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COMING THIS APRIL

BRIGID’S MANTLE

Finding the Fiery Saint of Kildare at the Heart of Celtic Spirituality

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“Brigid’s Mantle” is for those seeking courage when their church is failing them.

The church has dismissed the concerns of women and kicked the can down the road on women’s ordination.

St. Brigid’s light has become stronger and more important than ever. An ordained a bishop and successor to the apostles of Christ, she was one of the most important leaders of the fledgling Irish church. 

This book explores the lessons Brigid has to offer women—and the entire church—today.

  • Journalist and author Nancy Fitzgerald takes the reader on a wondrous pilgrimage—a journey to meet the living tradition of St. Brigid of Ireland. We are met with a lively, living tradition of relationship, profound affection and transformation. Grounded in history, enriched by stories and centered in a deep desire for renewal, Brigid's Mantle is a delight to read. Highly recommended.

    — Mary C. Earle, Episcopal priest and author of Holy Companions: Spiritual Practices of the Celtic Saints and Celtic Christian Spirituality: Essential Writings.

  • Like a most inspiring tour guide, Nancy Fitzgerald draws you into the world of Brigid, an often-neglected Irish saint of ages past whose remarkable adventures can help open the doors of imagination into what might be possible in your own life now. This is a book you will want to return to again and again.

    — C.K. Robertson, Ph.D., priest, teacher & author of Barnabas vs. Paul and A Dangerous Dozen

  • Cloaked in rich detail, "Brigid's Mantle," journeys through the legacy and legend of St. Brigid, enlivening her divine spark and spirituality for today's world. Through impactful storytelling, historical framing, and an appreciation to Brigid's model of fiery, prophetic obedience Fitzgerald's contribution to the unfolding story of St. Brigid is an essential read.

    — Kate McElwee, Executive Director, Women’s Ordination Conference

  • Ms. Fitzgerald’s thesis is urgently needed in an era when gifted and accomplished women are still derided, harassed, and excluded because of their gender. The world needs examples of female leadership that thrived in and transformed their communities, even in the distant past – for it is the past, “tradition” in particular, that works to keep women’s options small. Brigit and her spiritual sisters are a vital witness to God’s expansive future.

    — Katharine Jefferts Schori, Former Presiding Bishop, Episcopal Church

I’m Nancy Fitzgerald — author and journalist with a passion for seeing the role of women change in the Catholic Church

I’m a health and spirituality writer with credits in publications ranging from the New York Times to Commonweal, from Scholastic to Guideposts to Prevention.

I’m a wife; I’m a mother and grandmother. But here’s what I’m really excited about: my book on Brigid of Ireland

As the topic of my graduate thesis for seminary, I thought deeply about Brigid.

What helped her power the story of Christianity back then? What is it about Brigid, now, that can empower women in the church today?

These question led me on the journey to writing “Brigid’s Mantle.”

As they say in the Irish language, Go raibh maith agat. May there be goodness in you. Which is just their way of saying thanks — thanks for coming along.

Experience the hope of Brigid’s story