Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Reverend Joseph Chancler, TOR –1951-2026
Reverend Joseph Chancler, TOR, a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was called home to the Lord on August 7, 2026, at the age of 74.The son of Joseph A Chancler and Ella Mae (O’Brien) Chancler. Fr....
Why Does It Seem Like God is So Hard to Find in the Modern World?
By Father Rich Tomkosky In the readings this past weekend, we saw a fascinating encounter of the prophet Elijah with the living God. We also saw Peter venturing out to walk on the water, moving towards Jesus, only to falter in the end because of his weak faith. These...
2026 Gallitzin Cross Awards
Bishop Mark Bartchak has announced the 2026 recipients of the Prince Gallitzin Cross Award, a prestigious recognition for individuals who mirror the “evangelizing spirit” of the Prince-Priest and Servant of God Demetrius Gallitzin. After many nominations were...
Not Allowing Anything or Anyone to Separate Us from God’s Love
By Father Rich Tomkosky Saint Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ unless we let something or someone to cause this to happen. What will separate us from the love of Christ will anguish, distress, or persecution, or famine, or...
Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Liturgies
Couples celebrating 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60+ years of marriage in 2026, along with their families, are invited to attend the annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Liturgy with Bishop Mark. A Mass will be held at the Cathedral of the Blessed...
Fishers of Men Vocations Appeal
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is pleased to announce that a group of young men will be attending seminary this fall. Thanks be to God, we now have four seminarians, as well as dozens of teens and young men who are seriously considering the priesthood. Liam Clyma of...
Diocesan Family Conference
Lunch is included with the registration fee Bishop Carroll Catholic High School is a handicap accessible facility REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 11 Registration can be completed online or by mail: ONLINE REGISTRATION Please note the codes of the breakout...
Combating the Tendency to Give Into Human Respect and Wanting to Be Liked by All
By Father Rich Tomkosky Part of the struggle of our fallen human nature is the weakness in all of us — to a greater or lesser degree, based upon our temperament, family background, and other variables — to want to be liked and thought well of by other people, even to...
Preparation for Spiritual Sacrifice by Sharing in Different Ways in the Priesthood of Jesus
By Father Rich Tomkosky The Book of Exodus reminds us that God has rescued us by the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. And God always promises us that He will be faithful and help us stay on the narrow path to salvation, but in the end, we have to...
The Mystery of Faith
By Father Rich Tomkosky At every Mass the priest says after the consecration, The Mystery of Faith, and then we proclaim our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Let’s be honest, it truly takes a lot of faith to believe in the doctrine on...
Saint of the Day
St. Stephen the Great: Saint of the Day for Sunday, August 16, 2026
St. Stephen the Great (977-1038), was the son of the Magyar chieftain Geza, Stephen succeeded him as leader in 997. Already raised a Christian, in 996 he wed the daughter of Duke Henry II of Bavaria and devoted much of his reign to the promotion of the Christian...
St. Alipius: Saint of the Day for Saturday, August 15, 2026
Bishop and companion of St. Augustine. He was born in Tagaste, North Africa, and was raised as a friend of St. Augustine. He went to Rome to study law and became a magistrate there. When Augustine arrived in Rome, Alipius resigned his post and accompanied him to...
St. Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of the Day for Friday, August 14, 2026
St. Maximilian Kolbe was born as Raymund Kolbe on January 8, 1894, in the Kingdom of Poland, part of the Russian Empire. He was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar and a martyr in the German death Camp of Auschwitz during World War II. St. Maximilian Kolbe was very...
St. Hippolytus: Saint of the Day for Thursday, August 13, 2026
Martyr of Rome, with Concordia and other companions, he is a controversial figure who censured Pope St. Callistus I. Hippolytus was slain in Sardinia where he had been exiled for being elected as an antipope, the first in the history of the Church. He was reconciled...
St. Michael My: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Martyr of Vietnam. He was the mayor of a town in Vietnam when the persecution of Christians started. Michael was martyred with Blessed Anthony Dich, his son-in-law, and with St. James Nam. He was canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II. Excellent content provided by...
St. Clare of Assisi: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, August 11, 2026
St. Clare of Assisi was born in Assisi on July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio, the beautiful eldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso and his wife Ortolana. Tradition says her father was a wealthy representative of an ancient Roman family and her...
St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr: Saint of the Day for Monday, August 10, 2026
The year was 258 A.D. It was a difficult beginning for what would become the First Christian Millennium. Hostility against the early followers of Jesus Christ was growing. The barbarism and severity of pagan Rome had begun to reach a fever pitch. It would soon lead to...
St. Edith Stein: Saint of the Day for Sunday, August 09, 2026
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)Virgin and Martyr Edith Stein, born in 1891 in Breslau, Poland, was the youngest child of a large Jewish family. She was an outstanding student and was well versed in philosophy with a particular interest in...
St. Dominic: Saint of the Day for Saturday, August 08, 2026
Saint Dominic was born in Caleruega, Spain in 1170. His parents were members of the Spanish nobility and related to the ruling family. His father was Felix Guzman, and was the royal warden of the village. His mother, Bl. Joan of Aza, was a holy woman in her own right....
St. Cajetan: Saint of the Day for Friday, August 07, 2026
In 1523, the Church was in sad shape. People could not get the spiritual nourishment they needed from the large numbers of uneducated and even immoral priests who took their money but returned nothing. When good priests and laypeople turned to the hierarchy for help,...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Sunday, August 16, 2026
Daily Reading for Sunday August 16, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 56:1, 6-7Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8Gospel, Matthew 15:21-28Reading 2, Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 1 Thus...
Daily Readings for Saturday, August 15, 2026
Reading 1, Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 19 Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened, and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake and violent hail.1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a...
Daily Readings for Friday, August 14, 2026
Reading 1, Ezekiel 16:59-63 59 "For the Lord Yahweh says this: I shall treat you as you have deserved for making light of an oath and breaking a covenant,60 but I shall remember my covenant with you when you were a girl and shall conclude a covenant with you that will...
Daily Readings for Thursday, August 13, 2026
Reading 1, Ezekiel 12:1-12 1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,2 'Son of man, you are living among a tribe of rebels who have eyes and never see, they have ears and never hear, because they are a tribe of rebels.3 So, son of man, pack an exile's bundle...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Reading 1, Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22 1 Then he shouted loudly for me to hear, 'The scourges of the city are approaching, each carrying his weapon of destruction!'2 Immediately six men advanced from the upper north gate, each holding a deadly weapon. Among them was a man...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Daily Reading for Tuesday August 11, 2026 Reading 1, Ezekiel 2:8-3:4Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131Gospel, Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 8 But you, son of...
Daily Readings for Monday, August 10, 2026
Reading 1, Second Corinthians 9:6-10 6 But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well -- and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well.7 Each one should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under...
Daily Readings for Sunday, August 09, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 19:9, 11-13 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night there. Then the word of Yahweh came to him saying, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'11 Then he was told, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.' For at that moment Yahweh was...
Daily Readings for Saturday, August 08, 2026
Reading 1, Habakkuk 1:12-2:4 12 Surely you, Yahweh, are from ancient times, my holy God, who never dies! Yahweh, you have appointed him to execute judgement; O Rock, you have set him firm to punish.13 Your eyes are too pure to rest on evil, you cannot look on at...
Daily Readings for Friday, August 07, 2026
Reading 1, Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 1 To Judah See on the mountains the feet of the herald! 'Peace!' he proclaims. Judah, celebrate your feasts, carry out your vows, for Belial will never pass through you again; he has been utterly destroyed.3 (For Yahweh has restored...