This blog shares its birthday with the nation of the United States of America. A little over a year ago, we launched Catholicism Pure and Simple as a team effort; a place where we could post and read information about orthodox Catholic teaching and news of interest to orthodox Catholics.
We’ve had a good first year. We’ve published 540 posts in 63 categories. We’ve received 334,000 visits and counting. Nearly 10,000 of those were on our busiest day in March this year.
We’ve also received nearly 6,000 comments. If you’re a regular visitor but haven’t yet joined in the discussions, please take the plunge.
We also have 112 site subscribers and 45 post subscribers.
The table below shows the 10 posts that received the highest number of visits.
| Post | Visits |
| Rare footage of Padre Pio | 18,321 |
| Confession | 17,178 |
| Miracle of the Split Mountain | 16,388 |
| Little Nellie of Holy God | 10,247 |
| Baby Scan Jesus | 8,048 |
| Leo XIII sings Ave Maria | 6,876 |
| When was the Last Supper? | 6,083 |
| Pentecost Novena | 5,545 |
| Our Lady of Akita – the tears of a Mother. | 5,389 |
| The Miraculous Medal | 4,632 |
If you missed one of these, just click on the link to take another look.
We have a team of 9 writers (their names are listed on the right sidebar), and we welcome contributions from other people. Read how to send us a contribution in the About us – contact page, and get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
Interesting blog, keep them coming. I regularly receive the notifications of new articles posted and find many informative.
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Happy birthday.
Far too many comments from Toad. (There’s another one.)
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Happy birthday!!!!! Well done!!!
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Happy birthday!!!!! Well done!!! and if you look to your right you can see Pope Benedict XVI reading my post with approval.
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And below him, you can see Pius V indicating what he thinks of Toad’s posts.
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To celebrate my birthday (sigh, so long ago) and that of this website, last night I attended, in an atmospheric 1000 year old cathedral, an excellent concert designed to soothe the savage breast, or breasts, depending. Behind the audience at the opposite end of the cathedral, a wonderfully lit figure of the Madonne Noire.
L’ensemble Les Impatiences beautifully presented music by Biber, Corelli, Scarlatti, Hume, Purcell and Charpentier with baroque violins, viola de gamba, clavecin-continuo and voices. The Salve Regina was exquisite.
A cardinal slipped in quietly, took a seat nearby, and gave me a discreet nod of recognition, I am nearly sure.
And not a swaying, finger-clicking Anglican in this strum free zone.
Quite uncompromising, I’d say.
If you asked me.
Pax vobiscum
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I know I’m a little late to write on this birthday column, but I would like to say how much I have enjoyed and appreciated these daily Catholic posts over the past year. They are so interesting, well-informed and relevant. The illustrations are dignified and beautiful, and there are often engaging clashes of wit and knowledge (or not) from people who write in – what would we do without Toad and Mr. Whippy?
I also find it very interesting to see how many people tune in from places in other parts of the world. God bless your outreach.
My wholehearted thanks to all who are responsible for this lovely site. It’s a very significant accomplishment. Please keep it coming.
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Thank you JTB.
Sometimes it’s lonely out there, especially if one is in the category of “knowledge (or not)”. Ho hum! There are those here who are liturgical wrestlers who can floor you in an instant.
Like you, I get a buzz when I look at the Live Feed and see just how widespread are those who look in. I even had the ‘Vatican’ check out a post of mine recently. Not to mention the Pontiff who also gazed approvingly on my scribblings – I can irritate some but I have friends in high places, evidently.
I put these powerful connections down to having been an altar boy – well, actually the bishop was blessing our school and they only had the vestments for two tall boys; I was one. The other was Lawrence Wilson…where are you now, other tall boy of the 1950s? My mother’s feeding of codliver oil, orange juice and tinned milk to her ungrateful brat up to a large size paid off. She was so proud, for I got to carry a large brass cross in front of the Bishop through each classroom. The first doorway I passed through and when lowering the cross, I foolishly put the staff between my ankles like a witch’s broom- nearly fell on my jaxie. Those altar boy skirt things were unexpected; red, I think with a white… sulpice, is it? But I learned; the next doorway went like a dream.
Just like the rest of my life.
Ah.
The main thing is – I never looked so holy again.
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Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. W. I also have noticed the presence of the “liturgical wrestlers”, and as a result have been somewhat hesitant about leaping in with incautious comments (unlike others I could mention………..) I must tell you that I did indeed notice the Pope’s approving gaze on your note the other day – can’t get better than that! I note also your powerful connections, all due to cod liver oil, orange juice and tinned milk of post war years – something I recognize, having been brought up on them myself. And I think you must have had a rather enjoyable childhood as a Catholic, in spite of nearly falling flat on your face in front of the Bishop (I think the white things are called “surplices”, the Peres de Saint Sulpice are a French-Canadian religious order).
On a rather more serious note, let me say what a blessing it was for you to have had a Catholic upbringing and education in England. I only became a Catholic as an adult convert after coming out to Canada, and thinking back to the England I knew in the 1940s and 50s I can’t ever remember even hearing the word “Catholic” at home or at school in North Kent. Catholicism simply wasn’t part of English life as I knew it – and that in a country where it has been continuously present for nearly 1700 years.
Once again, thank God for this website, and may His blessing be upon it and on all those it speaks to.
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Thank you for your kind comments Jacqueline. I hope you will ‘leap in’ many more times.
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