Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Directives for the Distribution of Ashes
Faithful are invited to Ash Wednesday Masses at parishes throughout the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. Click HERE for a schedule of Masses at parishes. This year, because of the pandemic, and as previously announced, Bishop Mark has directed that ashes are to...
Ash Wednesday Mass Times
Faithful are invited to Ash Wednesday Masses at parishes throughout the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. This year, because of the pandemic, and as previously announced, Bishop Mark has directed that ashes are to be sprinkled on the heads of those who approach. This is a...
Reconciliation Opportunities
Bishop Mark has asked pastors to make various opportunities for Confession available at their parishes throughout Lent. The Bishop has instructed the clergy to not sponsor the usual Communal Penance Services because of the continuing pandemic.The Diocese of...
Take-Out Fish Lunches/Dinners
Bishop Mark is permitting parishes to sponsor fish lunches/dinners this Lent, but only in the format of take-out service. There is to be no indoor dining, according to his directives, and anyone who assists in food preparation and serving must be screened by...
Catholic Schools Week Message from Bishop Mark
Will Hegemann loves school and attending Mass every week with his classmates. Even at his young age, the first grader at Saint Michael School in Loretto realizes how lucky he is to be in a learning environment in which Jesus Christ is the center of everything. Will is...
Bishop’s Directives for the Blessing of Throats
January 2021The current pandemic is a sufficient pastoral reason to avoid the blessing of individuals in the usual manner of touching the throat of each person with crossed candles while saying the words of the blessing. Among the challenges is the sanitizing of the...
Bishop’s Directives for Distribution of Ashes
January 2021During this time of Pandemic, the Holy See has modified the method of distributing ashes as contained in the following Note from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued January 12, 2021: NOTE ON ASH...
2021 Plans for RCIA, Confirmation, First Holy Communion
By Tony DeGolProclaim!There is an old saying in entertainment that no matter what happens, the show must go on. Here in the Catholic Church, the sacramental life of our faith communities must go on as well, even in the midst of a pandemic. As the Diocese of...
Bishop’s Directives for Parish Lenten Fish Dinners
January 2021Ash Wednesday, February 17, marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent. It is also the starting date for annual Fish Dinners in parishes throughout the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. In many of those places it is a regular fundraiser to support parish...
Bishop’s Directives for Distribution of Palms
January 2021Ample instructions for the Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem are found in the Roman Missal for the celebration of Palm Sunday. Three Forms are provided for this observance. Given the circumstances of the COVID pandemic, and in order to...
Saint of the Day
St. Maria Giuseppe Rossello: Saint of the Day for Sunday, December 07, 2025
Foundress of the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy. She was born at Albisola Marina, Liguria, Italy, in 1811, and was baptized Benedetta. At sixteen she became a Franciscan tertiary, and in 1837, she and three companions, Pauline Barla, Angela, and Domenica Pessio, found...
St. Nicholas: Saint of the Day for Saturday, December 06, 2025
The great veneration with which St. Nicholas has been honored for many ages and the number of altars and churches all over the world that are dedicated in his memory are testimonials to his wonderful holiness and the glory he enjoys with God. As an episcopal see, and...
St. Sabas: Saint of the Day for Friday, December 05, 2025
Sabas was born at Mutalaska, Cappadocia, near Caesarea. He was the son of an army officer there who when assigned to Alexandria, left him in the care of an uncle. Mistreated by his uncle's wife, Sabas ran away to another uncle, though he was only eight. When the two...
St. John of Damascus: Saint of the Day for Thursday, December 04, 2025
Saint John Damascene has the double honor of being the last but one of the fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little that is authentic is known of his life. The account of him by John of Jerusalem, written some...
St. Francis Xavier: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, December 03, 2025
St. Francis Xavier was a Navarrese-Basque Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre on April 7, 1506. His father was a privy counselor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre. He was the youngest in his family and resided in a castle which...
St. Bibiana: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, December 02, 2025
St. Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr (Feast day - December 2nd) Other than the name, nothing is known for certain about this saint. However, we have the following account from a later tradition. In the year 363, Julian the Apostate made Apronianus Governor of Rome. St....
St. Eligius: Saint of the Day for Monday, December 01, 2025
Eligius (also known as Eloi) was born around 590 near Limoges in France. He became an extremely skillful metalsmith and was appointed master of the mint under King Clotaire II of Paris. Eligius developed a close friendship with the King and his reputation as an...
St. Andrew the Apostle: Saint of the Day for Sunday, November 30, 2025
St. Andrew, also known as Andrew the Apostle, was a Christian Apostle and the older brother to St. Peter. According to the New Testament, Andrew was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Much like his younger brother,...
St. Saturninus: Saint of the Day for Saturday, November 29, 2025
St. Saturninus Bishop of Toulouse and Martyr November 29 A.D. 257 St. Saturninus went from Rome by the direction of pope Fabian, about the year 245, to preach the faith in Gaul, where St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles, had some time before gathered a plentiful...
St. Catherine Laboure: Saint of the Day for Friday, November 28, 2025
St. Catherine Labour�© was born in France on May 2, 1806 as the ninth of 11 children to Pierre and Madeleine Labour�©. In 1815, Catherine's mother passed away, leaving her 9-year-old daughter with the responsibility of caring for the household. After her mother's...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Sunday, December 07, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 11:1-10 1 A shoot will spring from the stock of Jesse, a new shoot will grow from his roots.2 On him will rest the spirit of Yahweh, the spirit of wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh:3 his...
Daily Readings for Saturday, December 06, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 19 Yes, people of Zion living in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious to you when your cry for help rings out; as soon as he hears it, he will answer you.20 When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the...
Daily Readings for Friday, December 05, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 29:17-24 17 Is it not true that in a very short time the Lebanon will become productive ground, so productive you might take it for a forest?18 That day the deaf will hear the words of the book and, delivered from shadow and darkness, the eyes of the...
Daily Readings for Thursday, December 04, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 26:1-6 1 That day, this song will be sung in Judah: 'We have a fortress city, the walls and ramparts provide safety.2 Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, the nation that keeps faith!3 This is the plan decreed: you will guarantee peace,...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 25:6-10 6 On this mountain, for all peoples, Yahweh Sabaoth is preparing a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of succulent food, of well-strained wines.7 On this mountain, he has destroyed the veil which used to veil all peoples, the pall...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, December 02, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 11:1-10 1 A shoot will spring from the stock of Jesse, a new shoot will grow from his roots.2 On him will rest the spirit of Yahweh, the spirit of wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh:3 his...
Daily Readings for Monday, December 01, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 4:2-6 2 That day, Yahweh's seedling will turn to beauty and glory, what the earth brings forth will turn to the pride and ornament of Israel's survivors.3 Those who are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem will be called holy, all those in Jerusalem...
Daily Readings for Sunday, November 30, 2025
Reading 1, Isaiah 2:1-5 1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.2 It will happen in the final days that the mountain of Yahweh's house will rise higher than the mountains and tower above the heights. Then all the nations will stream to it,3...
Daily Readings for Saturday, November 29, 2025
Reading 1, Daniel 7:15-27 15 'I, Daniel, was deeply disturbed and the visions that passed through my head alarmed me.16 So I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him about all this. And in reply he revealed to me what these things meant.17 "These...
Daily Readings for Friday, November 28, 2025
Reading 1, Daniel 7:2-14 2 Daniel said, 'I have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea;3 four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the others.4 The first was like a lion with eagle's wings...