HISTORY
How Jeanne D’Arc, Virgin of Orléans Became the French National Hero
From a simple farmer girl to the national hero of France
Jeanne d’Arc is a national heroine of France and inextricably linked to French history. Her life tells the striking story of a French peasant girl who played a remarkable role in the medieval struggle between France and England. She was beatified in 1909, and eleven years later, she was canonized, becoming a saint.
Jeanne’s Youth and the Start of Her Revelation
Jeanne d’Arc was born around 1412 in the northern French farming town of Domrémy in the Lorraine region. At that time, the Hundred Years’ War between England and France was well underway. The English occupied much of northern France with the help of their allies, the Burgundians.
Jeanne’s parents were not rich, although they were somewhat wealthy and had quite a bit of farmland at their disposal. As a teenager, Jeanne often helped with the plowing and brought animals to the pastures. She also sewed and spun yarn. It is remarkable that from an early age, Jeanne went to confession and communion more often than many other people at that time.
