St Joan of Arc
St Joan of Arc, (1412-31). French heroine. The daughter of a farmer, from the age of 13 she heard voices and saw visions of saints, convincing her that her mission. was to free France from the occupying English armies. In 1429 she travelled to Chinon, dressed as a man, to join the Dauphin, later Charles VII, the French heir to the throne. After leading the relief of Orleans, which had been besieged for seven months, she accompanied Charles to his coronation. In 1430 she was captured and tried before an ecclesiastical court on over 70 charges, including witchcraft and heresy. Found guilty, she was handed over to the English and burned at the stake in Rouen market place on 30 May 1431. She was canonized in 1920.
