Today is the One-Year Blogiversary of Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate

One year ago today, I launched Pro Ecclesia*Pro Familia*Pro Civitate.

I was inspired by the blogging of Amy Welborn (I think most of us Amateurs® were inspired by at least one Professional® at one time or another) and motivated by the judicial activism of the U.S. Supreme Court that has so contributed to the erosion of the institutions of faith and family in our Nation over the last 50+ years. Here was my first substantive post:

Roper v. Simmons: Judicial Activism and The Juvenile Death Penalty

It has been quite an eventful first year on the church and state front for Pro Ecclesia*Pro Familia*Pro Civitate. We have watched in horror as the government killed a disabled woman at the behest of her husband so that he could marry (in the Catholic Church, mind you) his paramour. We have seen 2 promising Supreme Court Justices confirmed, but not before the abortive attempt at placing a not-so-promising nominee on the Court. We mourned the death of a truly "Great" Pope John Paul II, and rejoiced at the election of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. I took short breaks from blogging to go on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in England in September and to move my family halfway across the country to start a new life in Ohio in December.

I have watched the readership of this blog grow from fewer than 10 hits per day to the still small but not insignificant over 100 hits per day. This blog has even managed to be linked to by some of the big boys and girls of the Catholic blogosphere a time or two. However, Pro Ecclesia*Pro Familia*Pro Civitate is still noticeably absent from some prominent blogrolls. And I'm keepin' tabs. ;)

Finally, Pro Ecclesia*Pro Familia*Pro Civitate - in its first year of existence - was honored to be among the finalists for "Best Political Blog" in The 2006 Catholic Blog Awards.

Which brings me to the real purpose of this post: to thank all of you who have contributed to this blog by commenting, offering suggestions, or even just lurking since this blog began 1 year ago. I am gratified by the friends that I have made during my 12 months in this little corner of cyberspace. Thank you.