The Feast of Joan of Arc
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Known also as the "Maid of Orleans" and the "Maid of Lorraine" Joan of Arc was a a young girl living in medieval France who became a French military leader at 17 in an attempt to restore the rightful king to the French throne and claiming to have actually heard the voice of God and believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in the 100 years war with England.
As a consequence of her actions today is the day in 1431 that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake as a heretic by a politically motivated tribunal consisting of pro-English and Burgundian clerics at Rouen, Normandy.
There was an overwhelming lack of incriminating evidence presented against her.
She had charges of cross dressing among the 12 issues concerning her arrest.
On May 23 1430, she had been captured at Compiègne by the Burgundian faction who were a group of French noble traitors with allegiance to England.
She was an illiterate peasant woman who was able to confound the most educated group of people from her era. Her execution was primarily a ploy to remove that embarassment she posed to the elite who could neither defeat her in battle nor successfully conduct a campaign against her.
Her executioner stated after the execution that he greatly feared to be condemned to Hell for he had burned a holy woman.
In 1456 court of inquisition authorized by Pope Callixtus III examined the trial and debunked the charges against her. She was pronounced innocent and declared a martyr.
She was canonized May 16, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.
She is now Saint Joan of Arc. Her attributes are Armor, banner, and the sword. She is the patron saint of France, martyrs, captives, military personnel, people ridiculed for their piety, prisoners, soldiers, women who have served in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and Women's Army Corps.
She has been a popular topic throughout history and she is the subject of many examples of literature and art since her death.