/part52.html

Joan of Arc's Canonization Anniversary Today

Today is the anniversary of Joan of Arc's canonization ceremony at the Vatican in 1920 that officially made her a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church. There is a page at MaidOfHeaven.com about the ceremony that contains the official pronouncement of canonization. The pronouncement is interesting to read and greatly compliments St. Joan. You can read it by going to Joan of Arc's Canonization

Joan of Arc Liberates Orleans

"Trust in God. God will aid the city of Orleans and expel the enemy."

On May 7, 1429, Joan lead her forces against the strongest fort held by the English at Orleans called Les Tourelles. Joan had been wounded in the initial attacks upon the fort and had to be removed to the rear to have her wound treated. Without Joan leading the army the French captains lost confidence and decided to call off the attack on the fort as daylight dwindled. Joan made a miraculous recovery and regaining her white banner yelled for her men to resume the attack. The army seeing her waving her banner rallied and charged en masse upon the wall of the Tourelles. The ferocity of the attack and the fear of the English in seeing Joan again coming against them led to the fort being overrun in a matter of minutes. All this occurred 580 years ago today. The liberation of Orleans was completed the next day as the English withdrew all of their forces from Orleans. The liberation is still celebrated in Orleans every May 8th as shown on the video below:

Joan of Arc and the Scots

I was recently contacted by David Kerr, a reporter with the BBC, about Joan of Arc and her connection with soldiers from Scotland who fought against the English alongside the French in her army. David wrote an excellent article for the Scottish Catholic Observer that details the proud history of the Scots who helped Joan of Arc defeat the English. To read this article go to:
Joan of Arc And The Scots Connection

Joan of Arc Enters Orleans on this Day in 1429

Today marks the 580th anniversary of when Joan of Arc entered Orleans to relieve the city. If you would like to hear the music played by Scottish soldiers when she arrived visit http://www.maidofheaven.com/joanofarc_scots.asp

Press Release About The Anniversary of Joan of Arc's Beatification

You can see one of the press releases that I sent out to publicize the anniversary of Joan's Beatification at:
http://www.prlog.org/10209540-100th-anniversary-of-joan-of-arcs-beatification-celebrated-at-maidofheavencom.html

or
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/48959/

Please send it to anyone you know in the media so that this special anniversary will get the media attention it deserves.

To see a list of all the press releases by MaidOfHeaven.com visit:
Joan of Arc Press Releases

100th Anniversary of Joan of Arc’s Beatification

This April marks the 100th anniversary of Saint Joan of Arc’s Beatification by the Roman Catholic Church. The official pronouncement was issued on April 11, 1909, and a ceremony attended by thousands of people was held at the Vatican on April 18, 1909. I set up a special page at MaidOfHeaven.com to celebrate that contains a picture of the ceremony, the translation of the official pronouncement and a newspaper article describing the ceremony. Just visit Joan of Arc’s Beatification

Joan of Arc for Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month but I have seen little about Joan of Arc anywhere. Is there a better female role model than Joan of Arc? She was strong and she was pure which are traits that seem rare for women in today’s world. I would think that Christian women in particular would be drawn to Joan. Perhaps the lack of attention results from the same reason that motivated to me to write about her and create my website. The real Joan is little known in today’s world which is really sad considering all of the great resources available. Before March and Women’s History Month is over, let’s all try to better share Joan of Arc’s amazing history with as many women as possible.

I set up this blog as another way to provide information relating to Saint Joan of Arc and to my large website dedicated to her at http://www.maidofheaven.com/.

Whenever there are significant changes and additions to my site I will try to post an update here.