Joan of Arc Relics Fake?

A story about the remains of Joan of Arc being fake continues to circulate on the internet which has always seemed to me superfluous because the historical records are very clear that there were no remains left after she was executed. The Earl of Warwick, who was in charge of Joan while she was in jail and oversaw her execution, ordered that even the few ashes that were left after she was burned be placed in a sack and thrown into the Seine river to make absolutely sure that no “relics” could be claimed later.

And yet, here we are with all these stories saying that Joan’s relics are fake almost six hundred years later. Apparently a bottle containing some charred bones surfaced at a pharmacy in 1867 that was labeled "Remains found under the pyre of Joan of Arc, maiden of Orleans." Despite the historical record that should have alerted everyone in 1867 that these remains had to be fake they were instead preserved as authentic. At least now modern science has finally proven that they are indeed fake and nothing more than the bones of a cat and an Egyptian so that should finally put an end to this story, right. I wonder.

Joan of Arc’s Birthday Today

Today is the 598th anniversary of Saint Joan of Arc’s birth in Domremy, France, on January 6, 1412. I already have a special page devoted to Joan’s birthday at MaidOfHeaven.com that I encourage everyone to visit as it contains descriptions of her birth and early years by people who personally knew her while she was alive. The page also explains the significance of her birth on the Epiphany which I believe was a gift to her from God because she is truly a “shining star that points the way to the Father of all light.”

Joan of Arc’s Birthday Page

I thought I would use the rest of this blog entry to share with everyone how I personally celebrate Joan’s birthday. I like to light a candle for her every year on both her birthday and her feast day in May and take some time to remember her for the great woman of God that she was. I also like to re-read the poem I wrote to her Maid of Heaven because it always reminds me again of the real Joan and brings me back closer to her. I hope everyone reading this today will find your own way to remember and honor Joan on this special day when she was born.

Happy birthday most beautiful Maid of Heaven!