*Today's saint was, for a time, Queen of France. However, as is the case with all saints, suffering beset her throughout her life. Jeanne de Valois was born in 1464, the second daughter of King Louis XI of France. She was afflicted with a physical handicap, possibly curvature of the spine, which allowed others to disparage her. She was forced into marriage with her cousin Louis, who also treated her poorly. Nonetheless, when Louis was rebelling against her brother, King Charles VIII and was captured by him, Joan pleaded for his life and administered the duchy. Eventually Duke Louis was released and became King Louis XII after the death of his brother-in-law. One would think things would get better for Joan, but Louis wanted more territory and so appealed to the pope for an annulment from his marriage to her, citing lack of consent and her deformity as a cause for lack of consummation of the marriage. St. Joan objected but the pope granted the annulment for political reasons.
St. Joan became the Duchess of Berry and formed a community dedicated to the Annunciation in 1500. She and her spiritual director wrote the rule, and the community was established as a branch of the Poor Clares in 1504. She renounced her title and possession and became a nun on Pentecost, 1504. She died less than a year later. The nuns still have monasteries in Europe and Costa Rica and religious sisters serve in Europe, Africa, and Guatemala.
St. Joan's treatment was unjust! She did step aside and prayed for her husband. St. Joan accepted her annulment ordeal in the spirit of the Annunciation, saying: "Be it done to me and her own if so it is to be." May we be as forgiving when mistreated! St. Joan, pray for us.
*By Jean Perréal - http://www.anuncjatki.pl/assets/images/mniszki/jeanne.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16021386
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