Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Diocesan Family Conference 2026
About the Keynote Speaker and Breakout SessionsRenowned Catholic speaker and musician Steve Angrisano will serve as the keynote speaker for the Diocesan Family Conference. Angrisano will share his music and thoughts and reflections on what it means to be the “Body of...
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...
Saint of the Day
St. John Francis Regis: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, June 16, 2026
St. John Francis Regis Confessor of the Society of Jesus June 16 True virtue, or Christian perfection, consists not in great or shining actions, but resides in the heart, and appears to great edification, though in the usual train of common and religious duties...
St. Germaine Cousin: Saint of the Day for Monday, June 15, 2026
When Hortense decided to marry Laurent Cousin in Pibrac, France, it was not out of love for his infant daughter. Germaine was everything Hortense despised. Weak and ill, the girl had also been born with a right hand that was deformed and paralyzed. Hortense replaced...
St. Methodius I: Saint of the Day for Sunday, June 14, 2026
Patriarch of Constantinople, modem Istanbul. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, and builta monastery on the island of Chios. After some time in Constantinople, he was sent to Rome in 815 as the representative of Patriarch Nicephorus, who was exiled by Emperor Leo V the...
St. Anthony of Padua: Saint of the Day for Saturday, June 13, 2026
Discover More About St. Anthony of Padua with Journey with the Saints Saint Anthony was born Fernando Martins in Lisbon, Portugal. He was born into a wealthy family and by the age of fifteen asked to be sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, the then capital of...
St. John of Sahagun: Saint of the Day for Friday, June 12, 2026
John Gonzales de Castrillo was born at Sahagun, Leon Spain. He was educated by the Benedictine monks of Fagondez monastery there and when twenty, received a canonry from the bishop of Burgos, though he already had several benefices. He was ordained in 1445; concerned...
St. Barnabas: Saint of the Day for Thursday, June 11, 2026
All we know of Barnabas is to be found in the New Testament. A Jew, born in Cyprus and named Joseph, he sold his property, gave the proceeds to the Apostles, who gave him the name Barnabas, and lived in common with the earliest converts to Christianity in Jerusalem....
St. Getulius: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Martyr with Amantius, Caerealis, and Primitivus. He was the husband of St. Symphorosa. An officer in the Roman army, he resigned when he became a Christian and returned to his estates near Tivoli, Italy. There he converted Caerealis, an imperial legate sent to arrest...
St. Ephrem: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, June 09, 2026
"I was born in the way of truth: though my childhood was unaware of the greatness of the benefit, I knew it when trial came." Ephrem (or Eprhaim) the Syrian left us hundreds of hymns and poems on the faith that inflamed and inspired the whole Church, but few facts...
St. William of York: Saint of the Day for Monday, June 08, 2026
St. William of York, Bishop (Feast day is June 8th). William of York was the son of Count Herbert, treasurer to Henry I. His mother Emma, was the half-sister of King William. Young William became treasurer of the church of York at an early age and was elected...
St. Willibald: Saint of the Day for Sunday, June 07, 2026
Bishop and missionary. A native of Wessex, England, he was the brother of Sts. Winebald and Walburga and was related through his mother to the great St. Boniface. After studying in a monastery in Waitham, in Hampshire, he went on a pilgrimage to Rome (c. 722) with his...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 21:17-29 17 Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite,18 'Up! Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth's vineyard; he has gone down to take possession of it.19 You are to say this to him, "Yahweh...
Daily Readings for Monday, June 15, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 21:1-16 1 This is what happened next: Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria,2 and Ahab said to Naboth, 'Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it adjoins my palace; I will give you a better...
Daily Readings for Sunday, June 14, 2026
Reading 1, Exodus 19:2-6 2 Setting out from Rephidim, they reached the desert of Sinai and pitched camp in the desert; there, facing the mountain, Israel pitched camp.3 Moses then went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Say this to the...
Daily Readings for Saturday, June 13, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 19:19-21 19 Leaving there, he came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him.20 Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah....
Daily Readings for Friday, June 12, 2026
Reading 1, Deuteronomy 7:6-11 6 For you are a people consecrated to Yahweh your God; of all the peoples on earth, you have been chosen by Yahweh your God to be his own people.7 'Yahweh set his heart on you and chose you not because you were the most numerous of all...
Daily Readings for Thursday, June 11, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3 21 The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.22 The news of them came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas out to Antioch.23 There he was glad to see for himself that God...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 18:20-39 20 Ahab called all Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.21 Elijah stepped out in front of all the people. 'How long', he said, 'do you mean to hobble first on one leg then on the other? If Yahweh is God, follow...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, June 09, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 17:7-16 7 But after a while the stream dried up, for the country had had no rain.8 And then the word of Yahweh came to him,9 'Up and go to Zarephath in Sidonia, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to give you food.'10 So he went off to...
Daily Readings for Monday, June 08, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 17:1-7 1 Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'By the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain these coming years unless I give the word.'2 The word of Yahweh came to him,3 'Go away from...
Daily Readings for Sunday, June 07, 2026
Reading 1, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 2 Remember the long road by which Yahweh your God led you for forty years in the desert, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart -- whether you would keep his commandments or not.3 He humbled you, he made you feel...