Which were NCR's most-read online stories in October?

Here's a rundown of the most-read stories on NCRonline.org for the month of October. The list is compiled with the help of Google Analytics. Miss any of these stories? Now's the time to get caught up.

5. "Germany; Lefebvrists; papal cold calls; Legionaries; and Lampedusa" by John L. Allen Jr., posted Oct. 18. In his "All Things Catholic" column for the week, Allen reviewed the goings-on in Germany and what they could mean for the church at large as well as a couple of other news events that happened in the week.

4. "Council of Cardinals; pope interviews; Assisi; Francis the mystic; and war on Christians" by John L. Allen Jr., posted Oct. 4. Allen, in his column, discussed the many things that happened in Rome in a seven-day period, including the first meeting of Pope Francis' Council of Cardinals, another blockbuster interview from Francis, and Francis' visit to Assisi.

3. "Francis' 'older son' problem; red herrings; and pingpong on financial reform" by John L. Allen Jr., posted Oct. 11. Another "All Things Catholic" column. Allen looked at how Francis has to be careful not to alienate those who have remained loyal to the church before Pope Francis' election.

2. "Surprise resignation stuns California seminary students, faculty" by Dan Morris-Young, posted Oct. 8. Sulpician Fr. James McKearney was forced to resign as rector and president of St. Patrick Seminary and University for reasons that were unclear.

1. "Muslim leader says pope is model of what religious leader should be" by Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service, posted Oct. 8. Mohamad Bashar Arafat, the president of the Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland, said he sees Pope Francis acting as all religious leaders should: reaching out with respect for the human person and open to dialogue. Thanks to reddit, this story shot to the top of the October chart.