Current Events and News
From the Diocese
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...
Bishop Designates Local Sites for Plenary Indulgence in this Jubilee Year of Saint Francis
In January of this year, His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, established a special Jubilee Year in commemoration of the Eighth Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Leo desires that this special Jubilee will be a continuation of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025....
Summer Priestly Discernment Opportunities Announced
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Office of Vocations invites young men, 18 and older, considering the priesthood to several great discernment opportunities this summer. Loggia nights return this year. Three Masses will be celebrated, followed by informal gatherings on...
Save Catholic Education — A Message from Bishop Mark
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Some of the happiest memories of my life include my years of Catholic education. To this day, I am grateful for the opportunity I was afforded to learn in an environment in which I was nurtured not only academically, but also in my...
Saint of the Day
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,...
St. Hormisdas Pope: Saint of the Day for Thursday, August 06, 2026
Pope from 514-523, successor to St. Symmachus, and father of Pope St. Silverius Born in Frosinone, Campagna di Roma, Italy, he was an Italian, although he had a Persian name. Married and widowed prior to ordination, he succeeded St. Symmachus on July 21, 514. One of...
St. Addal: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, August 05, 2026
A disciple of Christ sent by St. Thomas to the court of King Abgar the Black, the second century Osroene ruler. Legendary accounts claim Abgar wrote to Christ asking Jesus to cure him of an intolerable and incurable illness. Abgar's court was in Edessa in Asia Minor...
St. John Vianney: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, August 04, 2026
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, known as John in English, was born May 8, 1786 in Dardilly, France and was baptized the same day. He was the fourth of six children born to Matthieu and Marie Vianney. John was raised in a Catholic home and the family often helped the poor...
St. Lydia Purpuraria: Saint of the Day for Monday, August 03, 2026
Lydia Purpuraria (1st century) was born at Thyatira (Ak-Hissar), a town in Asia Minor, famous for its dye works, (hence, her name which means purple seller). She became Paul's first convert at Philippi. She was baptized with her household, and Paul stayed at her home...
St. Eusebius of Vercelli: Saint of the Day for Sunday, August 02, 2026
Christians who breathed a sigh of relief when Constantine proclaimed Christianity the state religion, believing this would end the bloodshed and martyrdom. But it was all too short a time until they were facing persecution once more -- from others who claimed to be...
St. Alphonsus Marie Liguori: Saint of the Day for Saturday, August 01, 2026
Bishop, Doctor of the Church, and the founder of the Redemptorist Congregation. He was born Alphonsus Marie Antony John Cosmos Damien Michael Gaspard de Liguori on September 27,1696, at Marianella, near Naples, Italy. Raised in a pious home, Alphonsus went on retreats...
St. Ignatius Loyola: Saint of the Day for Friday, July 31, 2026
Born Inigo Lopez de Loyola in 1491, the man known as Ignatius of Loyola entered the world in Loiola, Spain. At the time, the name of the village was spelled "Loyola," hence the discrepancy. Inigo came of age in Azpeitia, in northern Spain. Loyola is a small village at...
St. Peter Chrysologus: Saint of the Day for Thursday, July 30, 2026
St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Feast-July 30) Born at Imola, Italy in 380, St. Peter was baptized, educated, and ordained a deacon by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola. St. Peter merited being called "Chrysologus" (golden-worded) from his exceptional...
St. Martha: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, July 29, 2026
"Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus." This unique statement in John's gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, her sister, and her brother. Apparently Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha's home in Bethany, a small village two miles from...
Daily Reading
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...
Daily Readings for Thursday, August 06, 2026
Reading 1, Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 9 While I was watching, thrones were set in place and one most venerable took his seat. His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire.10 A stream of...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, August 05, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 31:1-7 1 When that time comes, Yahweh declares, I shall be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.2 Yahweh says this: They have found pardon in the desert, those who have survived the sword. Israel is marching to his...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, August 04, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, as follows,2 'Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "Write for yourself in a book all the words I have spoken to you.12 Yes, Yahweh says this: Your wound is incurable, your injury past...
Daily Readings for Monday, August 03, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 28:1-17 1 That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, a Gibeonite, spoke as follows to Jeremiah in the Temple of Yahweh in the presence of the...
Daily Readings for Sunday, August 02, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 55:1-3 1 Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! Buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money, free!2 Why spend money on what cannot nourish and your wages on what fails to satisfy? Listen carefully to me,...
Daily Readings for Saturday, August 01, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24 11 The priests and prophets then said to the chief men and all the people, 'This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.'12 Jeremiah, however, replied to all the chief men...
Daily Readings for Friday, July 31, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 26:1-9 1 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh,2 'Yahweh says this, "Stand in the court of the Temple of Yahweh. To all the people from the towns of Judah who come to worship...
Daily Readings for Thursday, July 30, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 18:1-6 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh as follows,2 'Get up and make your way down to the potter's house, and there I shall tell you what I have to say.'3 So I went down to the potter's house; and there he was, working at the wheel.4...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21 10 A disaster for me, mother, that you bore me to be a man of strife and dissension for the whole country. I neither lend nor borrow, yet all of them curse me.16 When your words came, I devoured them: your word was my delight and the...