{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"046: History Rewritten: Nancy Fitzgerald Exposes the Erasure of Saint Brigid and Women\u2019s Leadership","description":"What if women held real authority in the early Church and history was later rewritten to erase it. In this powerful episode of Your Radical Truth, host Deacon Margaret Mary O\u2019Connor sits down with award winning journalist and author Nancy Fitzgerald to uncover the suppressed history of Saint Brigid of Kildare, a fifth century Christian leader recognized in early sources as a bishop. This conversation challenges the long standing claim that women never held ordained leadership in Christianity and reveals what was lost as Church authority became centralized. Nancy draws from years of theological research and immersive travel across Ireland, including visits to Saint Brigid\u2019s holy wells, to explain how women\u2019s leadership was preserved in local tradition even as it disappeared from official Church narratives. Together, Nancy and Margaret explore Celtic Christianity, grassroots faith, the legend of Brigid\u2019s mantle, and why learning this history is essential for understanding the Church today. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in Church history, women\u2019s leadership, and the truth beneath centuries of silence. Key topics covered \u2022 Saint Brigid of Kildare and women bishops in early Christianity \u2022 How women\u2019s authority was erased from Church history \u2022 Celtic Christianity and faith shaped by ordinary people \u2022 Holy wells, local tradition, and grassroots spirituality \u2022 Why reclaiming suppressed history matters today Learn more about Nancy Fitzgerald and her book Brigid\u2019s Mantle and listen to the full conversation here: www.YourRadicalTruth.com\/046-Nancy-Fitzgerald ","author_name":"Your Radical Truth podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/yourradicaltruth.com\/podcast\/","html":"