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. Valentine: Saint of the Day for Saturday, February 14, 2026
Click Here for St. Valentine Prayer's Discover More About St. Valentine Saint Valentine, officially known as Saint Valentine of Rome, is a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and commonly associated with "courtly love." Although not much of St....
St. Catherine de Ricci: Saint of the Day for Friday, February 13, 2026
St. Catherine was born in Florence in 1522. Her baptismal name was Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine upon entering religion. From her earliest infancy she manifested a great love of prayer, and in her sixth year, her father placed her in the convent of...
St. Buonfiglio Monaldo: Saint of the Day for Thursday, February 12, 2026
He was one of seven Florentines who had joined the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin (the Laudesi) in a particularly lax period in the city's history and who were inspired by a vision on the feast of the Assumption to take up a life of solitude and prayer. After...
St. Paschal: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Paschal was the son of Bonosus, a Roman. He studied at the Lateran, was named head of St. Stephen's monastery, which housed pilgrims to Rome, and was elected Pope to succeed Pope Stephen IV (V) on the day Stephen died, January 25, 817. Emperor Louis the Pious agreed...
St. Scholastica: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, February 10, 2026
St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, consecrated her life to God from her earliest youth. After her brother went to Monte Cassino, where he established his famous monastery, she took up her abode in the neighborhood at Plombariola, where she founded and governed a...
St. Apollonia: Saint of the Day for Monday, February 09, 2026
St. Apollonia, who died in the year 249, was martyred for not renouncing her faith during the reign of Emperor Philip. The account of the life of St. Apollonia was written by St. Dionysius to Fabian, Bishop of Antioch. Apollonia had all her teeth knocked out after...
St. Jerome Emiliani: Saint of the Day for Sunday, February 08, 2026
Jerome Emiliani lay chained in the dark dirty dungeon. Only a short time before he had been a military commander for Venice in charge of a fortress. He didn't care much about God because he didn't need him -- he had his own strength and the strength of his soldiers...
St. Moses: Saint of the Day for Saturday, February 07, 2026
Arab hermit and bishop who is called �the Apostle of the Saracens.� He lived in the desert regions of Syria and Egypt, caring for the local nomadic tribes. When the Romans imposed peace upon the Saracens, Queen Mavia, the Saracen ruler, demanded that Moses...
St. Paul Miki: Saint of the Day for Friday, February 06, 2026
Paul was the son of a Japanese military leader. He was born at Tounucumada, Japan, was educated at the Jesuit college of Anziquiama, joined the Jesuits in 1580, and became known for his eloquent preaching. He was crucified on Februay 5 with twenty-five other Catholics...
St. Agatha: Saint of the Day for Thursday, February 05, 2026
St. Agatha, also known as Agatha of Sicily, is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of the Catholic Church. It is believed that she was born around 231 in either Catania or Palermo, Sicily to a rich and noble family. From her very early years, the notably...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Saturday, February 14, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34 26 Jeroboam thought to himself, 'As things are, the kingdom will revert to the House of David.27 If this people continues to go up to the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, the people's heart will turn back...
Daily Readings for Friday, February 13, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 11:29-32; 12:19 29 One day when Jeroboam had gone out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh accosted him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak; the two of them were in the open country by themselves.30 Ahijah took the new cloak which he was...
Daily Readings for Thursday, February 12, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 11:4-13 4 The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and reported this to the people, and all the people wept aloud.5 Now Saul was just then coming in from the fields behind his oxen, and he said, 'What is wrong? Why are the people weeping?' They...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 10:1-10 1 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame and came to test him with difficult questions.2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels laden with spices and an immense quantity of gold and precious stones. Having reached...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 22 Then, in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood facing the altar of Yahweh and, stretching out his hands towards heaven,23 said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth...
Daily Readings for Monday, February 09, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 1 Solomon then summoned the elders of Israel to Jerusalem to bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh up from the City of David, that is, Zion.2 All the men of Israel assembled round King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, at the time of the...
Daily Readings for Sunday, February 08, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 58:7-10 7 Is it not sharing your food with the hungry, and sheltering the homeless poor; if you see someone lacking clothes, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own kin?8 Then your light will blaze out like the dawn and your wound be...
Daily Readings for Saturday, February 07, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 3:4-13 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, since that was the principal high place -- Solomon presented a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.5 At Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream during the night. God said, 'Ask what you...
Daily Readings for Friday, February 06, 2026
Reading 1, Sirach 47:2-11 2 As the fat is set apart from the communion sacrifice, so was David chosen out of the Israelites.3 He played with lions as though with kids, and with bears as though with lambs.4 While still a boy, did he not slay the giant and take away the...
Daily Readings for Thursday, February 05, 2026
Reading 1, Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 1 As David's life drew to its close he laid this charge on his son Solomon,2 'I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man.3 Observe the injunctions of Yahweh your God, following his ways and keeping his laws,...