Saint Joan of Valois, born on April 23, 1464, was the second daughter of Louis XI, the King of France, and Charlotte of Savoy. At a tender age of two months, she was betrothed to Louis, Duke of Orleans, and their marriage took place in 1476 under duress, making it undoubtedly invalid.
Despite her physical challenges – she was hunch-backed, lame, and pock-marked – St. Joan was not defined by her appearance. When her husband ascended the throne, he secured a declaration of the marriage’s invalidity, denying her the title of Queen of France. Instead, she graciously accepted the title of Duchess of Berry, saying, “If so it is to be, praised be the Lord.” This acceptance forms the core of her holiness and her spiritual legacy in the Order of the Annunciation, which she founded.
In her choice of name for her fellow nuns, she highlighted the parallel between the Virgin Mary’s “Be it done to me” and her own “If so it is to be.”
Throughout her life, St. Joan faced numerous challenges but always responded with gentle and patient words. There were countless obstacles, including reluctance from the Pope to approve her order, even though Louis XII readily supported it. Louis may have hoped that Joan, bound by vows, would not challenge the nullity verdict. His fears, however, proved unfounded, and shortly after the verdict, he married Anne of Brittany.
Joan’s character also presented difficulties, as she occasionally displayed an autocratic streak with her nuns and impatience with their progress. The foundation of her order was established at Bouges, where the remnants of the house still stand today.
St. Joan passed away at the age of 41 on February 4, 1505. She was canonized in 1950, and her feast day is celebrated on February 4, the day she departed this world.
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, daughter of King Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy. Despite physical challenges, she accepted the title of Duchess of Berry gracefully.){kind=link}
Modern people often complain that “there are no heroes”…Study the Saints! If more people would study and imitate them, there would indeed be modern heroes.
We are all called to be Saints and many of us try to live holy lives. However, just like with any winning sport team, be it baseball, football, etc. some of the players make it into the Hall of Fame and some don’t but all are needed to win. Each one of us must continue to try and live holy lives and if we don’t get the Saint title here on Earth, we will be sure to receive it in Heaven’s Hall of Fame.
thank you frances beautifully put personally i dont think i would like the title HERO i’d prefer to live my life with prayer’s that we all need for ourselve’s and our children that’s where my life right now i would rather ask for help in prayer to all the angel’s and saint’s although struggling at the moment and continually praying thank you all for your prayer’s i’m still happy being a struggling mother helping my 2 grown up children with their struggle’s in life than be a hero that to mean’s nothing to me but we are all different x
ST JOAN OF VALOIS NEED HELP ASAP FOR MY IN COMING BLINDNESS DUE TO GLAUCOMA. AND FEAR FOR MY WELL BEING DUE TO EVIL MAN IN MY HO– USE AS ASQUATTER AND PAYING NOTHIN FOR HE ANS HIS VAKUE AND THREATENING ME IN DIUFFERENT WAYS NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT COME TO HIM IN A DREAM AND STOP. I AM SO SICK. MY HEARING IS GOING AND HAVE POSSIBLE CANCER. AND MY FAMILY IS MAD AT ME FOR UNWISE DECSIONS. , I PRAY THE ROSARY AND ALSO FOR THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY WHO HAVE NONE ONE TO PRAY FOR THEM.I WILL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL.
miller , IF MORE PEOPLE STUDIED THE SAInts, there would be no need for heroes .
Definitely. The things the Saints had to put up with no normal person would have suffered. I read the lives of the Saints all the time, the best reading out there. It made me Catholic. Wonderful books.
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Saint Joan of Valois, pray for us!
God protects and Cares his children through out their life.
St. Joan of Valois, pray for us.
God our sovereign, we thank you for the holy example of St. Jane of Valois, who overcame difficult circumstances and maintained her faith and compassion. May we, in our trials, remain close to you and find our difficult circumstances nothing less than opportunities to serve you and help others. In your name we pray. Amen
Santuario Regionale San Francesco di Paola
5 h ·
4 FEBBRAIO: FESTA DI SANTA GIOVANNA DI VALOIS, Regina di Francia, TERZIARIA MINIMA E PATRONA DEL TERZ’ORDINE DEI MINIMI.
Giovanna di Valois, o di Francia, fu prima Regina di Francia e poi monaca e fondatrice di un Ordine religioso; è venerata come santa dalla Chiesa cattolica. Era figlia di Luigi XI e di Carlotta di Savoia e sposò nel 1476 il cugino Luigi d’Orléans (il futuro Luigi XII). Dopo l’annullamento del suo matrimonio (1498), ottenne il titolo di duchessa di Berry. Nel 1502 fondò a Bourges l’ordine delle monache Annunziate. Sin dal 1514 papa Leone X consentì alle monache dell’ordine da lei fondato di celebrarne la memoria; papa Benedetto XIV l’ha proclamata beata il 21 aprile del 1742 ed è stata canonizzata il 28 maggio del 1950 da papa Pio XII.
Amen! May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Loved throughout the world, amen!
Please pray for my daughter’s conversion, our conversion, Holy Souls in Purgatory, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, amen!