Joan was born into a family of five children in 1412, and she worked as a shepherdess. When Joan was 13, she believed she received visions urging her to save France from the joint forces of England and Burgundy and to restore to the French throne the true king.

In 1428, after successfully convincing the French commander and the court that her visions were genuine, she led some troops into battle, carrying a banner that read: “Jesus, Mary” and a symbol of the Trinity.

She and her troops had a series of victories and King Charles VII was crowned in 1429.

She was captured by the Burgundians in May 1430 and sold to the English for 10,000 francs. She was put on trial by an ecclesiastical court and accused of heresy and witchcraft. She was burned at the stake in the marketplace at Rouen in 1431. In 1456, 23 years after her death, her case was retried, and she was found not guilty.

She was canonized May 16, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. She is the patron of France, captives, soldiers and those ridiculed for their piety.

09:16 pm | Italian doctor condemns culture that fears children

08:09 pm | Recently retired Vatican secretary promises to continue defending immigrant rights

06:02 pm | Spanish archbishop prays for Iraq as US combat mission ends

05:33 pm | Discovery building gunman confronted pro-life demonstrators in 2009, group says

05:07 pm | Marriage is proof of God's love, hope for Italy's future, teaches Italian cardinal