Our History

Welcome

Welcome to St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church. We are located in western Arvada, near the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. We hope you will not only visit our website but will come to the parish in person. Thank you for visiting with us!

Mission Statement

St. Joan of Arc Parish is a Christ-centered, sacramental, and stewardship community within the Archdiocese of Denver and the Roman Catholic Church. With the courage of St. Joan of Arc, our mission is to build the kingdom of God by living the gospel values of faith, hope, and love and by sharing our Catholic faith with those in our community, our city, and our world.

History of St. Joan of Arc Parish

Arvada officially became a city on November 1, 1951. In the span of 10 years, the population of the city grew by more than 16,000 residents. This growth led to the establishment of St. Joan of Arc Parish on August 22, 1967. While the new sanctuary was being built, daily Mass was held in the rectory chapel at 58th and Oak. Sunday Masses were held at Arvada West High School, and special services and Holy Days found the new congregation gathered at King of Glory Lutheran Church. The church was finally erected and dedicated on March 9, 1969, following the guidelines of Vatican II.

Since its dedication, the parish has had 7 pastors that have guided the community through many changes including the building of Orleans Hall, the parish offices, and the Early Learning Center; renovations to the sanctuary space, Durrie Hall, Youth Ministry building, and the Parish Rectory; the purchase of more than 7 acres of land to the east of the church. With a new strategic plan in place and the new land to develop for the benefit of our parishioners, the possibilities for our community in this new millennium are exciting.

Saint Jeanne d'Arc

Jeanne d’Arc (1412-1431), known as Joan of Arc, was born in Domremy, Bar, France. At the time France was embroiled in a long running war with England known as the Hundred Years’ War, over who would be heir to the French throne. Joan of Arc began to have mystical visions encouraging her to lead a pious life. Over time her visions became more vivid with the presence of St. Micheal and St. Catherine choosing her as the savior of France and encouraging her to speak with Charles, heir to the throne.

At first, Charles was uncertain about Joan of Arc’s profession of saving France, however, Joan convinced him when she identified him, dressed incognito, in a crowd of members in his court. In private, Joan revealed to him details of a solemn prayer Charles had made to God to save France. Still tentative, Charles had theologians examine her and they found nothing improper, only piety, chastity, and humility.

Finally Charles permitted Joan to join the battle to Orleans, the site of an English siege. The French took control of the English fortifications, and by mid-June, the French had routed the English. On July 18, 1429, upon entering Reims, Charles was crowned Charles VII, with Joan at his side.

She was a national heroine of France, and at 18 she had led the French army to victory over the English at Orléans. Captured a year later on May 30 , 1431, Joan was burned at the stake as a heretic by the English and their French collaborators. She was 19 years old.

After Joan’s death, the Hundred Years’ War continued for another 22 years. King Charles VII retained his crown, and he had an investigation that in 1456 declared Joan of Arc officially innocent of all charges and designated a martyr. She was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint more than 500 years later, on May 16, 1920, and is the patron saint of France.