Joan was born at Greux-Domremy, Lorraine, a little village in France. Jacques d’Arc, her father, was a hard working farmer. Her mother Isabelle Romee was gentle and loving. She taught Joan many practical things. “I can sew and spin as well as any woman,” she once said.

Joan was a shepherdess who loved to pray, especially at the shrines of Our Blessed Mother. This honest little peasant girl was to become a heroine. One day while she was watching her sheep, St. Michael the Archangel, appeared to her and said, “Daughter of God, go save France!”

For three years she heard the voices of saints calling her to action. When she was sixteen, she began her mission.

At that time, there was a war going on between France and England. It was called the Hundred Years’ War. England had won so much French land that the king of England called himself the king of France, too. The real French king was weak and fun-loving. He thought the French armies would never be able to save the country.

With his permission, St. Joan led an army into the city of Orleans, which the English had almost captured. In her white, shining armor, this young heroine rode with her banner flying above her. On it were the names of JESUS and MARY.

She was hit by an arrow in the great battle of Orleans, but she kept on urging her men to victory. At last they won! St. Joan and her army won more and more battles. The English armies had to retreat.

After the victories, Joan’s time of suffering began. She was captured by the Burgundians. Then she was sold to the English for ten thousand Francs. The ungrateful French king did not even try to save her. She was put in prison and after an unfair trial at Rouen in France, she was tied to a stake and burned to death.

Joan was not even twenty. She had a great horror of fire. Yet she went bravely to her death on May 29, 1431. Her last word was “Jesus.” Four hundred and eighty-nine years later, on May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV proclaimed Joan a saint.

St. Justin was from Samaria. His father brought him up without any belief in God. When he was a boy, Justin read poetry, history and science. As he grew up, he kept on studying trying to find the truth about God.

One day as he was walking along the seashore, Justin met an old man and they began to talk. Justin looked troubled, so the man asked him what was on his mind. Justin explained that he was unhappy because he had not found the truth about God in all the books he had read. The old man told him about Jesus, the Savior and asked Justin to pray so that he would be able to understand the truth about God.

St. Justin began to pray and to read the Word of God, the Bible. He grew to love it very much. He was also impressed to see how brave the Christians were who were dying for their belief in and love for Jesus. Soon Justin became a Christian. Then he used his great knowledge to explain and defend the faith with many writings.

In Rome St. Justin was arrested for being a Christian. The judge asked him, “Do you think that by dying you will enter heaven and be rewarded?” “I don’t just think so,” the saint answered. “I am sure of it!” He along with many other Christians were killed for their faith in Jesus. They gladly died as martyrs around the year 166.