Catholic Secrets, And Living 20 Years With An Undiagnosed Autoimmune Disease || Margaret Mary O’Connor

[00:00:06] We're back with another edition. Happy Monday to you all. By the time you get this, it'll be Monday, Monday morning, Monday evening, depending on where it is you call home on this beautiful spinning rock that we find ourselves trying to navigate through.

[00:00:38] This is Giants Amongst Us, where we share in the unique human experience and where you're going to hear real stories that are told by real people.

[00:00:51] People just like yourself. I hope everything is on the gravy with you all.

[00:00:56] If this is your first time tuning in, I'd like to invite you to go to the website and check out the archives of past stories, past guests, because what every story and connection involves and showcases is the resilient human spirit.

[00:01:15] These are people who have shooken that victimhood mentality. These are individuals that have found hope.

[00:01:23] They found the resources to help them push through, live through handicaps or to battle with addictions or to better deal with depression and anxieties and fears and things that are crippling a lot of people.

[00:01:38] It has no geographic points. It isn't favored to one gender or the other. It doesn't matter what your skin tone is, but these are ailments.

[00:01:48] These are neuroses, if you will, that are crippling many of us.

[00:01:52] And so this show was about ordinary folks, if you want to call them that, doing extraordinary things.

[00:01:59] And what I mean by extraordinary is where people have looked at themselves in their situation and they've become accountable and responsible for their life's experiences.

[00:02:11] And what that involves is a change in attitude, a change in behavior, a change in thought patterns, change in belief structures, not to be bound by limitations or to allow somebody else to dictate how you move and how you operate in life.

[00:02:28] This is about those giants, those subtle giants that are amongst us that we may not know because we just pass by, not really knowing the individual story or the unique struggles somebody has faced.

[00:02:42] And this is about showing examples and testaments to anybody in that dark place right now that you can indeed change your circumstances, change your attitudes and change the way you feel about yourself and the way that you interact with those around you and the world that you live in.

[00:03:01] So this is about the individual journey and how one can create something worthwhile and to try to make the best of this life that we find ourselves in.

[00:03:12] Again, if you're interested, you can check the archives, follow the show notes and click on that link.

[00:03:17] It'll get you to the website and you'll be able to find more about the show there.

[00:03:22] Ladies and gentlemen, we have another story.

[00:03:25] I'm pleased to share another sit down with you all.

[00:03:28] Today, Margaret Mary O'Connor joins us and she's got a story to tell.

[00:03:35] As I grew up, I had some particular experiences within the Catholic Church that really made me think, well, gee, I was baptized the same way as any little baby boy was, but they can become men priests.

[00:03:52] And yet I can't.

[00:03:56] Because then you're confronted with this awful realization, which I had, that my own church really betrayed my trust in them because they've always come out with one statement.

[00:04:13] There never were Catholic woman priests.

[00:04:19] That just shows you how, like, my body was in a state of starvation.

[00:04:23] And the sad part was none of these doctors would listen.

[00:04:28] And it was a real miracle.

[00:04:29] Finally, I had gone to eight different doctors and there was two or three of them that just came right out and said I needed psychiatric help and that's where I should go.

[00:04:41] And they just abruptly ended.

[00:04:43] Of course, I was charged for nothing.

[00:04:45] Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, this is Margaret and her story.

[00:04:53] Ladies and gentlemen, this is Giants Amongst Us where we share in the unique human experience.

[00:05:01] And through email, we had a few correspondences and I'm pleased to have Miss Margaret O'Connor on the show.

[00:05:11] She was kind enough to take time out of her day to set aside so we can have a sit down in a conversation.

[00:05:18] She has a lot going on.

[00:05:20] Some of the background is that they call you the modern day David.

[00:05:27] And you're also an author of two books, Scandal in the Shadows and Journey of a Celiac Soul, which I'd like to give you an opportunity to talk about later on in the conversation.

[00:05:39] And I'm just pleased to have you on.

[00:05:42] And thank you.

[00:05:44] Thank you again, Margaret, for taking time out of your day.

[00:05:47] Welcome.

[00:05:48] Oh, thank you so much, Richard.

[00:05:50] It's a real pleasure to be here.

[00:05:51] Likewise.

[00:05:52] Pleasure to have you.

[00:05:53] Just for starters, to give us a little background of who you are.

[00:05:59] Do you mind sharing with us a bit of your backstory, where you come from and how it was for you a bit growing up?

[00:06:08] Sure.

[00:06:09] I live in Buffalo, New York, and I grew up in an Irish Catholic family.

[00:06:16] And our faith was really something that was very important to us all.

[00:06:23] But as I grew up, I had some particular experiences within the Catholic Church that really made me think, well, gee, I was baptized the same way as any little baby boy was.

[00:06:38] But they can become men priests.

[00:06:44] And yet I can't.

[00:06:47] But what happened was it was my brother Paul's birthday, and my mother bought him a cardboard replica of a church altar.

[00:06:55] So Paul started right away in the parish altar.

[00:06:59] He was a priest, and he directed myself and my twin sister, Pat, to grab some chairs.

[00:07:06] So we sat down in the parlor.

[00:07:09] In front of the altar.

[00:07:10] We were the parishioners.

[00:07:11] And I was at a young age, but I can remember everything was, you know, going really good.

[00:07:17] And all of a sudden, I stood up and I said, Paul, no, I want to be a priest.

[00:07:23] And that's when he said, no, you're girls.

[00:07:26] You have to be a man.

[00:07:28] And so then it was maybe only about a month later, Richard, that my mother was a church organist.

[00:07:35] And after the choir practice, she said to us, would you girls like to go down and stand behind the altar?

[00:07:44] This is like the real church altar.

[00:07:46] And back in the 1950s, girls weren't allowed to be up on the altar.

[00:07:53] So we got all excited.

[00:07:54] My sister had her chance.

[00:07:57] It was my chance.

[00:07:58] I'm getting situated.

[00:07:59] And I'm looking out, and I had this crazy thought, gee, this must be neat on the weekend.

[00:08:04] All the pews would be packed with people.

[00:08:07] And all of a sudden, from behind, I hear this gruff voice.

[00:08:11] What are you girls doing up on that altar?

[00:08:14] Those girls don't belong behind the altar.

[00:08:19] And my mother said to him, all right, Monsignor, unless they're cleaning the altar, that they're allowed on the altar.

[00:08:29] Well, his face got beat red, and luckily he left the church.

[00:08:33] But I got nervous because he was my mom's boss.

[00:08:37] But there again, I thought we were only young girls.

[00:08:42] And why should we be treated that way?

[00:08:46] So I think these were like little steps that it's ironic when I look back, you know.

[00:08:53] So then anyway, as I grew up through my 20s, 30s, I always heard what I considered rumors,

[00:09:04] that indeed there were women priests in the Catholic Church's history.

[00:09:09] But yet I would go on and ask any priest I could find.

[00:09:12] No, no.

[00:09:14] So then I reached midlife, and I guess my curiosity took over.

[00:09:19] I'm going to get an answer to this.

[00:09:23] So it wasn't until I started reading books that contained biblical research,

[00:09:30] because when I pick it for women priests, I'm confronted with that very question.

[00:09:38] Well, gee, I don't remember seeing anything in the Bible where it states that women were priests.

[00:09:45] So then, of course, I have to tell them, no, it's in new biblical research.

[00:09:52] And unfortunately for so many, if it is not in the Bible,

[00:09:59] they won't take the time to maybe consider this other factual truth.

[00:10:05] Because, you know, when you think of it, then it really gets dicey,

[00:10:11] because then you're confronted with this awful realization, which I had,

[00:10:19] that my own church really betrayed my trust in them,

[00:10:24] because they've always come out with one statement.

[00:10:28] There never were Catholic women priests.

[00:10:32] And yet, this really gets interesting if you go back to the earliest centuries,

[00:10:38] the beginning of our Catholic Church.

[00:10:40] This is the specific time frame that sadly our church hierarchy will never recognize.

[00:10:48] And I always wondered, well, something has to be going on here.

[00:10:52] You know, why won't they recognize this?

[00:10:55] Well, when you get into the biblical research, it's the same time frame where you find this information.

[00:11:03] And if I can just say a quick aside,

[00:11:06] I'm really excited that I'm having this podcast in Germany.

[00:11:12] I always like it for me.

[00:11:14] I've been on shows in Ireland, Paris, the UK.

[00:11:20] But in particular, hopefully to members of your audience, Richard,

[00:11:27] women that are Catholic,

[00:11:29] and with the synodal process of hopefully bringing up this issue in October,

[00:11:36] this coming October,

[00:11:37] and your country is so much far advanced as far as the issue of women being priests,

[00:11:45] that I want to let them know that there is this biblical research,

[00:11:50] and Mary, Mother of God, was a woman priest.

[00:11:56] She was called Mary priest.

[00:12:00] And her title was she was the model for the priesthood in the Catholic Church.

[00:12:10] The priest, in other words, they would pray to her for their success.

[00:12:16] And some people will say, oh, come on, wait a minute.

[00:12:20] This may be as some type of like an honorary title.

[00:12:23] No, I found this information from a book written by John Vinsgaards.

[00:12:33] There's the Vinsgaards Institute of Catholic Research in the UK.

[00:12:40] And the author himself was a former Catholic priest,

[00:12:44] and he was really specific.

[00:12:47] And he said Mary was a sacrificial priest.

[00:12:51] And what that means is she indeed was up on the altar doing the consecration.

[00:12:59] So I just, I am so excited about this because if we could bring this back into our Catholic Church,

[00:13:10] there's the proof.

[00:13:12] It's not starting something completely new.

[00:13:15] It's bringing back, in a sense, a past heritage.

[00:13:20] And also, when you look through, well, it used to be until the awful priest sexual abuse issue,

[00:13:28] families, whether, no matter if you were Catholic, if you were German, if you were Polish,

[00:13:34] it was like an honor that their son was a priest.

[00:13:37] And that's wonderful.

[00:13:40] But what about on the other side of the aisle, the woman?

[00:13:45] Where was our Catholic heritage that has been lost all these centuries?

[00:13:53] We never knew Mary was a woman priest.

[00:13:56] And even Mary Magdalene, until 1969, finally, the Catholic Church corrected that story on her.

[00:14:04] So it's really interesting if you know this past history

[00:14:09] and how unfortunately the scandal here is that our church hierarchy

[00:14:19] has definitely not disclosed this factual truth.

[00:14:25] And it's so ironic at a time when there is such a priest shortage within the Catholic Church

[00:14:34] and a gazillion churches are closing, parishes are closing.

[00:14:40] And yet an answer to stop that awful hemorrhaging would be to bring back woman priests

[00:14:48] in the sense of bringing back what they had originally done centuries ago.

[00:14:57] And if we even move way forward to the year 1976,

[00:15:04] the Pope has a biblical commission.

[00:15:06] It's called the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

[00:15:10] And they looked into the very issue regarding having woman priests within our Catholic Church.

[00:15:19] And the study came out with and definitively said,

[00:15:24] there is no biblical reason to prevent woman from becoming priest.

[00:15:32] Well, hello, that was 1976.

[00:15:38] And we're at 2024.

[00:15:42] This, in this age, is just not right.

[00:15:46] And the biggest number of women that are leaving the Catholic Church

[00:15:52] are the millennial woman.

[00:15:55] Now, let's face it.

[00:15:58] If we don't have young women in the church,

[00:16:01] where are your future parishioners going to be?

[00:16:07] And yet the hierarchy back in the mid-70s

[00:16:13] had taken specific notice that they could see

[00:16:17] the numbers of priests joining.

[00:16:20] Meaning, that number was declining.

[00:16:24] So what did they do?

[00:16:27] They did nothing in the 70s, the 80s, the 90s.

[00:16:32] And finally, now today, their answer is a communion service,

[00:16:39] which is not the same, obviously, as our,

[00:16:42] what used to be called the Mass, our liturgy of the Eucharist.

[00:16:48] So it just confounds one's mind to try to make any sense of this.

[00:16:58] But another main issue for any woman listening

[00:17:01] is our very equalness in this church,

[00:17:09] which, here again, sadly,

[00:17:12] this issue is not on the radar of the hierarchy.

[00:17:18] And yet, if we go back through the Bible,

[00:17:22] in Genesis 127,

[00:17:27] God created them female and male.

[00:17:31] God made them.

[00:17:34] So we have the Bible.

[00:17:36] God is telling us that he's made females

[00:17:40] just as equal as males.

[00:17:43] And yet, this is still an issue.

[00:17:47] There's actually, Richard, there's five biblical points.

[00:17:52] The hierarchy refers to them as biblical,

[00:17:56] explicitly why women can't be priests.

[00:18:00] And yet, it's been proven that these five points

[00:18:04] are not biblical in nature.

[00:18:07] It's simply cultural prejudice.

[00:18:12] And that first one being about women not being equal.

[00:18:17] You know, in the divine image,

[00:18:19] they're seeing, of course, the men back that time,

[00:18:22] you had a patriarchal system.

[00:18:24] And they just couldn't fathom, I guess,

[00:18:27] that women could ever be equal.

[00:18:29] Well, I know there are some books that are omitted in the Christian,

[00:18:34] let's just say,

[00:18:36] now coming from a non-Pentecostal,

[00:18:38] because there was once upon a time,

[00:18:40] I can't say that I fall under any religious umbrella these days,

[00:18:46] but I do respect people and their belief structures.

[00:18:51] And I'm always open to hear and understand where somebody is coming from.

[00:18:55] And this is very interesting.

[00:18:57] But I did have a small running at one time

[00:19:01] where I was sold out and on fire for the Lord.

[00:19:06] It was a non-Pentecostal, non-denomination,

[00:19:10] and it was a Pentecostal.

[00:19:11] And some might say,

[00:19:12] well, those were a little bit over the edge

[00:19:16] with their beliefs or some of the things that they practiced.

[00:19:20] But what I wanted to ask was,

[00:19:22] because I do remember speaking with people who were Catholics,

[00:19:28] and there were some books in their Bible

[00:19:30] that weren't in the Bible that I read.

[00:19:32] So I'm not too sure if in the Old Testament,

[00:19:35] because I do recall from the Old Testament

[00:19:38] and me reading the book when I was doing my studies,

[00:19:42] when I was doing my independent studies with the Bible

[00:19:45] that I came across in the Old Testament,

[00:19:47] where the Bible spoke of prophetesses.

[00:19:50] And so these were females that were,

[00:19:53] it seemed to be that they were called by God

[00:19:55] and they had certain duties where they were oracles or speaking.

[00:20:00] They were used as vessels by God and they were women.

[00:20:05] Does that ever get mentioned in the Catholic Church

[00:20:07] or do they point to those scriptures?

[00:20:11] Or no, well, specifically in regards to what you said about the books,

[00:20:17] there's the canonical books that they're going by.

[00:20:20] And then there's the non-canonical books.

[00:20:23] And that's where there were a number of gospels.

[00:20:26] There was the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip.

[00:20:29] The Book of Wisdom.

[00:20:30] Of Philip.

[00:20:31] And I must say, I haven't really read them.

[00:20:34] So I can't, you know, elaborate more than that.

[00:20:38] Okay.

[00:20:39] But these are the books that you would find sayings

[00:20:44] that you would never anywhere see, you know what I mean?

[00:20:50] Within the normal mainstream Catholic Church

[00:20:54] in regards to like the canonical readings.

[00:20:59] There were women teachers, even though they say there weren't women teachers.

[00:21:05] And there were women prophets.

[00:21:08] And we know there were women deacons.

[00:21:11] And as well, oh, here's another one.

[00:21:14] A woman biblical researcher, Ida Ramling.

[00:21:18] She came up with a concept of apostleship.

[00:21:22] And what that meant was, well, what is that?

[00:21:26] It's saying that who were the apostles?

[00:21:29] They were anyone that was divinely sent out by the risen one himself

[00:21:35] or by a particular community.

[00:21:40] And then this brings credence into this new biblical research.

[00:21:44] When you hear of all these other women who were woman apostles.

[00:21:50] And there was an apostle named Julius.

[00:21:54] And for years, that name was attributed as being a male apostle.

[00:22:00] And now it's been proven instead, no, it was a female apostles.

[00:22:06] So, I mean, it's exciting to think out on the same roads

[00:22:10] that the 12 apostles went out on.

[00:22:13] And there were women apostles as well at that time doing their own ministry.

[00:22:19] And there was Mary, Mother of God herself, doing her own ministry too.

[00:22:24] And I guess what confounds me is, unfortunately, within our church,

[00:22:31] they have put Mary up on a pedestal.

[00:22:35] Now, she should be up there.

[00:22:37] But what I'm trying to say is, they're only showing one side of her.

[00:22:43] And that's a side where she just comes across as being so perfect.

[00:22:49] And I know as a young girl, I was always very uncomfortable.

[00:22:53] Because I thought, well, I'll never be able to, you know, measure up to Mary.

[00:22:58] But here is this whole other wonderful side that is not being revealed.

[00:23:06] And it is.

[00:23:07] It's just a crime.

[00:23:09] And I would like any men that are listening, if you have any sisters, aunts,

[00:23:18] well, even your own wife, if you're married,

[00:23:20] is it really right for them to be treated this way within the Catholic Church?

[00:23:27] This is not going to change until the church hierarchy is held accountable.

[00:23:34] And what I'm doing, Richard, it's like a grassroots effort.

[00:23:39] I want your listeners to go out and spread this wonderful news to their neighbors,

[00:23:45] their relatives, their friends.

[00:23:47] Because until this gets across, whether it's the U.S., it's across worldwide,

[00:23:55] so many Catholics are afraid of woman priests.

[00:24:00] They see it as something that unfortunately that we as protesters are out there like making up this folly or something.

[00:24:10] And that's where it's really sad if they would only take that time to step back and examine the biblical truth that's out there

[00:24:21] and what this would bring to our church today.

[00:24:25] I mean, this would be, you would have role models, the best role model for any woman in the church.

[00:24:33] By having woman priests, it would just bring a whole new vibrancy.

[00:24:38] You know, we've always heard in the homilies, obviously, because it's the male giving the homily,

[00:24:45] their ideas, you know, on what the gospel was.

[00:24:49] Can you imagine?

[00:24:50] Then you'd have a woman up there, you'd get a whole other different perspective as well.

[00:24:56] So I guess what I'm trying to say is this really excites me because it's information that should be out there,

[00:25:05] and sadly it's not.

[00:25:06] Yeah, I can tell this is very, very much a part of your life.

[00:25:10] I mean, you grew up in the church, and you are boots on the ground out here, out there, out everywhere,

[00:25:19] trying to get the word out, and even through scandals in the shadows,

[00:25:26] you are exposing people to a hidden truth.

[00:25:32] Just to take it back a little bit, I'm very curious because you said as a young girl,

[00:25:38] you wanted to be a priest.

[00:25:40] Can you go back and remember what it was?

[00:25:46] Because I'm probably, I'm pretty sure that it's still very much a part of you to this day,

[00:25:52] but what was it that made you, was it a calling?

[00:25:57] Did you feel like it was something in your heart tugging you, even at a very young age,

[00:26:02] that I want to be up there and I want to do what he's doing?

[00:26:08] Was there anything in specific that pointed you in that direction?

[00:26:13] Well, it's just that it was something that, I guess I would go back to the issue of baptism,

[00:26:20] that I never could figure it out.

[00:26:23] I was baptized as a little baby girl the exact same way a baby boy would be.

[00:26:30] I mean, the wording would be the same.

[00:26:32] And yet we went on and we received a confirmation, we received confession,

[00:26:39] we received the Eucharist.

[00:26:41] And yet after receiving the Holy Spirit,

[00:26:47] and then at an age where men were going into the seminary,

[00:26:51] well, for a woman, the only option would be a woman sister.

[00:26:59] And that was something, I just never thought of that.

[00:27:01] For some reason, don't ask me why, it was always in my mind.

[00:27:05] It was being a woman priest.

[00:27:07] So it just wasn't right.

[00:27:11] And then, you know, years later, when I find out the truth that,

[00:27:16] hey, the church is saying there's no biblical reason why we can't.

[00:27:21] And then what was covered up in the early centuries,

[00:27:25] it does, it leaves a very sour taste in your mouth.

[00:27:31] And it's just so ironic about titles for Mary Mother to have as the model for all priesthood

[00:27:38] in the Catholic Church.

[00:27:40] I bet, especially like you said, if you're a young girl and you're going to church,

[00:27:45] you were raised in church.

[00:27:47] So you're seeing this and you're seeing that there's only certain duties that a woman is able to

[00:27:52] perform and the rest was left up to the man.

[00:27:56] So how does that make a girl, a young girl feel, just any woman in general,

[00:28:03] that you are secondary to the man?

[00:28:06] You know, there's no equal ground there.

[00:28:09] And yeah, like you said, that's a hierarchy.

[00:28:12] And that can really do something I could imagine to what somebody would feel that they're capable

[00:28:19] of doing, their self-worth, their self-confidence, what they can aspire to maybe be in the future.

[00:28:26] Did you, it sounds like you really have, you've kept the faith and you've walked that line for

[00:28:32] quite some time.

[00:28:33] Was there any time during your teenage years or even adult years where your faith was tested

[00:28:41] and weight and you wavered a little bit to the left, a little bit to the right and kind of got off

[00:28:46] course?

[00:28:48] No, I always, God was giving me the strength to carry on.

[00:28:55] But it wasn't only the inequality issue.

[00:28:58] It was more the spirituality aspect of it because that inequality aspect is definitely is impinging

[00:29:08] on your right as a Catholic woman to answer your call from God.

[00:29:14] And it's very interesting on my podcast, Your Radical Truth.

[00:29:20] I've had many woman priests that were originally Catholic.

[00:29:25] They've joined independent churches, which are basically Catholic churches from that maybe

[00:29:33] split off years ago, but are basically Catholic in every sense.

[00:29:39] The two major reasons for many of them are they don't believe that there should just be one

[00:29:46] person like the Pope in charge and secondary, that woman should be priest.

[00:29:55] But it's just so hard to put in words.

[00:29:59] And when I hear these women priests, the Catholic Church has, their church laws, canon laws are

[00:30:08] man-made.

[00:30:10] And when you think back, when Jesus was alive, we didn't have any seminaries.

[00:30:16] We didn't have all these rules.

[00:30:20] These rules have all been, had nothing to do with Jesus.

[00:30:26] And because Jesus chose the 12 apostles to represent the 12 new tribes of Israel,

[00:30:36] Jesus lived in a patriarchal society.

[00:30:40] And there was only so much he could do.

[00:30:43] And particularly in regards to the 12 men representing, you know, the 12 tribes.

[00:30:50] He had to do that in a sense that they were men, you know, to carry on that tradition.

[00:30:57] But he nowhere said that that was to mean in the future, that there never should be woman

[00:31:07] priest.

[00:31:08] And knowing now that Mary was a priest, Jesus certainly wasn't against that.

[00:31:15] It's just so much, so many things are wrong.

[00:31:20] Do you feel, because you also spoke about, there's a few things.

[00:31:24] I don't know if your book also touches on the subject matter of priests and the abuse

[00:31:32] that goes on from the priest, from the male priest.

[00:31:36] And did you see that as a child?

[00:31:39] And do you see that to still be prevalent in modern times, the abuse?

[00:31:47] Because you hear a lot about those type of scandals as well.

[00:31:50] You hear about either the sexual abuse or the physical abuse coming from the priest.

[00:31:56] And a lot of times they're not held accountable.

[00:31:59] You hear of them just being moved to, moving out of the country.

[00:32:04] Personally, no, thank God.

[00:32:06] I never, you know, personally saw any of that.

[00:32:12] But yes, it is still going on.

[00:32:15] And the problem is, the bishop, if the priest bring to their attention, you know, that some

[00:32:23] priest is doing wrong, the bishop has the discretion right there to name that as a crime or to name

[00:32:32] it as a sin.

[00:32:34] And they're always naming it as a sin.

[00:32:37] So what that means is the priest defender isn't carried away.

[00:32:42] He isn't booked.

[00:32:44] He never goes to trial.

[00:32:46] He never pays for his crimes.

[00:32:49] So whether you have the bishop or the cardinal, you think today every single city has the dioceses.

[00:32:57] You know, they're a Catholic church.

[00:32:59] There's bishops.

[00:33:01] And then way up are the cardinals.

[00:33:03] Well, this goes across every city in the United States.

[00:33:07] Well, then we go across into Europe.

[00:33:09] We go into Germany.

[00:33:11] We go into Ireland.

[00:33:13] Oh, my God.

[00:33:14] We go into Italy.

[00:33:14] We go everywhere.

[00:33:16] Yeah.

[00:33:16] And it's the same.

[00:33:18] So you have this same thing where you have these, I call them offending bishops because

[00:33:24] they're enablers.

[00:33:26] They've just allowed this to continue and as well, the cardinals.

[00:33:30] So until that really gets cleared out, I mean, it's a huge, it's something huge that has to be

[00:33:39] tackled.

[00:33:39] And it seems no matter how the hierarchy keeps having different committees, and they've even

[00:33:47] had some like woman that, and I think a man too, that was actually abused.

[00:33:53] And they, these two parties both gave up because what was happening behind the scenes, nothing

[00:34:01] at all was happening with their discussions.

[00:34:04] And yet, if they were interviewed by the news people or TV, they would sing a different tune.

[00:34:15] And you can't blame people like that.

[00:34:18] Their life has just been turned upside down.

[00:34:21] And then you have these religious officials that are making every sense of it, like a mockery.

[00:34:27] And here in Buffalo, New York, there was a suburb, East Aurora, New York.

[00:34:33] That's where the seminary was.

[00:34:35] And Richard, it was so bad that they had to close that place down.

[00:34:39] And basically, there was one illustration where there was a priest that came from Poland,

[00:34:46] and he left his door unlocked in the seminary.

[00:34:51] And I guess it was a given, you knew if you didn't want to have sex with whoever, your door

[00:34:57] should be locked.

[00:34:58] I mean, that just, it's just significant.

[00:35:01] Wow.

[00:35:01] I mean, how low can you get?

[00:35:03] My goodness.

[00:35:05] You know, Margaret, when it comes, it seems like, not to get off the Catholic Church,

[00:35:11] but I just want to speak in general.

[00:35:13] It seems like when there's groups of people involved in an organization and they have certain

[00:35:20] aspects of their lives invested in it, we can talk about a business.

[00:35:27] We can talk about a university.

[00:35:29] We can talk about the military.

[00:35:31] We can talk about the police squad.

[00:35:34] But when there's something going on inside where there's crimes that are being done, rather

[00:35:40] than them being charged and them being held accountable for these crimes, a lot of the people

[00:35:49] within these organizations, they are told by their superiors, and regardless if they're

[00:35:57] superiors or not, it's just a matter of what's moral and what isn't.

[00:36:02] But these, a lot of the people, unfortunately, they choose to follow suit and keep everything

[00:36:09] in-house because it's going to give that organization a bad name and they can't have that.

[00:36:15] And it sounds even like with the Catholic Church and you have these priests and you hear about

[00:36:21] it, sometimes it does get out in the press, but rather than them having to sit before a jury

[00:36:28] and be judged for their crimes and held accountable for their crimes, they're moved to another church,

[00:36:34] they're moved abroad to another country.

[00:36:39] And the same thing is happening wherever they go.

[00:36:42] And then the same thing, yeah, they're free to have a whole batch of new people to pray on.

[00:36:49] That's sickening.

[00:36:51] And you know, I don't want it to the listeners to be so, to leave them with such, I mean,

[00:36:56] it is, it's a very low, disgusting conversation.

[00:37:00] But what I'm trying to say is we need to get the truth out behind all of this.

[00:37:05] Anything is ever going to change.

[00:37:08] And again, you know, you might think, oh, come on, I'm just one person.

[00:37:13] I can't do whatever.

[00:37:14] I have a petition over at yourradicaltruth.com at my website.

[00:37:21] And it's basically asking the Pope to bring back Mary, Mother of God's title.

[00:37:29] Mary, Mother of God, also had, there was a picture of her in priestly garb in Pope Leo XIII back in 1903.

[00:37:40] It was able to have that painting up on the wall.

[00:37:44] But in around 1913, then that was forbidden.

[00:37:48] And then the last bit of really sad information is, excuse me, back in 1926-27,

[00:37:57] all of a sudden the Catholic Church decided, we're going to take that title of Mary, Mother of God,

[00:38:06] as being the model of all priesthood in the Catholic Church.

[00:38:09] We're just going to take that away from Mary.

[00:38:12] And John Vinskjärs was wondering, wait a minute, what's going on here?

[00:38:17] But wasn't it ironic?

[00:38:19] There were members of other church denominations where women were starting to come out.

[00:38:27] And they themselves as well.

[00:38:29] They wanted to become women priests.

[00:38:32] And all I can think of is the Catholic hierarchy decided, well, we've got to get Mary's information.

[00:38:39] We've got to get this undercover.

[00:38:40] And my mother and grandmother were both living at that time, back in the 20s, and they never heard of this.

[00:38:51] And this was disgusting.

[00:38:54] The Roman official contacted some Roman newspaper man to run a small article regarding what they did.

[00:39:02] And the Roman official was basically thanking this newspaper man.

[00:39:10] Well, isn't it well the way you handled this question?

[00:39:16] And this is such a thing that the general public wouldn't understand.

[00:39:22] Well, yes, we wouldn't understand taking Mary's title away.

[00:39:26] But the nerve of them, Richard, referring to Mary like an object, a question?

[00:39:33] Unbelievable.

[00:39:35] But we can all get together.

[00:39:37] As I said, I mean, we get, you know, discouraged.

[00:39:41] But if the hierarchy, they've been in the driver's seat.

[00:39:46] If we get enough Catholics, would you imagine if every single Catholic worldwide would just send a postcard to Rome?

[00:39:55] Why aren't women Catholic priests when the Pope's own commission said there's no biblical reason why they can't be?

[00:40:04] You need the numbers to hold them accountable.

[00:40:08] Have you seen, Margaret, since you're on the front lines, you're pushing a line, actually.

[00:40:14] Have you seen firsthand any pushback?

[00:40:20] And if so, how has it been received on the other end, let's just say, from those that are trying to keep this truth suppressed?

[00:40:31] Have you had any people telling you that you need to step down, that you need to get in your place?

[00:40:38] No, no, no, I haven't received that yet.

[00:40:41] Okay.

[00:40:42] But that won't stop me because I'm speaking from a platform of truth.

[00:40:48] Because, you know, when I started writing this book, I did get to a point, wait a minute, I'm going against the Catholic Church hierarchy, which is like a big conglomerate in a sense, a big business.

[00:41:02] Yes.

[00:41:03] But then I thought, wait a minute, I'm speaking the truth.

[00:41:07] And I knew I had to be sure everything I was saying was the truth, because otherwise it would obviously be cut down.

[00:41:15] But then I can be comfortable to come on shows because with that truth and factual information, it's just providing such, I think of it as wonderfully refreshing information.

[00:41:30] It's been quite a learning experience.

[00:41:32] And you've had a few roadblocks along the way, because that's probably a reason why you've written the other book, which is the journeys of a celiac.

[00:41:45] So was that something that became prevalent in your life or something that came up?

[00:41:52] Was this in your adult years when you had these issues?

[00:41:56] It started back in 1965.

[00:42:00] And it was basically a lot of digestive issues.

[00:42:03] And in a sense, it came out of nowhere.

[00:42:06] And all of a sudden, I lost great amounts of weight.

[00:42:10] I was basically always sick anytime I ate after a meal.

[00:42:15] We won't get into the nitty gritty.

[00:42:18] But yeah, a lot of gastrointestinal issues, anemia.

[00:42:22] There's actually 300 different symptoms.

[00:42:27] What the disease I'm talking about for the listeners, it's called celiac disease.

[00:42:35] And I know right away you'll hear that and you'll say, oh, that's that fad diet.

[00:42:41] Well, no, actually, it's an autoimmune disease.

[00:42:46] And the best illustration I can give you comes from Dr. Tom O'Brien, who's a real expert in this disease.

[00:42:54] And he wants us to think of our, from the mouth down through the other end, envision that line with shag carpeting.

[00:43:05] And what happens for some reason for someone that has celiac disease, our body, when a grain of wheat, rye, barley get into our system, for some reason, all of a sudden, even after years, everything was fine.

[00:43:21] They see this as like an invader, someone there to attack your immune system.

[00:43:28] So they build up these antibodies and go after it.

[00:43:32] But what they're actually doing is they're destroying your intestinal lining because there's like these little wavy like projections.

[00:43:44] They're called villi.

[00:43:46] And their whole job is to take in all the nutrients from any food you eat.

[00:43:51] So going back to the idea of seeing the shag carpeting, one piece of shag would take in your vitamin A, another B12, the important immune proteins for your body and, you know, so on.

[00:44:09] But when these wavy like projections have been destroyed, because again, every time you're eating this, your body has this reaction against them.

[00:44:20] And basically, they're all sloughed away from your wall.

[00:44:25] So now what happens, you're eating and you're eating.

[00:44:30] And absolutely not one bit of protein of vitamin A, vitamin whatever is being absorbed in your body.

[00:44:40] So it's called malabsorption.

[00:44:43] And what it is, it's starvation.

[00:44:45] And I'll tell you, this is not a fun way to lose your weight.

[00:44:51] But there's the reason why I think there's so much confusion is people will say, now, wait a minute, she's calling this an autoimmune disease.

[00:45:02] And I just saw my menu and they called it an allergy.

[00:45:08] The restaurant industry does that.

[00:45:11] They call it an allergy.

[00:45:14] Someone else will say, well, wait a minute, you don't have an autoimmune disease.

[00:45:18] You don't even take medicine.

[00:45:22] And that's right.

[00:45:23] The only medicine that we have is called the celiac diet.

[00:45:30] It's a diet to keep our weight on.

[00:45:34] And what it means is, we cannot eat any of what I always considered my regular everyday foods.

[00:45:45] Anything with wheat, rye, barley, and oats, unless those oats are grown on a certified gluten field,

[00:45:55] which would be away from any other wheat growing, you know, crops.

[00:46:01] But it's like every time you eat, you get sick and you just lose so much weight.

[00:46:09] But the importance here, Richard, is if you have, like so many people see this as only a fad diet,

[00:46:16] then if you go out to eat, if your waiter sees this as a joke, if the man that runs the restaurant, the owner, man or woman,

[00:46:31] if they don't train the staff properly, then there's cross-contamination.

[00:46:37] In other words, pasta, I just don't, I don't go out never and buy or go to a restaurant and order a pasta meal

[00:46:46] because that's one of the biggest, along with pizza, offenders where there can be cross-contamination.

[00:46:54] You have to have a separate pot of fresh water.

[00:46:59] In other words, nothing has gone in there.

[00:47:03] No other wheat noodles were just in there.

[00:47:05] You have to have a separate colon there to strain that.

[00:47:09] You have to have a separate spoon, you know, to lift it out.

[00:47:15] So your condition was extremely sensitive to the point where even if there were small traces of it, you would feel that?

[00:47:23] Yeah.

[00:47:24] You would react?

[00:47:25] This main specialist, Dr. Alessio Fasano, he came from Italy and he said even 0.01% is still sensitive for certain people.

[00:47:39] Wow.

[00:47:40] And what is amazing is he came from Italy and when he got over here, the doctors are telling him,

[00:47:47] you're going to hardly ever see anyone with celiac disease.

[00:47:51] And he was sort of puzzled because he was seeing, I guess, up to about 15 or 30 children every month over in Italy.

[00:48:02] So it went on six months.

[00:48:04] It went on longer.

[00:48:05] It was a year.

[00:48:06] And he wrote a paper over here when he was at the University of Virginia.

[00:48:11] What happened to all the, like, say it was maybe celiac children in America?

[00:48:18] I mean, he was confounded.

[00:48:20] Then he was able to get samples from the Red Cross.

[00:48:23] But sadly, even though right there, there was a lot that was proven these people had celiac disease because of the confidentiality,

[00:48:33] he couldn't, you know, he couldn't, you know, alert them.

[00:48:36] But if you have, like, a neighbor down the street that thinks, oh, come on, this, some people even think we go on this diet for attention.

[00:48:48] But, I mean, if you have a neighbor baking chocolate chip cookies and she can't understand how wheat can hurt your child,

[00:48:56] I mean, I'm just giving these illustrations, but it would be like someone with diabetes.

[00:49:04] I mean, today they can very assuredly go out to a restaurant or if they're stuck in a nursing home,

[00:49:13] the meal that they're given, you know, they're going to be safe health-wise.

[00:49:18] Well, that's not what's happening now currently with celiac disease.

[00:49:23] And that's why I'm glad I'm able to, like, explain it more so maybe people, you know, can get a more, a different insight.

[00:49:33] And again, even the word diet, celiac diet, well, what do you think of?

[00:49:38] Weight loss.

[00:49:40] I mean, there's, in a sense, it's confounding because there's all these, like, you know, different things that obviously would confuse you.

[00:49:49] And when I wrote this book, I wanted it for not only people that do have celiac disease, but as well maybe relatives or friends that just can't seem to get a handle on this.

[00:50:05] But one of the figures that really, I couldn't believe it.

[00:50:10] If you're over in Italy, from the time you present with symptoms of this celiac disease to the time you're diagnosed, it's only two or three weeks.

[00:50:24] Let's do the same thing in the United States.

[00:50:27] It's up to 10 years.

[00:50:28] Wow.

[00:50:29] Yeah.

[00:50:31] And back in 1994, the main health agency that was responsible, like, for protecting Americans of their health, they had no idea about celiac disease even being over in this country.

[00:50:50] And then in the 80s, Microsoft Word didn't even recognize the word celiac.

[00:50:58] So thankfully, it wasn't really until this Dr. Alessio Fasano came here and he went to the University of Virginia and now he's at Mass General.

[00:51:09] But I mean, he's really an expert on this.

[00:51:13] And he said for a person with celiac disease, the celiac disease diet for them would be what it would be for insulin is for a person with diabetes.

[00:51:31] And then he said, if you have celiac disease and you don't go on this celiac diet, you'll die, but you'll die slowly.

[00:51:45] Wow.

[00:51:45] Wow.

[00:51:45] That sounds from you mentioning and talking about you can eat and eat your belly full, but none of, even if it's a nutrient dense diet, none of those vitamins, those nutrients are bioavailable.

[00:52:02] Nothing is getting to your system.

[00:52:04] And so you just slowly, slowly melting away.

[00:52:08] And that has got to be frustrating for one thing, but on top of that, everything that you're going through health-wise, even a psychological aspect of that, because it's got to be draining in so many different ways.

[00:52:23] And Margaret, can you talk a bit about the cold shoulder that you were getting from a lot of the medical professionals when you brought this to their attention and you were saying that you had these issues and these symptoms, but it seemed like everybody was just looking over that and recommending that you probably go see a psychiatrist.

[00:52:46] The problem was when I presented myself physically, I was, I then was very emaciated and I would look like someone that was anorexic, but here's what the sad part was.

[00:53:00] They just saw that.

[00:53:03] They saw physically how I looked, but they weren't listening when I would tell them the great amount of food.

[00:53:13] Let me give you an illustration.

[00:53:15] I would have about three eggs, two pieces of bacon, slab of ham.

[00:53:23] I would have maybe two pieces of toast.

[00:53:26] And within an hour and a half, I was having a big meal.

[00:53:31] I was having two baked potatoes.

[00:53:34] I was having two pieces of chicken.

[00:53:36] I was having salad.

[00:53:39] On a nine by 12 inch pan,

[00:53:42] I could eat half of that as like my dessert.

[00:53:46] That just shows you how like my body was in a state of starvation.

[00:53:52] And the sad part was none of these doctors would listen.

[00:53:56] And it was a real miracle.

[00:53:58] Finally, I had gone to eight different doctors and there was two or three of them that just came right out and said, I needed psychiatric help.

[00:54:08] And that's where I should go.

[00:54:10] And they just abruptly ended.

[00:54:13] Of course, I was charged for nothing.

[00:54:16] But then I did go to another general physician.

[00:54:21] And he was the first one that he really listened.

[00:54:23] When I told him, he said, we're going to try to find out what's going on.

[00:54:29] And then he sent me back to a gastroenterologist they had gone to back in 1982.

[00:54:35] And this man told me my issue was not to chew gum.

[00:54:41] That was my problem.

[00:54:42] That just sounds like one of those quick fixes.

[00:54:44] You just stopped chewing gum.

[00:54:46] Now I'll send you on your way.

[00:54:47] Next.

[00:54:48] Yeah.

[00:54:49] And then we decided we'd go with him because I had already seen him to try to get in as quick as I could to someone.

[00:54:57] So then when I did see him after like the hospital visits and that, I, you know, I'm not one to tell someone off.

[00:55:04] But I did not swear at him.

[00:55:08] But, but I told him, I said, do you realize the hell I've gone through?

[00:55:12] And this was just a miracle finally that I had a doctor that ordered more testing.

[00:55:19] And then it was the same gastroenterologist that told me that it was my lucky day that within five to six months, I would be, you know, in the ground, in the grave.

[00:55:32] If I hadn't been diagnosed.

[00:55:34] But I had gone 20 years living this.

[00:55:39] 20 years.

[00:55:40] Yeah.

[00:55:41] And, and throughout, because you're not able to, like you've mentioned, we've talked about, you're not able to absorb none of these nutrients.

[00:55:49] So you're not getting the proteins.

[00:55:51] You're not getting anything that your body needs.

[00:55:54] So you physically, you, you, on top of you, just slowly dwindling away.

[00:56:00] But your energy has got to be very low.

[00:56:03] Your focus and concentration, your brain stamina, all of that has got to be.

[00:56:09] I was working, Richard.

[00:56:11] I got a job at the Buffalo Ford stamping plant.

[00:56:14] And this isn't like Fisher Price work where you're sitting down.

[00:56:18] I mean, this was actually living, swinging in rails, loading car doors.

[00:56:24] And I used to pray every day.

[00:56:27] I, I, cause I didn't know how am I going to get through this.

[00:56:30] And I actually had to have the union people come down.

[00:56:35] When you're first hired, you had to work.

[00:56:38] How could I ever forget it?

[00:56:40] Was it six, at least six months or something?

[00:56:43] I forget.

[00:56:43] There was a certain time period.

[00:56:45] And, but I needed to get to a hospital for testing.

[00:56:48] So, of course, normally that wouldn't be allowed.

[00:56:51] And then I'm nervous because I'm thinking, oh my God, they're going to fire me.

[00:56:55] So I got the union people involved just to get the time, you know, to go to the hospital,

[00:57:01] to have the testing.

[00:57:02] But I was so white.

[00:57:04] I remember this was in the summer months before I finally was, you know, diagnosed with this.

[00:57:09] This one foreman came and said, you know, Margaret, it's the middle of summer.

[00:57:15] And I've never seen anyone who looks so white.

[00:57:19] And then the big joke was people were calling me Casper.

[00:57:23] Golly.

[00:57:24] But in a sense, it was good because I knew this, you know, even though the doctors were saying it was in my head,

[00:57:32] I knew, no, this is, you know, something is going on.

[00:57:37] But we've just been concentrating now on the physical side of this.

[00:57:43] And I want to, if I have time, I want people to realize this is a true loss, your everyday food, because it happens so abruptly when you're diagnosed.

[00:57:54] And I found a wonderful book by William J.

[00:58:00] And he was talking to me.

[00:58:05] And he was talking to the extent of what we know of the awful loss of a loved one or even like a loss of your job, your house.

[00:58:14] This would be like the physical reality of the loss of your everyday food.

[00:58:21] And when the doctor first called and said, I think I know what you have.

[00:58:26] It was like this weight was taken off my shoulders.

[00:58:29] But then when he went on to say, we need one more test.

[00:58:33] But if this is true, then he started saying your whole food eating.

[00:58:38] You're not going to be able to eat your waffles.

[00:58:41] You're not going to be able to eat your any type of bread, dot, dot, dot.

[00:58:46] And his last sentence was, and you will never again be able to eat your favorite cookies.

[00:58:54] Well, this was the middle of winter.

[00:58:56] It was in February.

[00:58:57] And we had about 10 boxes of those delicious Girl Scout thin mint cookies.

[00:59:06] And we didn't eat them normally until after Easter because I always like an Easter time.

[00:59:13] I just stay off of candy until Easter.

[00:59:15] But anyway, this hit me.

[00:59:20] Talk about experiencing the reality of a loss.

[00:59:22] It hit me in an awful panic, an awful fear.

[00:59:27] And I literally ran from the kitchen down into the basement to the freezer.

[00:59:32] And I grabbed about six of those boxes.

[00:59:35] And again, to me, this would be like a little snack.

[00:59:38] And I immediately consumed them because I'm thinking next year at this time, I'm never,

[00:59:45] ever again going to be able to, you know, to eat these cookies.

[00:59:50] This is your last meal.

[00:59:52] Yeah, everyone does it, you know, differently.

[00:59:55] But then there's also to experience the, to really feel that loss.

[01:00:03] You know, if you're in your house, anytime you open up your refrigerator, if you have other members,

[01:00:09] I'm seeing what was my everyday foods.

[01:00:13] I have to go out to a grocery store to get my, you know, gluten-free food.

[01:00:18] But there again, you're seeing that food.

[01:00:21] It's just lurking there.

[01:00:23] You're watching maybe a TV show.

[01:00:26] There's like always usually like a restaurant scene.

[01:00:29] And then I started thinking, well, in every sense, it's the same for people that have the alcoholism disease.

[01:00:37] There's alcohol in their house.

[01:00:40] There's alcohol in their neighbor's houses.

[01:00:42] They go to the convenience store.

[01:00:44] They go to a restaurant, a supermarket.

[01:00:47] They as well are surrounded by it.

[01:00:51] A lot of people can't seem to understand, well, you just get off that food.

[01:00:55] You know, when you get on this food, which we are doing, we're moving, we're leaving behind the other.

[01:01:02] But you just can't, it's not like a light switch, you know.

[01:01:08] You really feel it.

[01:01:09] And especially for people, it took me about four or five months because my system was so really,

[01:01:16] bad.

[01:01:17] But people that haven't gone this long, they would feel better a lot sooner.

[01:01:24] But all these four months before I really started to feel like my old self, I couldn't sit down for meals with my family members.

[01:01:34] And obviously, I'm seeing what I used to eat.

[01:01:37] And yet, it was just this wonderful feeling that I'm not getting sick.

[01:01:44] I'm able to eat food and I'm not getting sick.

[01:01:46] But then, when I really started to feel good, that's when that loss came in.

[01:01:53] There was this one meal.

[01:01:55] Boy, did I notice the plates.

[01:01:57] And all of a sudden, they saw that I was like looking at their plates.

[01:02:03] They put down their forks.

[01:02:05] I said, no.

[01:02:06] I said, we got to talk about this because I obviously, you know, I do.

[01:02:12] I feel so much better being off of that food.

[01:02:14] But I'll tell you right now, this is hard.

[01:02:16] But I said, you know, I'm going to move beyond this.

[01:02:20] I'm an adult.

[01:02:21] And I know if I want to stay alive, if I don't want to be sick all the time.

[01:02:26] And plus, it hit me, I've been given a second chance at life.

[01:02:34] My twin sister had brain cancer.

[01:02:37] And she unfortunately never had that second chance.

[01:02:40] But with celiac disease, if you, you know, adhere to the diet,

[01:02:45] you are given a second chance at life.

[01:02:49] And there's many people that have died through cancer from celiac disease.

[01:02:53] So I was very lucky, too, that, you know, I didn't come down with some type of intestinal cancer.

[01:03:01] But there's, you know, so many things to be grateful for.

[01:03:06] But, okay, this has all been how celiac disease affects your physical body.

[01:03:13] Well, then I went and sat in the church to get some solace during this time.

[01:03:20] And all of a sudden, this awful thought came across my mind that the gluten that's in the wheat had followed me into my church.

[01:03:32] And it was now up on the altar in the form of the communion host.

[01:03:37] And years ago, they just had one host, a purely wheaten host.

[01:03:43] Then, it was about 18 years after I was diagnosed, they came out with a low-gluten host.

[01:03:51] Well, for individuals like myself, this is just too much.

[01:03:54] And we had all got so excited.

[01:03:58] Oh, we're going to be able to, you know, go up and receive communion.

[01:04:01] And what's happened is, unless you can, for individuals like us, unless we can find an open-minded priest that will allow us to put a gluten-free safe food for us in a pick,

[01:04:18] which is the little metal container on the altar.

[01:04:21] I had that for years.

[01:04:23] They were associate priests.

[01:04:25] They were pastors.

[01:04:27] pastors.

[01:04:28] And then suddenly, back about three years ago, an associate priest who was doing this for me for about five months suddenly said,

[01:04:39] Peg, we got to go outside and talk.

[01:04:41] And this was in the wintertime.

[01:04:42] And I said, Father, can't we talk here?

[01:04:45] No, we have to go outside.

[01:04:47] And I never understood it.

[01:04:49] He positioned himself basically just a short distance away from the main door.

[01:04:55] If you parked in the parking lot, you know, you'd have to walk around.

[01:04:59] The people had to walk around us.

[01:05:01] But anyway, Peg, I no longer can give you your communion.

[01:05:05] I said, what, Father?

[01:05:07] I no longer can give you your communion.

[01:05:11] And I said, who put you up to this, Father?

[01:05:16] He wouldn't say anything.

[01:05:17] He just, he did say some things that were really off the wall.

[01:05:22] But I, so I went back and took my picks off the altar.

[01:05:25] I called him.

[01:05:27] And it was Monday or Tuesday.

[01:05:29] He called back.

[01:05:30] And I said, Father, let's cut to the chase.

[01:05:33] I said, why won't you give me my spiritual food?

[01:05:39] And he's hemming and hamming.

[01:05:40] And I said, I deserve every right.

[01:05:42] I said, I didn't commit mortal sin.

[01:05:45] So finally he says, well, huh?

[01:05:48] It was me.

[01:05:49] I said, what?

[01:05:51] Yes.

[01:05:52] My conscience bothers me.

[01:05:55] I'm breaking church law.

[01:05:58] I said, now, wait a minute, Father.

[01:06:00] You're breaking man-made church law.

[01:06:05] This law wasn't made by Jesus.

[01:06:08] And this means that your conscience is going to be relieved.

[01:06:12] But yet I'm not going to be able to, you know, get my communion.

[01:06:18] So if that wasn't crazy enough, I did speak to the pastor that following weekend on the church altar.

[01:06:28] And I said, you know, I said to him, I said, Father, he was a Monsignor, but we called him Father.

[01:06:36] I said, back in the 1950s, the Monsignor was the person in charge.

[01:06:42] And an associate priest would never do something like this.

[01:06:45] And I said, what are you going to do for me?

[01:06:49] And he paused.

[01:06:52] He turned his back to me, and he walked away.

[01:06:56] And I couldn't believe it.

[01:06:57] I thought, here I am standing on a church altar where there's been a gazillion consecrations of the host.

[01:07:06] And you don't even have the decency to say or explain something more, but either than to turn your back towards me.

[01:07:18] This was very painful, to say the least.

[01:07:22] But if I didn't believe in Jesus Christ, the love that I have for Jesus, I really, I think I'd lose it.

[01:07:33] But this is the sort of nonsense, and I am calling it nonsense, that shouldn't even go on with all the problems in the world.

[01:07:45] And if you're going to try to be bringing people into your church, I think your ministry should more model that of Jesus than that.

[01:07:57] The younger priest was at another parish, and I've been told he always said he wanted to be a perfect priest.

[01:08:04] Well, that's where the problem is right there.

[01:08:08] No one is perfect.

[01:08:12] So I'm getting it.

[01:08:13] This disease has really, really changed my life.

[01:08:18] The normalcy of your everyday eating has completely changed.

[01:08:21] And then with this awful aspect, you know, with the communion host.

[01:08:27] So it is like at times I believe like I'm in the twilight zone for those people that love that old show or different dimension of time and space.

[01:08:36] Yeah, and that was a long time to have to deal.

[01:08:43] Now, 20 years, Margaret, of you going through this, the frustration, the agony, the desperation, because your body is pretty much just eating itself away.

[01:08:58] And there's really no hope.

[01:09:00] Nobody is giving you the answers that you needed for a long time.

[01:09:04] Thank goodness it came when it did, because it like you said, you only probably had four or five months left.

[01:09:14] Had it not had it have came a bit later.

[01:09:17] And so how how does one hold on?

[01:09:21] Because you're not even living at that point.

[01:09:23] You're just surviving.

[01:09:24] You're trying to get through the day.

[01:09:26] How does does one hold on to hope or a little bit of something extra to get going and to keep going day after day?

[01:09:37] Well, I really thought I was dying.

[01:09:40] I did.

[01:09:41] I really thought I was dying.

[01:09:43] And I came to the realization that there's nothing in the medical profession that can help you, you know, is going to help me.

[01:09:54] So, I mean, there's really nothing I can do.

[01:09:57] But and then by that point, you are you are just so weakened and your your breathing is so, you know, your oxygen level is off.

[01:10:10] Everything is all.

[01:10:12] Oh, I'll messed up.

[01:10:15] But I'll tell you when I finally got a diagnosis right there, that was like, oh, it was like a boulder had been taken off of my back.

[01:10:26] That was like the more than a second wind.

[01:10:30] But just to put it in light terms, that's the second wind that you needed as you were talking about and mentioning once you started eating a few months later and you were feeling that, wow, my energy levels are getting there.

[01:10:42] You're topping back up and and I'm feeling a little better and you're able to hold, retain the weight.

[01:10:50] And also your body is able to absorb all the nutrients and everything else that you're putting into your your system, the vital nutrients that we need.

[01:10:59] And my goodness, that that's night and day.

[01:11:03] And I'm sure that gave you a whole new appreciation for life.

[01:11:08] Like you said, there's a lot of gratitude that comes with it and just the thankfulness of being alive and having a second chance.

[01:11:15] Yes, you you really things before that you thought were so important.

[01:11:21] You come to a realization that they really they aren't.

[01:11:25] And I think this also has really given me the impetus to write these two books because I can see where time is everything.

[01:11:35] And I just the time that I've lost with my life.

[01:11:38] I have so much to do and I want to make that up.

[01:11:42] And so if you're out there and you're healthy, just really be thankful that, you know, we can complain.

[01:11:49] We don't have this.

[01:11:51] We don't have that.

[01:11:52] And you've probably heard it from other people, but it's true.

[01:11:55] If you have your health, that's everything.

[01:11:58] That is everything.

[01:11:59] Health is wealth.

[01:12:00] I mean, you can have all the riches, you could have all the toys.

[01:12:05] But if you're bedridden, what good is any of that?

[01:12:09] We talked a little bit before we started recording and I said just the opportunity that I have.

[01:12:16] And it's not even that I try, but I I take moments and I'm trying to be more mindful of it.

[01:12:22] Just myself throughout the day, wherever I am and whatever I'm doing to just be mindful, like my goodness, I have my senses.

[01:12:31] I have my sight.

[01:12:33] I have my smell.

[01:12:33] I'm able to take in this fresh air.

[01:12:35] Let's just say when I'm riding a bike through the woods, I'm able to see the birds flock around.

[01:12:41] I'm able to hear them.

[01:12:43] I can hear the song that they sing.

[01:12:45] I can listen to music.

[01:12:46] I can communicate with my wife or or you.

[01:12:50] I have those senses and the ability to do that.

[01:12:53] And if that were to be taken from me, because there are some people that are in a lot grimmer situations and they don't have those things.

[01:13:01] They for whatever reason, through accidents, through born with disabilities.

[01:13:06] So that kind of thing right there for you, having gone through 20 years of that anguish and then now to be on the other end of it, a lot healthier and being able to live with it and actually live, not just hanging on by a thread.

[01:13:22] You really see things differently.

[01:13:27] And like you mentioned, that gives you a deep appreciation for having what you have and not sweating the little things, so to speak.

[01:13:38] That's right.

[01:13:40] And you have your hands full.

[01:13:42] Both of the books that you spoke about, you have your podcast, The Radical Truth.

[01:13:46] You also have the website.

[01:13:49] And I was thankful that you responded.

[01:13:52] Like I said, we kind of we did a few emails back and forth and we made some time.

[01:13:57] There's a big time difference.

[01:13:58] And we were still able to have this conversation and you were able to share a bit of your story, your works that you're involved with and boots to the ground, picket fences.

[01:14:11] You're out there exposing truth.

[01:14:13] And it's it seems like you're still on fire.

[01:14:16] You still got a passion and a drive.

[01:14:19] And this is really keeping you going.

[01:14:20] And you're full throttle.

[01:14:22] You're not letting up.

[01:14:23] For sure.

[01:14:25] Not now.

[01:14:26] Come this far.

[01:14:28] Right.

[01:14:29] Yeah.

[01:14:29] And and also that just the story of you, a lot of the obstacles that you went through, one, a big one was the health.

[01:14:37] And so that's something that like we spoke about a bit beforehand.

[01:14:42] That's the whole point of the show is I like to connect with people from all walks of life.

[01:14:47] They've had their their health issues.

[01:14:50] They've had their addictions.

[01:14:51] They've had trauma.

[01:14:53] We all we all have our our story and our journey.

[01:14:57] But the main thing is that with the conversations that I like to share and connect with is that every individual you included, you had your ways that you push through it.

[01:15:09] You not just seek for better days, but you you you you seem like you you always were walking that path and you had a calling from very young and you weren't you weren't being swayed this way or that way.

[01:15:22] Though temptations you're living in the world.

[01:15:24] Temptations are everywhere.

[01:15:25] There's even with the food.

[01:15:27] And and that is that's a tough one.

[01:15:29] That's a tricky one, like you said, with the alcohol, because it you can't get away from it.

[01:15:33] It is everywhere.

[01:15:34] It's on TV.

[01:15:35] It's on billboards.

[01:15:36] And and that could be something that could very it could affect you in a completely different way, in a fatal way compared to just somebody who isn't dealing with the celiac.

[01:15:47] I really had no idea of the severity of it.

[01:15:51] I did read up beforehand and you mentioned it, that there's about 300 or something symptoms.

[01:15:58] And for you, was it like a process of elimination or did you how did you come across the fact?

[01:16:04] It was through a biopsy.

[01:16:07] They do an endoscopy and whatever the instrument is, it looks like a little mini football where they cut, you know, the sample.

[01:16:18] But now they have blood tests and they even have what they call Dr.

[01:16:23] O'Brien calls them zoomer testing, which is better than they.

[01:16:29] The big thing back in the 80s was called like a celiac panel.

[01:16:33] But you still have doctors that are using that.

[01:16:36] And then, of course, it doesn't make sense because now with the zoomer testing.

[01:16:41] That is something is like 97, 98 percent.

[01:16:45] Right.

[01:16:45] But unfortunately, I live in New York State and they have some crazy laws and they don't allow that because I would really love to avail myself of that testing.

[01:17:01] I'm still having issues.

[01:17:03] There's times like when I still lose great amounts of weight.

[01:17:07] Something's going on.

[01:17:08] But anyway, I'm not the bad.

[01:17:11] But I really appreciate this time, Richard.

[01:17:15] And again, for the listeners over in Germany, if there are if I could I add this?

[01:17:21] If there are women groups out there, I would love, you know, to talk before your group.

[01:17:28] If we could like maybe set up a zoom or something.

[01:17:32] I'm open to that.

[01:17:34] And again, we just have to get this wonderful news out there.

[01:17:38] The website is your radical truth dot com.

[01:17:43] Your radical truth dot com.

[01:17:46] And both books, Scandal in the Shadows and Journey of a Celiac Soul are at Amazon.

[01:17:55] Perfect.

[01:17:56] Margaret, it's been it's been a pleasure.

[01:17:59] If you have any final words you'd like to leave leave off with before we wrap this thing up, by all means, feel free.

[01:18:07] Well, again, I alluded to truth.

[01:18:11] That's right.

[01:18:12] No matter what what your predicament is or where you're coming from, you know, if you have the truth behind you, it really is a very powerful platform to help to utilize, to get your particular word out to to, you know, whatever you're trying to change.

[01:18:32] Absolutely.

[01:18:33] Margaret, it's been a pleasure.

[01:18:35] All the best.

[01:18:36] Keep fighting a good fight.

[01:18:38] You still have one hundred and twenty five years left.

[01:18:42] On God's green earth.

[01:18:45] Thank you, Richard.

[01:18:47] I really appreciate it.

[01:18:49] Take care.

[01:18:53] Yourradicaltruth dot com.

[01:18:55] If anybody is interested on more of what Margaret does, you can find all of her information there.

[01:19:03] You'll find it in the show notes.

[01:19:05] Thank you again, Margaret, for taking time out of your day, setting aside some quality time from your schedule and away from everything that you're doing.

[01:19:15] So you can share your experience with us.

[01:19:17] So you can talk about some of the things that are near and dear to you.

[01:19:22] What has been the fire in your pit that has kept you pushing, that has kept you moving and motivated to continue doing God's work.

[01:19:33] Margaret is a prime example of it doesn't matter how old you are.

[01:19:37] You know, in a lot of cultures and religions, the older you are, that is symbolic of the experience and the wisdom that you've been able to accrue over the years.

[01:19:47] But some people think that with age, you need to slow it down.

[01:19:52] If anything, Margaret has turned it up with this second chance at life.

[01:19:57] Truly, truly a force to be reckoned with.

[01:20:00] Living 20 years with this undiagnosed autoimmune disease.

[01:20:05] 20 years.

[01:20:08] Literally melting and dwindling away.

[01:20:12] All of the physical symptoms that she had to deal with.

[01:20:15] The emotional ones on top of that.

[01:20:18] Being told by doctors that it's this thing or that thing.

[01:20:21] Maybe you just need to go see a psychiatrist.

[01:20:24] It's all in your head.

[01:20:25] It's just a figment of your imagination.

[01:20:28] But through all that time, that agony and defeat.

[01:20:33] Pretty much just holding on by a thread.

[01:20:35] There was a doctor that heard her out.

[01:20:38] Ordered the test that she needed.

[01:20:40] And she was able to get a proper diagnosis.

[01:20:44] She'll be the first to tell you that that was a miraculous act by the divine, by God.

[01:20:50] She was steadfast in her faith and holding on to that hope.

[01:20:54] She was able to get well.

[01:20:56] She was able to get better and enjoy now a second chance at life.

[01:21:01] This is a rebirth.

[01:21:03] So Margaret, with this second wind in life, is using it for her cause of revealing the truth about the Catholic Church.

[01:21:11] Speaking her truth.

[01:21:13] Standing on her conviction.

[01:21:15] No matter the naysayers, she's standing her ground and addressing some of the issues about women in the priesthood.

[01:21:22] Women's rights.

[01:21:24] The sexual discrimination amongst the Catholic Church.

[01:21:27] Breaking away with tradition.

[01:21:29] Not settling for the status quo.

[01:21:31] And the church accountability on the priest's sexual abuse that's been going on.

[01:21:36] She's also a member of Call to Action.

[01:21:40] Future Church.

[01:21:41] Roman Catholic Women Priests.

[01:21:43] The Women's Ordination Conference.

[01:21:46] The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.

[01:21:49] And on top of all that, she's an author of two books.

[01:21:52] She's Scandals in the Shadows and Journey of a Celiac Soul.

[01:21:57] And you'll find links in the show notes with all of her information.

[01:22:00] That'll have a link to her website.

[01:22:03] How to purchase one of her two books.

[01:22:05] Or the ways that you can contact her and reach out to her.

[01:22:09] Margaret, thank you once again for opening up your book and sharing some of that story with us today.

[01:22:16] You are a giant amongst us.

[01:22:20] And as we get ready to wind this one down, I want to take some time to thank everybody once again on the other end.

[01:22:27] Checking in with us.

[01:22:29] Partaking in this journey.

[01:22:31] This unique individual journey that we're all on.

[01:22:34] If at all you'd like to contact us.

[01:22:37] Reach out to us.

[01:22:38] Let us know what's on your mind.

[01:22:40] How you feel about the show.

[01:22:42] Anything that has resonated with you.

[01:22:44] Or just say hi and let us know where you're listening from and how you're listening to the show.

[01:22:50] You know how to contact us.

[01:22:52] You can get on the website and find any and every avenue to reach out to us.

[01:22:58] I look forward to checking back with you next go around.

[01:23:02] And as the sun starts sinking over here on this side of the fence.

[01:23:07] I want to wish you all a great rest of the week.

[01:23:10] Stay safe out there.

[01:23:13] Stay sane out there.

[01:23:15] And a little reminder.

[01:23:17] If you would like to be a part of this show and share your story.

[01:23:22] Or maybe even a story of someone in your life that has impacted you in a positive way.

[01:23:28] You could always reach out to us via email.

[01:23:31] I'd be happy to connect.

[01:23:33] Until next time.

[01:23:35] And very soon.

[01:23:38] Peace.

[01:23:46] Do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop, do-wop.

[01:23:52] I'm looking for a sign to know I'm on the right road.

[01:24:00] Ain't seen no signs since...

[01:24:03] It's a change.