Excellent question! I think the most likely reason is theory #2.

To be honest, I think much of the reason may have something to do with an article you wrote a few weeks ago regarding Catholicism and art/beauty.  I am drawn to mommy sites with beautiful photography and either cooking or a craft that is visually pleasing as well as good writing.  I gravitate toward Pioneer Woman (methodist), No Big Dill (mormon), Made (mormon), etc.  In that realm, I find the mormons have a bit of a stronghold on taking their blogs to the next level of taking, editing, and presenting gorgeous photos of their life, craft and families.  None of them swear or give away a lot of gory detail, which I also like because they respect themselves and their families. 
I do also read Testosterhome, Nunspeak, Catholic Icing, I Have to Sit Down, and Conversion Diary (duh!) - but in none of those examples am I coming to the blog expecting a visual treat with each post, but rather some faithful message about families and Catholicism.  Here I am looking for some balm to my soul and hearing from other women living a life similar to my own and quite frankly, I think, “If they can do this with 5, 6, 9 kids… then I can do it with 2!”
Does that help?  I would LOVE to read a mommy blog that incorporates both the beauty of family life through stunning photography and good writing, but I haven’t found it.  I think that is why we Catholics are not represented on this list.

Here is my take on the Catholic blogs.  Often I find the Catholic bloggers are very much of the ultra conservative traditional end of the the Church.  They usually feel the need to state in their intro section their obedience to the Magisterium and usually make it clear anyone who is not at this same place as a Catholic is not where they need to be.  Now the spiritual life is a complicated journey and people do arrive in different ways at different times.  I don’t see this sort of either you believe what I do or else type of thinking on other non-catholic blogs.  Perhaps moms like to freely discuss where they are at without being scolded or made to feel like they are on the “them” side of an “us and them” community.  The Catholic world comes across as very territorial at times.

This is a general comment based on a wide range of experiences in the Catholic blogging world.  I do not find all Catholic blogs like this.  For example, Elizabeth Foss’ and other blogging moms do a good job of showing Catholic beauty without the arrogance.  But there is a certain arrogance and lack of meaningful dialogue I find on the Catholic ‘net with those who hold very conservative theological interpretations.  Usually accompanied by rants of “you are not part of the one true church”  mmmm it could be that perhaps by beef is not entirely with mom blogs but maybe Catholic websites?  It is hard for me to put into words the essence of what I see at times.  I don’t think the Catholic world on the ‘net is at it’s best—too much time spent talking about how great we are and how much other people’s faith is lacking.  Too much attacking and gloating and not enough meaningful reflection on how it is we live out our faith.

When a blogger as to come up with x number of posts per week it is hard to maintain a depth and meaning that could perhaps be attained with a week of silence followed by words that rise from their soul.  Sometimes I come here and feel the bloggers are just trying to spit up another post to cover their blogging contract with NCR rather than write as God leads them.

Did you say visual treat???? That’s my blog all the way. Stop by The Crescat for Catholic eye candy. www.patheos.com/blogs/thecrescat

I’m Catholic and I blog!  Check me out at http://homeindouglas.blogspot.com

Camille,

Our Mothers,Our Daughters does that in spades.  I love following that blog because of the lush pictures and advice!

Blessings!

Ok, Jennifer. I clicked through and checked out a few of the those blogs. C’mon, one’s doing something for the Food Network and the other one has a post sponsored by Best Buy. All were hocking things for sale. I suppose if you like blogs that look like glossy adverts then yeah. But the first 5 links I checked out had no real content. 

I suspect they’re the “top” blogs because they look and read like magazines. Catholic woman demand more from their blogs. At least I do. I want content. Also, as a Catholic, I have no interest in reading a mormon’s blog. That’s probably just intolerant ole’ me though.

I don’t think it’s some conspiracy we aren’t on the list… it looks like babble is a secular site. I don’t have the numbers, but you only linked to 13 off their list, does that mean the other 87 had no real religious affiliation? I’m not sure bc I got my own blog to update instead of looking at all 100 blogs they listed.

But I think we are making good head way as far as being an internet presence. We just stick to our own and Catholics are less about the world.

TO quote that great philosopher, Linda Richman, it’s “no big whoop.”

yes. I love Barefoot and House Unseen ... great article, great points. As always.

Ok, Jennifer. I clicked through and checked out the 5 ‘top’ blogs you linked to. C’mon, one’s doing something for the Food Network and the other one has a post sponsored by Best Buy. All were hocking things for sale. I suppose if you like blogs that look like glossy adverts then yeah. But the first 5 links I checked out had no real content. 

I suspect they’re the “top” blogs because they look and read like magazines. Catholic woman demand more from their blogs. At least I do. I want content. Also, as a Catholic, I have no interest in reading a mormon’s blog. That’s probably just intolerant ole’ me though.

I don’t think it’s some conspiracy we aren’t on the list… it looks like babble is a secular site. I don’t have the numbers, but you only linked to 5 off their list, does that mean the other 95 had no real religious affiliation? I’m not sure bc I got my own blog to update instead of looking at all 100 blogs they listed.

But I think we are making good head way as far as being an internet presence. We just stick to our own and Catholics are less about the world.

TO quote that great philosopher, Linda Richman, it’s “no big whoop.”

www.kissingtheleper.com

It’s really hard to build an audience without deep pockets.  A lot of the blogs that focus on “mommy” stuff also have a lot of advertising, give-aways, corporate tie-ins, etc.  I can’t afford that, and I don’t want to open up my blog to just any ole’ advertiser.  Plus, unless your blog is getting over 500 hits a day, it’s hard to attract advertisers that you want.  That means I have to REALLY work hard to spread the word, and even then, I don’t have a lot of official followers. 

Great writing, visually interesting, no “f-bombs”, relevant, funny….it’s all there.  Come visit!!  Follow!  Comment!!

Maybe it’s because we don’t document every trip to the apple orchard and every birdfeeder craft done with our kids.  Not to mention, all those baked from scratch cookies.  There is a lot of self promotion that has to go on to get a blog famous.  Your life must look beautiful and even when it’s hard or crazy it must be documented in high-resolution photos and have some pretty sweet heart string pulling music in the background.  We are either too busy parenting or terrible photographers.

I like theory 2. 

Additionally, I personally love reading lots of Catholic Mommy blogs. 

But I actually started and focus my own blog on the fact that I am a Catholic work-outside-the-home (WOTHM) wife and mom of five children because there honestly aren’t a lot of Catholic Moms who blog and work outside the home, and remain open to a large family and try to incorporate a deep and abiding faith life.

I can be found at Endless Strength (http://Michelle-endlessstrength.blogspot.com)

Camille - I completely agree. The visual beauty, clean design, and innovative content is what would draw me in.

I have to agree completely agree with Camille’s comment above.  Blogs are visual, and while I love to visit Catholic blogs and read about our beautiful faith, I also want to see a beautiful life.  It’s not a new concept.  We make our churches beautiful as outward signs of their inner beauty, why not our blogs?  Boring Blogger’s comment above is also right: there’s a lot of shameless self-promotion that goes along with getting a famous blog - http://flightygirl.blogspot.com   ;)

I’m not sure why more Catholic Mommy bloggers didn’t make the list.  Those were all the blogs I read when I first started reading blogs.

So awesome that you listed House Unseen! Love her blog!

Definitely agree that visual appeal has a lot to do with success. I love looking at beautiful pictures and well designed sites.

I think reason #2 is a big one. Catholic bloggers who are serious about their faith tend to speak In Catholic language which is not as accessible to Protestants. I think it isn’t a lack of pretty pictures or realism so much as an (unconscious) sense of otherness. When we talk about faith we talk about rosaries and novenas and saints and confession and going to Mass. That just makes us se weird to non-Catholics. I think if a Catholic blogger were to tone down her Catholicness so as to be more widely accessible shed lose the authenticity which is a hallmark of good blogging. It’s kind of a Catch 22.

I am with “my guess”. The Catholic blogs I have read are by the sola skirtura, head covering, tridentine mass only crowd. They emphasize how holy their kids are and how sinful and inadequate those who attend a novus ordo mass are. It always seems like a logical disconnect to say, “the church is always right” and “the church is wrong to allow the clearly inferior, nearly blasphemous novus ordo” in the same thought. Very off-putting to those outside the church and kind of insulting to the ordinary, chaotic, sincerely trying family. You always get the feeling they would not let their kids be tainted by yours.

SouthernTransplant, That’s jut ridiculous. There are plenty of Catholic mom blogs that aren’t like that. Lots of us blog who attend the novus ordo and don’t look down our noses at anyone. Please don’t smear all Catholic blogs based on the poor manners of a few.

The absence of blogs can be seen as a sympton of a bigger problem in the world of Catholic women.  Some of the most isolated women are stay-at-home Catholic moms,and the Catholic moms who have to swing both worlds, as they are not even truly valued in their own parishes. If they homeschool, they have to survive the pigeon-holing of that title.  They are involved in the culture, but often times it is not appreciated because they are not involved in the Catholic school PTA and marketing the school. The parish volunteer structure is just that, a garrisoned structure.The Catholic hierarchy in America has chosen the idea of certification, credentials and bureacracy as the form in the matter of apostalate, and moms don’t have the time and money to attend institutes for lay ministry, and many certainly don’t even want such a title.  In my experience, the local diocese runs as far away from the mothers of their diocese because they do not have a clue that they need to help these women develop their spiritual life and women need an invitation once in a while to take part in meaningful apostalates that are not driven by overt social activism. Rather, they need opportunties that demonstrate they have gifts from God that the Church needs.  Flowers for Mother’s Day won’t cut it as an easy substitute.  Women compartmentalize—if they are home they don’t talk about their professional history, if they are in the work world, they play down their role as mom.  When they start to understand this desire in themselves to find a niche in the New Evangelization (when the kids start college or begin to graduate from college) they are seen as now out of date, out of touch. One other thing, women are fierce and tough turf protectors.  Women do not help to develop other women and seek out healthy competition.  They tend to build garrisons of people who protect and agree. 
Women are shut down when they rasise these objections with those they seek help from in the garrisoned structures with language that uses the perfect to kill the discussion of the ideal. (“That has not been my experience.”) I know not all women do this, but the fact an apparent number of Catholic women are not explosive bloggers means something is not hospitable to more of them.
Just for some background, this is written from the perspective of one who was president of a local taxpayers association, a contributor to a school choice iniative in California, office holder of various postions in Republican women’s clubs, co-founder of a catholic women’s forum, frequent letter writer to a the local newspaper, a writer of ballot arguments, and yet, a person who still identifies with the beginning of this post.  We have something to share, but it needs to be nourished where it matters, in our local diocese.  When this becomes a priority in American Catholic diocese, you will find women who blog more dynamically.  Perhaps, the problem is what we need to talk about, we don’t.

@SouthernTransplant:  please come visit me!  My blog and my family are about chaos in spades!

www.kissingtheleper.com

Wow. Sola Skirtura. Hmm. SouthernTransplant, I think that the Catholic blogs that Jennifer linked are not at all what you describe. The ones I recognize are all hip, relevant ,and real.  As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure that these two posts on my blog are 180 degrees out from your typecast:
http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2011/11/what-im-never-going-to-tell-you.html
and
http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2011/06/gentleness-in-the-real-world-1.html

Plus, there is rarely a post without eye candy.

I think we need to have this conversation. Jen’s points are all good ones, yet none of them really hits the nail on the head. I don’t know why Catholic blogs can’t capture the readership that other blogs do. Let’s keep brainstorming. Surely we can figure it out.

Southerntransplant - pray tell, where are these ultra traditional Catholic blogs that you have read? Because I am a traditional Catholic who would love to read them, but all I seem to find are Catholic mommy blogs who routinely denegrate those of us who choose to wear only skirts and veil their heads at the undeniably superior Tridentine Latin Mass.

Seriously…

Couldn’t it just be that the people who made the list have a bias (either intended or unintended) against Catholic blogs and/or the Catholic Church?  I don’t want to start seeing anti-Catholic bias where it doesn’t exist, but anti-Catholic bias *does* exist at least in some situations and with some people.  It seems to me that it *might* be at work here.

I was reluctant to waste time on blogs for a long time. I just thought I had bigger fish to fry.  New Advent very recently changed my opinion. (I discovered your blog this way)  I enjoy reading several blogs now, and realize it isn’t just tedious fluff.  *Perhaps more serious Catholic readers just haven’t really gotten connected yet.*  It’s understandable that the “domestic goddess” sites would have huge, mass appeal to new Moms navigating so much new territory.  I like pondering big questions and can’t handle the artsy craftsy, cookie baking,cook a pot roast while you sew curtains stuff—ugh.  Am I missing out on something else??

Also, I see that the list is based at least in part on reader nominations.  Maybe readers of Catholic mom blogs didn’t know about the top 100 nominations, or didn’t bother to nominate their favorite blogs.  Maybe there just isn’t much overlap between Catholic mom blog readers and “Babble” readers.

Katey K, I’m just curious—Last summer a dear friend of mine passed away, and I attended my first Tridentine mass.  I love going to mass with my husband every day, it is literally the center of our existence.  I felt lost at the Tridentine mass.  What do you think is wrong with hearing the mass in a language you can understand?

I go to NewAdvent.org almost daily.  This website lists 20 or more articles each day, most of which are Catholic in view. I find both Jennifer Fulwiler and Simca Fisher quite interesting - Simca attracts many comments and considerable laughter. 
What sources did this publication use to compile the “100 best blogs” or whatever?
TeaPot562

House Unseen is great! (And written by my sister-in-law)

Anna Lisa - my comment was meant to be ironic but yours proves my point.  For every one supposed “sola skirtura” blog and comment there are a hundred others to counter it. 

And since you asked, the truth is that Mass has nothing at all to do with the way you feel.  I feel lost at an English Mass, so what?

I have been thinking about this since I read this article and I also thought that this may also be an example of people using their blog platform differently. Many Catholic blogs I read are more in the “slice of life” realm. The writers discuss funny things their kids do, spiritual observations and thoughts and struggles, interesting news stories and opinions on them, etc. When I read other blogs, they seem more planned. These women have prepared a craft, a meal, a trip, and photographed it, edited the photographs, and then given us the finished product.  This is much more labor intensive, and thus their reward is more polished looking posts and more accolades.

This could also be thought of differently, and by making the following statement I mean no disrespect to the “slice of life” bloggers previously discussed. There is room for both kinds of blogs and both can be good reads.  Many women take their blog to the next level by actively taking the position that their blog is a way of glorifying God in some small way. In taking this stance, they put only their best efforts and try extremely hard to bring truth and beauty to the eyes of all their readers. They want to do for the blogosphere what Michelangelo and Raphael did for art.  Sure, they might occasionally post “outtakes” of their photography to show they are real people, but their true aim is not to show off their real life but to show the beauty of their everyday tasks and special projects. This is to both thank God for the blessing of being able to do these tasks and to glorify Him by doing their best job. It also helps to bring positivity to motherhood and homemaking by showing the beauty of the work of our hands and hearts rather than the toil, struggle, or even humor.

@ Katey, I was serious.  I wish I’d had the chance to ask my friend who passed away, as I respect her immensely.  I understand what must have been her frustration with some of the liturgical abuses in the past.  What does mystify me is what appears to be an “us against them” attitude which I see cropping up.  No need for ruffled feathers.

As a Catholic mom blogger who has been around the mom blogging community, its simple.
Be pro-life, be exiled.
But, Jesus promised us as much!

I don’t know much about mom blogs but I’ve run across two mom blogs where the Mom is a graduate chemical engineer who is home schooling.

And there are some other mom blogs around me where the home schooling moms have fabulous websites.

I forgot to mention that two other moms who blog are writing books.  One is a professor of theology and is in the process of adopting her fifth child from Europe.

Hmm, you just haven’t seen my blog, that explains it :)
steasetonblog.blogspot.com

I have to agree with Leticia. Could it simply be that they don’t want to support bloggers who uphold the Church’s teaching on marriage, family, and life?

@Ray Marshall
Could you link to those two blogs? I have a related engineering degree, and am also a homeschooling mom. I blog, too, although I don’t know that my blog is the “fabulous” category yet.
http://annafirtree.blogspot.com

Hi Jennifer. I have to agree with many of your own theories and many of those posted here in the comments, but I fear that one clue may be contained in your own words:

“Many women feel lost and confused when they first have children, and often don’t have an extensive network of fellow moms in their local area.”

But the truth is that many women feel lost and confused in the world BEFORE they have children! and it is only when they have children that this all comes to the surface. This applies to all Catholic blogs and media, not just Catholic mom (UK ‘mum’!) blogs. We can’t just start talking about a problem or issue when it becomes a problem or issue for ourselves. Surely we have to look to society around us and see what the needs of all the people are.

Three examples to illustrate my point: (1) Where are the high-profile blogs by single Catholic women in the 18-35 age group? - or for that matter men too? If we want to talk to Catholic moms, it might be a good idea to reach out to young Catholic women and engage them by talking about the things they care about before they become moms! (2) Here in the UK the riots this summer were big news when they occured, but try finding a UK Catholic blog that analyses their causes: I get the feeling that as Catholics we’re just not so willing (and/or able) to engage with society around us, and (3) following on from the last point, I am a film lover, but there is a dearth of Catholic blogs on the movies - this great art form that speaks to 100s of millions in our societies. Could it be that we’ve lost the ability by and large to relate to society through living too much in our own ‘Catholic bubble’?... a point perhaps related to your second theory.

Those are my thoughts anyway. NCR is doing a great job, but let’s pray for a little healthy competition too - perhaps that is the missing ingredient in the Catholic media sphere? God bless you.

Jennifer-  Your thoughts are all very interesting and valid but I know I blog for different reasons than I would assume most of those in the top 100 do.  I blog to share my stories of God at work in my life.  I want to share my faith and my experiences as a Catholic home schooling mother and I pray my blog is ultimately about God- not me or my family (though certainly that is the medium I use to glorify Him). 

I have very few followers, though I have been blogging for over 3 years now.  I do not fill my posts with pictures because I do not want to exploit my children or put them in any danger by displaying their faces on the internet for all to see. I do not have a fancy site that is flashy or beautiful because most of my time needs to be devoted to raising and educating my children and my blog is delegated to free time, when I can get it.

I guess my point is—Catholic blogs just might have a different focus and purpose than secular or even Protestant blogs.  Maybe there are others who blog not for glory or pride, but to share their simple quiet, life and to preserve the memories of their precious children’s growing up years.  I have asked God, since I started my blog, to send to it those He would like to touch with the message I allow Him to share through me, if that makes sense.  Most of my readers stop by only once and read a post or two.  That is okay, because maybe that was all they needed to see. 

Anyway, whether we as Catholic moms get recognition in the secular media or not, I think we are doing great things in the blogging world and making connections and support systems within our own little blogging communities.  Maybe that is enough- Oh, and we are trying to raise our children to know God, to love Him, and to serve Him.  That has to count for something more than even 500 hits a day!

Mark Banks, I agree there aren’t enough good Catholic blogs about the movies; but there are a few out there.
Check out Steven Greydanus at Decent Films: http://decentfilms.com/
Julie Davis at Happy Catholic: http://happycatholic.blogspot.com/p/movie-reviews.html
Sister Helena Burns at Hell Burns: http://hellburns.blogspot.com/
The B-Movie Catechism: http://b-moviecat.blogspot.com/

and Good News Film Reviews which has reviews by Catholics and other Christians: http://www.goodnewsfilmreviews.com

I feel that many of the slick, glossy magazine-style mommy blogs you mention fall into the category of “lifestyle porn” and I’m glad that (so far) this trend has not caught on with Catholic mommy bloggers. If you look up the definition of lifestyle porn you will see: “An object or situation that is displayed gratuitously and intended to incite desire.” I would say they incite envy and are therefore an occasion of sin. We are already inundated with messages that tell us that we need to spend more time and money on appearances. Why would we want to get that from Catholic blogs?

I honestly don’t care about the photos or visual appeal of a blog.  In fact, I subscribe to most of the blogs I read, so I read the content either in a reader or in my email inbox without even looking at the visual embellishments on the blog.  It’s the content that’s important to me.  I like blogs that give good parenting advice related to Christian teaching, and many of the Catholic blogs I subscribe to do this very successfully.

Agree with Bonnie on this one…

Honestly I found these blogs boring.

There are Catholic blogs, that are written by Catholics who happen to be mothers. That’s why they are not classified as mom blogs, because the audience is for everyone. It’s not a niche market.

If anything it turned me off from the idea of being a mom, I don’t relate to their problems at all and I have four children.

I checked out about 30 of the blogs on the list.  What struck me was that most of them did not seem like “mom out of the box” type of blogs but professional in template and format.  Some of them Babble noted for wonderful photography and writing but I was sort of… “eh?” about it. And except for a handful, I hadn’t heard of most of them.

As a convert who has always loved reading blogs, I definitely used to feel out of the loop of the Catholic mom blogs.  I was a little turned off by all the visuals on the sidebars of Mary and the saints.  It gave me a sense of not quite belonging.  When I started my blog I remembered that and designed my blog to hopefully make all readers feel welcome.  Now I like to read very overtly Catholic blogs as well but still think they may not appeal as widely.  I also agree with the photography aspect.  Good photos draw me in and somehow lend the blogger greater credibility for me.

Oh I think this is so true about not making th mainstream blogs but I think their are so many lovely Catholic blogs out there. Many are US blogs and mostly too I think these awards are a bit exclusive of non US blogs as well. We have many wonderful Catholic blogs in Australia too that are not so well known.
However I tend to like the pretty and visual ones as well, which was what I kept in mind when starting my own a couple of years ago.
http://cherishedheartsathome.blogspot.com/
I still am attracted to the eye candy but like to read substantial posts and family life as well
God Bless

I think, in general, Catholic women are “too nice” to be popular. The secular readers and culture like edgy, by and large. There are a few exceptions among Catholic bloggers, but I read a lot Catholic mommy blogs and they are just really nice women. We look to the Blessed Mother as our role model. No edgy there. I also think Catholic women are generally confident enough in themselves to not write for a vast audience. Maybe I should say “true to themselves.” I really don’t care if I have a lot of readers. I just want to ones who do come to feel at home.

The thing about the Mormon blogs and even the Pioneer Woman blog is this: they are essentially trying to sell a ‘lifestyle.’  Especially the Pioneer Woman, but I won’t go into my rant about that.  So the “popular” blogs are just like a magazine, holding up glossy pictures and promising, “You, too, can be like (me) THIS!”  Only, they’re selling a sanitized view of life. And that’s great if you want to feel demoralized because no matter how shiny that Ikea sink is, you know that in your imperfect life, that sink won’t stay shiny very long, and between the kids and whatnot, you won’t have as much time to shine it as you’d like.

So those blogs don’t seem to address that we live in a fallen world.  Where we all don’t have the money for those shiny sinks, or the coordinated sets of measuring spoons and measuring cups.  I prefer my blogs real.  And for the most part, the Catholic mom blogs (Simcha, Jen Fulweiler, Dwija at HouseUnseen, and Melanie at The Wine Dark Sea) are real.  They have had the fur worn off, their whiskers aren’t perfect, and when I read them I feel like they’re in the trenches with me, not standing above me trying to cheer me on while showing off the newest fashion in KitchenAid mixers.

Most women, sadly, like the shiny, pretty blogs.  I’ll take mine real and friendly, with the edges worn off a bit.  I’m not saying bloggers have to air all their dirty laundry—some bloggers, like Dooce, go a bit too far if you ask me—just be real.

I think the commenter “my guess” hit the nail on the head as to one of the big reasons a lot of Catholic blogs wouldn’t appeal to non-Catholics.  There is definitely a lot of talk, both explicit and implicit, about what makes Catholicism superior to Protestantism and secularism.  Right or wrong, it’s going to limit the appeal of such a blog.  I’m put off when I read a blog that suggests that Catholicism is inferior to secularism, so I would imagine that would work in reverse too.

Jennifer,

I am Patty Perkowski, one of the monitors of the blog: Association of Catholic Women Blogger , as well as a Catholic spiritual director who journeys with moms, my site Spiritual Lives Of Women, was created as an off shoot of my own ministry, helping moms explore, understand and respond to their vocation of motherhood.  I loved the focus of your article and was touched by the last point of how important good Catholic Mothers Blogger sites are for young moms, and frankly any mom seeking support!

What I find so interesting both off line and on, is how much support there is for women and how difficult it is to be found.  Spiritual direction is a great example, it is a wonderful ministry that does not have an easily defined niche so it becomes a matter of educating each person I meet on what it is and how it it can support women/moms spiritually and emotionally.  Especially in this time when we, as a nation, seem to be seeking, exploring and rediscovering our faith lives, sites that provide support for that search are greatly needed, its just how do you become found when you are just a single pebble on a beach of pebbles?  But that challenge is also exciting!  By educating others about all the Catholic faith has to offer, all the wonderful ministries there are for spiritual-emotional support we become the hands and heart of Christ.  You article provides some much needed advice and food for thought as I try and respond to God’s call to me as a spiritual director and mom.  I have already created a shortcut to your article on my desktop so I can refer to it on a daily basis.

EPS: I have been a twitter follower of yours for sometime :)

I am Patty Perkowski, one of the monitors of the blog: Association of Catholic Women Bloggers, http://associationofcatholicwomenbloggers.blogspot.com, as well as a Catholic spiritual director who journeys with moms, my site: http://www.spiritual-lives-of-women.com,Spiritual Lives Of Women, was created as an off shoot of my own ministry, helping moms explore, understand and respond to their vocation of motherhood.  I loved the focus of your article and was touched by the last point of how important good Catholic Mothers Blogger sites are for young moms, and frankly any mom seeking support!  What I find so interesting both off line and on, is how much support there is for women and how difficult it is to be found.  Spiritual direction is a great example, it is a wonderful ministry that does not have an easily defined niche so it becomes a matter of educating each person I meet on what it is and how it it can support women/moms spiritually and emotionally.  Especially in this time when we, as a nation, seem to be seeking, exploring and rediscovering our faith lives, sites that provide support for that search are greatly needed, its just how do you become found when you are just a single pebble on a beach of pebbles?  But that challenge is also exciting!  By educating others about all the Catholic faith has to offer, all the wonderful ministries there are for spiritual-emotional support we become the hands and heart of Christ.  You article provides some much needed advice and food for thought as I try and respond to God’s call to me as a spiritual director and mom.  I have already created a shortcut to your article on my desktop so I can refer to it on a daily basis.

I have the opposite problem. I am not a Catholic but have not found any Protestant blogs as well written as Jen or Simcha’s, so I read the Catholic blogs for good, real writing about faith and motherhood.

Here’s mine, but it falls into the category of “special needs parent” than anything else.

Sorry, forgot the link.
http://sarahboylewebber.blogspot.com/

I’m a Catholic mom…and I blog! My blog is about my journey with my 16 year old son. We took him out of his Catholic high school in September and sent him to military school.
    Teenagers are up against a monster…Today’s Society. Specifically, I’m talking about drugs, alcohol, attitudes of some peers, and decisions made by other parents.
    Prayer, talks with my priest, support from his Catholic grade school teachers, strangers, the moms whose children went all through grade school with him, and strength from my wonderful faith-filled family are all working together to create the best “village” a mom could pray for to help her child grow up to be a good Catholic man.
majormomma.blogspot.com

Feel free to share with anyone you think could benefit.
Sincerely,
Jennifer

I suppose the Catholic worldview and Catholic distinctives appeal mostly to Catholics.

I’m a Catholic mother who both blogs (at http:quantumtheology.blogspot.com) and writes regularly on prayer and spirituality for both Philadelphia’s diocesan paper and its new diocesan magazine. 

I suspect it’s just as much that there are a lot of blogs out there and no easy way to find them, than that well written blogs by Catholic mothers don’t exist.

I enjoyed reading this article as well as all of the insightful comments from readers. I am a Catholic mom, working outside the home… I love the Tridentine mass, but we usually attend the Norvus Ordo. They really are like two different worlds. You can visit my blog at: http://catholicmomscorner.blogspot.com/

Fascinating discussion. I only wish I’d stumbled across it earlier!
I’ll throw out one more possible piece of the puzzle: humor. I blog at http://motheringspirit.wordpress.com/ and I consistently find that some of my most popular posts are ones that are intentionally humorous (albeit with a very dry sense of humor). It’s intriguing to me, and I wonder if the ability to laugh at ourselves is something that not enough Catholic “mommy bloggers” put forth in their blogging. Sometimes the desire to present a faithful family life can become so serious that it drains the color out of the laughter of daily living. This is not to say that our writing should become fluff or that matters of faith are joking matters, but I do find it interesting that sometimes I spend hours crafting (what I think/hope is) a well-written, thought-provoking, deeply spiritual post, and it will get the usual “nice” response. And then the next day I’m feeling punchy and crank out something sarcastic, and readers love it.
My desire in writing is still the deeply spiritual and theological, so I’m not always sure how to bridge the two. But then again, C.S. Lewis and Chesteron had sparking senses of humor, and their writing continues to attract, enlighten, and inspire - from far-flung corners of the globe. Something to consider…

Very thought provoking post (and timely as well).  I was especially encouraged by Camille’s comments and the others who mentioned looking for good writing and stunning photography.  I think the beauty cultivates the soil so the well written words can be planted. 

On that note, I have blogged for a couple of years at my own personal blog but recently felt led to start a communal blog/website for Catholic women, think {in}courage for the Catholic woman.  The need is there; it is obvious by the comments to this post and the lack of acknowledgement on the Top 100 Blogger list.

Our site is brand new, 6 days old.  I am in the process of changing it over to a more beautiful/functional/professional design this week.  It is called Suscipio which is Latin for: to raise up, support, maintain.  There will be a book club and Scripture study all in light of our vocations as Catholic women (married, single, children, homeschooling, working, etc).  And as always faithful to the teachings of the Church, while spreading the Good News, not the “exclusive” news.

www.suscipio4women.com

I think that while your #2 reason is correct, you can take it even further and recognize that many people are just not comfortable with Catholicism. Like Melanie said, if we as Catholics are going to talk about our Faith at all it isn’t going to be mentioning our morning quiet time or attending our church services. Even familiar words like Mass and rosary or having that picture of the Blessed Mother are very off-putting to many non-catholics, and so our blogs simply do not have that universal appeal that Protestants and even some Mormons do. They can incorporate faith in their posts, but in a very nonspecific ‘mere’ Christianity sort of way. It’s also so obvious right away with us - one use of the word Mass and you’re clearly identified. Catholic bloggers take their Faith seriously and are not of the Christmas/Easter or ‘cafeteria’ sort, and you have to admit most of the world does not find faithful Catholicism appealing.

I read a lot of blogs that are written by Mormans and many of them have a particular niche- sewing, crafting, or such.  It is only by accident that I discover they are mormom. My guess is a lot of Catholic moms are doing the same thing. 

On the other hand blogs that advertise as Catholic I think are more likely to have an expressed piety as displayed in sidebars, music, or frequency of posts that are explicitly regarding faith. 

I am Catholic. I am a mother. I am many identities. I think they all flow out of my blog but you could search up and down google search results for catholic mom blog and wouldn’t probably find me…because my life is full of many many things as is my (an I am guessing many other people’s).

Finally, I think that there are many many Catholics who simply lack language to discuss faith.  It seems that one of the struggles of Vatican II is that it left many Catholics without a language to articulate their faith without piety or without sounding like second graders in a catechism class.. Thus, if piety is not their brand of faith they don’t know how to articulate their thoughts about God, Church, Hierarchy, etc without sounding childish.  So many well educated and articulate women don’t write or express their faith through blogs because they simple lack language to do so.

Hey! I am a Catholic blogger mom! Although I’ve only this year seriously gotten into blogging, I have tons of posts! Maybe I need to draw on my own “mothering” experience more in my blog, my kids are in their twenties now, but I feel I have a lot to give to young Catholics and moms as well. So, tell me how I get my blogs out there! I use a free blogging service and can’t afford to spend much money on advertising…
I would love to reach out to more and more people!
see my blogs at www.youngfunandcatholic.blogspot.com
Thanks!

There wasn’t a single Orthodox Christian blogger on that list either for probably many of the same reasons.  A wonderful Orthodox Christian blog I follow is Close To Home - http://mollysabourin.typepad.com/ - Molly is a wonderful photographer and has a great blog.  Just another thought added to the pile.

I have a blog (jesusandlupus.com) and it gets about 30 hits a day.  I’m sure it’s only read by close friends and family.  I don’t pursue more of an audience because of a few reasons. 

1.)  I want to be like Mary. 

She was meek and quietly devoted.  Her vocation didn’t involve writing a best-seller or advertising the best mascara.  She knew what was important and I feel like (even though I wear mascara and read best-sellers) my most important mission is my vocation and right now that doesn’t include what it takes to have a “successful” blog.

2.) I strive for humility.

I believe that the most important lesson that could ever be taught has already been revealed.  Jesus spent his time loving and serving those around him.  What could I possibly blog about that would be more important than the single gesture of pointing to the cross?

3. As a child of God, I don’t believe that the beauty of what I do each day can easily be put into words.

Think about trying to express a conversion experience to someone.  Words just can’t express what it’s like to have Jesus, Mary and the Saints actively come into your presence and lead you towards holiness.  It’s hard to explain the sensations that overcome a tired Mom who is moved by grace towards selflessness so that she can take care of a sick baby in the middle of the night.

I want to be a saint and I just don’t feel like spending a lot of time on a blog is whats going to lead me down the narrow path of perfection.  I’m not saying that maybe that isn’t a path that God has planned for someone else, but I don’t see how it can work into my day as a Mom of 3 young children.  I chose to have them because I want to empty myself into their needs, not the needs of thousands of readers I don’t know very well so that I can gain the support of a few sponsors and supplement my family’s income.

I’m Catholic and I blog too !

However, I don’t read a lot of Catholic bloggers.  My guess’s comment above summed up the reasons nicely.  I want to share my experiences of being a Catholic mother, wife, part-time outside the home worker, friend, sister, daughter, etc.  Notice I said “share.”  Many of the Catholic mom bloggers I’ve found have grown kids and are really more interested in giving advice rather than sharing struggles, challenges, and triumphs.

I have a non traditional catholic blog full of humor and struggle. And fashion!

Check it out

randomblogdrama.com

also I believe that the mormons are masters of networking, they have specific websites dedicated to this. They do a terrific job of promoting and supporting each other. I wish we catholics had a similar concept

I started out blogging because I wanted to help show younger girls that it is possible to dress fashionably but yet still modestly. My blog has since evolved into more of a lifestyle blog, with a few occasional fashion posts. I am not officially a mommy yet, but today I just reached the full term mark with my pregnancy, despite a million medical reasons why this should not be possible. I wrote a long blog post about our journey to becoming parents, and how it would not have been possible without our faith. I would love to hear any feedback any of you may have on my post or my blog! :) http://aliciainwonderlandblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/my-pregnancy-journey/