A "secret" that might easily be figured out about the Catholic "blogosphere" (meaning, all the various Catholic blogs online) is that most of us are small-time, but we get lots of "hits" when we are linked -- or even better, featured in a post -- on one of the big hitters.
One of the big hitters is Amy Welborn's Open Book (see links at right), but there are others, again, many linked at right, who in turn, link here.
It isn't of any great moment, but it is one of my vanities (fit for the Bonfire) that I like to know who is visiting my site, and how many "hits" I get. Whenever one of the other sites links a post here, I get a nice "bump." Every so often, something I post seems interesting enough to get several links around the "blogosphere," and I'm king for a day! But vanity of vanities, it all fades away.
Some time back, I saw a permanent bump, and wondered why. It turned out the fair Amy had actually listed me as a "holy blog of obligation"; as a result, I get a good supply of golden crumbs (a literary reference, do you get it?) day in, day out.
Alas, Amy appears to have fled the jurisdiction, gone underground in her secret work for the NSA, or perhaps merely gone on a trip; she hasn't posted for over a week, and alas, the supply of golden crumbs is a little thinner.
Vanity of vanities!
Update: it seems that a new source of golden crumbs has chosen to shower goodness on me: Father Zuhls... Zools...(Zuzu's Petals--no, that's not it...)...ahem, Father Z's excellent blog, What does the Prayer Really Say? Do stop in and show him how many hits I can generate!
54 comments:
Ah, the bittersweetness of reflected glory. ;)
Father -
I confess - I am one of the crumbs that found his way here by way of OpenBook. Your blog has become a regular stop for me now and I think it stands well on its own merits.
Please continue to post your homilies! They are appreciated. God Bless you and your flock. Thanks - Ed
Don't despair Father. I'm always encouraged by your posts.
Jenny
Fr. Z has called in for reinforcement. Boy, you better make sure the porch is swept!
Hello Father. Here from Fr. Z's. Nice place you have here.
I occasionally lurk here, Father. I like to read your homilies because they are always good.
I believe I liked here through "The Cafeteria is Closed". But one time, and I was addicted. Father, you have the most well-grounded perspective on so much not only about the Church, but just life in general. You are one-of-a-kind, Father. Thanks.
Many Catholic bloggers live in urban areas where there are many resources.
I admire Father for all his hard work as pastor of two parishes in a small town in Ohio. He gives us many insights into the non-urban life that are quite unique. If you check small town/rural parishes, you will find that one priest may service two or three parishes!! Hats off to all the priests and parishioners in small towns and rural areas. BTW I live in the LA area.
Hi Father,
I've stopped by from time to time, but haven't said hi yet. I must admit I haven't really complied a big reading list of blogs, (aside from my friend's list and fangirl interests over on Live Journal) but as I'm rediscovering my Catholicism, I'm finding other blogs and groups of interest elsewhere. I really do enjoy stopping by your blog to read your posts.
Hope you have a wonderful day,
Maria
Don't get dicouraged, Father. SP has been released and now you're getting a schola!
Life is good!
I also enjoy your blog, Father. Google Reader now lets me know when you have a new post up. Thanks for the time you put into writing Bonfire of the Vanities.
And hey, where IS Amy?
Linked in from the inimitable Fr. Z.
But I read you all the time.
Shhh... don't tell him but I like your blog better.
Fr. Fox,
I've always enjoyed reading your comments on Fr. Z's blog. I just added you to my "favorites" and will try to visit you every day.
In Christo fratrem tuus,
Mark
Hello Father! Here from Fr.Z's too. Nice site!
Reading your blog makes me wish I lived in Ohio. My priest is a good man, and always is very scrupulous in his liturgy, but he is not fond of Latin and musically we seem to have more music from protestant roots than Catholic tradition.
I also love your homilies, they are very solid in their theology and pastoral in their tone. A pleasure to read.
Blessed are they who don't read their referrer logs, for they shall not be disappointed :).
I'm a regular read (daily) but I do it via your RSS feed offline.
I'll be happy to add this blog to my list of daily places to visit. :)
Father,
Just found my way here for the first time, and I see there is such clear evidence of Providential work, that I'll make it a regular stop!
-J.
Fr.,
I used to pop over now and again when following you in discussions on Dom's blog. With him posting less frequently as well, I don't get 'reminded' to pay a visit. Will try to pay more attention....
J
Father Fox:
I must confess that you aren't on my "A List" of blogs that I read daily; but you have made the "B List" of blogs that I try to read on weekends.
I have a local list of blogs (A&B&C) and my national list (A&B)
I consider myself to be a fast reader. But some people I won't put on my lists because they post more daily than I have time to read (are you reading this Shea and Akin?). And I confess that I don't read everything on the blogs of people who are on my lists. I sometimes don't even read all of Father Z's posts.
Who has time to read and comprehend all that and then do commenting and then posting on their own blog. Not this kid.
Even though it is not the weekend yet, Father Z got me over here tonight.
Being that my blog is very much local in scope, I get very few daily hits, maybe 150 when I'm doing well, but usually less than 100. Rarely am I linked to by anybody from outside my area.
But the weekend of the release of the MP, I did a summary post of a lot of what Father Z was doing and it got picked up by Hugh Hewitt's conservative blog. I almost fainted when I noted that I had 1,600 hits that Sunday!
By Tuesday, it was back to normal. It was fun while it lasted.
Keep up the good work, Father Fox. You do have a great blog. Unfortunately, I don't have time to read it every day.
And I'm single and retired, although with some significant volunteer commitments.
Father, you know you're my favorite! Well, I do love Father Z, and, until his death (RIP) I loved reading Fr Todd Reitmeyer (sp?), ooh, and I loved the Ragemonkeys and Fr Al Kimel (missing you all), and still love Orthometer, and Fr Dwight Longenecker(sp again!). Oh, well, you are one of my favorite blogging priests (one of the top twenty, anyway!)
Seriously, Father, you are an inspiration to me--a humble leader! Wow, you're kind of like PBXVI, then. Can't get a better compliment than that, can you?
Ah, Vanitas Vanitatum! God Bless, Father--lots of us really, really like you. We really, really do!
Okay, Father. Time for milk and cookies.
Speaking of Amy, where has she been all week? It is not like her to be absent without letting us know where she is going to be.
I think I came here from Rich Leonardi. But now Fr. Z. has induced me to comment. Keep up the blogging. I'd want to join the schola if I were closer, but I'm not.
Good Evening, Father.
Dropping by from Father Z's.
Will look around and come again.
Father, consider yourself linked to my blog, though small fry that I am.
Hey, Father, I said I'd come visit Piqua while I was in Ohio. Whaddaya want from me? You da man!
man with black hat: "We can't come to the internet right now, but..."
"If there are two people who are mentioned in any English-language print article or broadcast on 'Catholic blogging,' it's these two... But honest to God, people, if those two decided to shut down their blogs tomorrow, hundreds of individuals would be staring at their computer screens wondering to themselves, gee, where do I go to comment now???
There was a gap earlier in her posting (and that of her husband). My assumption is a summer break?
Father, I come to this blog occasionally; but since the RSS reigns these days, I only came if I see something of interest as a subject of your post ;) About that vanity of vanities, I try to resolve it by saying a short aspiration everytime I feel like checking my blog stats!
(Today I clicked on your blog from Fr Z's 'call-to-click')
Hello Father,
I enjoy your blog and usually stop by every day or every other day. I have quite a few blogs in "my favorites" and try to pop on daily as time allows.
Father,
I'm a seminarian from the Diocese of Phoenix ( by the way I attend the Pontical College Josephinum in Columbus). I've been reading your blog for a while but I do most of my blog reading through and aggregator, that is, I get your posts through the RSS feed and don't normally stop by the blog. I don't think the counters pick up these hits. I know I'm not the only one. So your hits are even more than you think.
Fr. I really enjoy reading your blog. It's encouraging to know that our younger priests are committed to perserving our Catholic treasures and traditions. I will add a link to your blog on mine as one of my favorite places to visit.
God's blessings always
I read your blog daily, paradoxically because I'm close enough that I could, if I so chose, attend your parish on a regular basis. Instead I go to the church 5 minutes from my house, read your homilies online, and pride myself on having actually met one of my favorite bloggers in real life.
Excuse me, your sitemeter says you get an average of 354 hits a day, and you are complaining. Mine a measley 20, if I'm lucky, Sheesh ;)
BTW thanks for linking us.
Hi, I run a msall business. I identify totally with being swamped by the "mega" organizations. You need a niche, Father, that's how I survive -and after 7 years are focusing on the niche, thrive!!!! Maybe confronting "vanity" would be an interesting angle?
RM
Thanks for all the kind comments.
Actually, I didn't mean to suggest I was complaining.
Really more observing, and a bit, making fun of even caring about such matters.
As it happens, despite the recent trail-off (until about 12 hours ago!) July was by best month ever!
Ahem...not that I care, or anything...
But it's fun to tease you back
Fr. Fox! No worries, brother...hits drop off in the summer. Despite posting nearly everyday this summer (sometimes three times a day) I saw my daily total drop to less than half of normal. The M.P. got me back up there (with links from Jeff Miller, Jimmy Akin, and several others). My operation is small fry too, but that's OK. You should podcast. I have a lot of Podcast subscribers. God bless, Fr. Philip, OP
Hi Fr. I am a new blogger but hope to visit your site often. God Bless You
Hi Father...you are loved!!
Discovered your blog just a couple of weeks ago and linked to mine...you visited with my parish priest, Fr. Kevin Lutz just a few days ago as well. Keep up the good work...I really enjoy your posts and visit daily!
I'm a daily reader, but you know, I'm always one to help drive up the counter too. Keep up the great work!
Father, Now visiting from Fr. Z's blog, but will make yours a regular drop in from now on!
I came over because Father Z had a lot of fine things to say. But Shawn Tribe at NLM posted extensively:
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Piqua, OH: Center of Liturgical Renewal
posted by Michael E. Lawrence
Great news comes to us this week from St. Boniface and St. Mary Parishes in Piqua, OH, where Fr. Martin Fox is pastor and John L. Wright is music director, both of whom are occasional commentators here at NLM. Magister musicorum Wright is forming a schola that will focus upon chant and polyphony, and assist at Mass whenever there might eventually be a celebration in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
Grass roots renewal. That's the American way! It's the Catholic way, too."
I will be visitng the Fair at New Boston in September, if you will post mass times for your parish I would be honored to celebrate the Eucharist with you and your flock.
Patrick
This crumb came here by way of Catholic Sensibility. I'm visiting different blogs to see what is out there.
By the way, I'm just down the road from you in Mason, Ohio.
Father Fox:
I've never been here before, but Fr. Z said you needed a boost, so I'm glad to help.
Since the feast of St. John Vianney is coming up, I'll say a prayer for you and all loyal diocesan priests, that your service may be gloriously triumphant -- as it were.
Chris Garton-Zavesky
P.S. No one visits my blog. I don't have one.
P.P.S. You could ask Philip Blosser to point Fr. Joseph O'Leary here. At least that way there'd be no shortage of hits.
Forget those losers, Fr. Fox--your hits are all coming from here!
Patrick:
Mass times in Piqua, for Sunday, are as follows:
4 pm St. Boniface
5 pm St. Mary
7 am St. Boniface
9 am St. Mary
10:30 am St. Boniface
Noon St. Mary
No sympathy here, Father! I can't get even that kind of respect from the heavy hitters!
Being just a regular guy, and not a priest.
Father, please start to offer the Traditional Latin Mass. When we visit my parents in Fort Loramie, we have travel all the way to Dayton. Thanks in advance.
Dave
Stopped in from Fr. Z's blog. God bless you! Iube, domne, benedicere!
Yo, Padre,
Look at your own link list! I visit piles of websites daily only because I am retired, no dependents left. True, one of them is MySpace (YUCK!) to keep in touch with my grandchildren and help their Mom monitor what they witness there. (AND - hee-hee - blog 'subversive' Catholic contemplation.)
However, adding more and more sites to read only dilutes my learning from any of them.
I could ask you to add linkage to where I blog - but, I won't. I'd rather that your regular crowd also spend time getting to daily Mass, studying the Bible, praying the Rosary and other devotions, give time to solid religious reading, etc., and maybe writing their own contemplations and commentaries about their assimilation of it 'all', even if only into their own PCs to leave to their surviving descendants.
You know, come to think of it, I may be a 'crumb', but I cannot for the life of me remember how I got here!
I check your blog about twice a month. You are always a good read! Hope this helps.
Father, you know we all love your blog! I've just been reading less because I've been working crazy hours.
Father Z may have more hits than you, but does he have a lamb-shaped butter mold? I think not...
:-)
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