May 30, 1431 - Joan of Arc Burned at the Stake

Joan of Arc statue, New Orleans. Photo by Infrogmation (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hundred Years War was a political and religious conflict lasting from 1337-1453. It was fought over control of France. Joan of Arc, a famous martyr, became known for helping to lift the siege of Orléans after claiming that the Archangel Michael as well as saints like Catherine and Margaret. told her to fight the English. She was captured by Burgundian forces and delivered to the English where she was tried and charged with heresy, mainly because of her claims of divine visions. She was sentenced to death by being burned to the stake. On May 30, 1431, she walked to the town square and shouted “Jesus!” as she took her last breath at nineteen. Twenty-five years later in 1456 Pope Callixtus III had her trial re-examined and deemed her an innocent martyr. In 1920, she was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XV.

Joan of Arc’s story illustrates courage by living out her faith under pressure and opposition. Her unjust trail reminds Christians that faithfulness does not always lead to immediate vindication. However, her life also shows that God can use unexpected people for significant purposes, especially when they stand firm in their convictions despite persecution.