Publisher's Synopsis
These last twenty years, my lovely wife Catherine and I have been blessed to be leading Joan of Arc pilgrimages. Joan's steps are well chronicled throughout French history and afford a vivid picture of both her life, and the world in which she lived. In fact, she is apparently the most attested person in history up to Martin Luther, who came a century after her. The fact that she played not only an important role in world history, but also in 'God history', makes her a subject especially worthy of close scrutiny. Consequently, a great number of books about Joan have been published during the last six centuries. How many? It's impossible to say. But there are over twenty thousand books on her in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France alone. So in 2001, it was to our great surprise that we could not find a single, comprehensive pilgrimage following her steps. Even our most recent internet searches have not proved fruitful. Many have undertaken their own personal Joan of Arc pilgrimage, which certainly could be rewarding and fulfilling, or perhaps a week-end study, a four-day retreat, etc. But we were looking for a longer, more far-reaching pilgrimage. One that would include several Joan of Arc sites, staying in monasteries, meeting with clergy and Joan of Arc experts, and experiencing some of Joan's 'deep France' (i.e. la France profonde, the beautiful countryside of Lorraine seldom seen by tourists). Consequently, we eventually decided to take up this wonderful quest ourselves, in a way that we prayed would be God-honoring and directed. We have no doubt failed in this objective at times, but we have always been blessed with the process. And the many pilgrims who have joined us have been a gift from God. You'll meet several of them here, and this book is dedicated, with gratitude, to all those who have joined us over the last two decades.
