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. Maximinus of Trier: Saint of the Day for Friday, May 29, 2026
Bishop of Trier, Germany, from 332, and a miracle worker. He was probably born at Silly, France, and succeeded St. Agritus as bishop of Trier, giving refuge to St. Athanasius in 336. St. Paul, the patriarch of Constantinople, was also given Maximinus� protection....
Bl. Margaret Pole: Saint of the Day for Thursday, May 28, 2026
Martyr of England. She was born Margaret Plantagenet, the niece of Edward IV and RichĂ?Âard III. She married Sir Reginald Pole about 1491 and bore five sons, including Reginald Cardinal Pole. Margaret was widowed, named countess of Salisbury, and appointed governess...
St. Augustine of Canterbury: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, May 27, 2026
At the end of the sixth century anyone would have said that Augustine had found his niche in life. Looking at this respected prior of a monastery, almost anyone would have predicted he would spend his last days there, instructing, governing, and settling even further...
St. Philip Neri: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, May 26, 2026
St. Philip Neri was a Christian missionary and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, a community of Catholic priests and lay brothers. He was born in Florence on July 21, 1515 as one of four children to Francesco Neri. From a very young age, Philip was known for...
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi: Saint of the Day for Monday, May 25, 2026
It would be easy to concentrate on the mystical experiences God gave this saint, rather than on her life. In fact, it would be difficult to do differently, so overwhelming were those gifts from God. The temptation for many modern readers (including the author) would...
St. John Baptist de Rossi: Saint of the Day for Saturday, May 23, 2026
St. John Baptist de de Rossi, also known as Giovanni Battista de' Rossi, was born on February 22, 1698 in Voltaggio, Italy. He was the fourth child of Charles de Rossi and Frances Anfossi, known to be a holy and faith filled couple. Though John's family was not...
St. Rita: Saint of the Day for Friday, May 22, 2026
Saint Rita was born Margherita Lotti in Roccaporena, Italy in 1381. The day after her baptism, Rita was surrounded by a swarm of white bees, which went in and out of her infant mouth without hurting her. Rather than being alarmed, her family believed she was marked to...
St. Eugene de Mazenod: Saint of the Day for Thursday, May 21, 2026
Eugene de Mazenod was born on August 1, 1782, at Aix-en-Provence in France. Early in life he experienced the upheaval of the French Revolution. None the less, he entered the seminary, and following ordination he returned to labor in Aix-en-Provence. That area had...
St. Bernardine of Siena: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, May 20, 2026
In the year 1400, a young man came to the door of the largest hospital in Siena. A plague was raging through the city so horrible that as many as twenty people died each day just in the hospital alone. And many of the people who died were those who were needed to tend...
St. Celestine: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, May 19, 2026
When the father of this Italian saint died, his good mother brought up her twelve children well, even though they were very poor. "Oh, if I could only have the joy of seeing one of you become a saint!" she use to say. Once when she asked as usual, "which one of you is...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Friday, May 29, 2026
Reading 1, First Peter 4:7-13 7 The end of all things is near, so keep your minds calm and sober for prayer.8 Above all preserve an intense love for each other, since love covers over many a sin.9 Welcome each other into your houses without grumbling.10 Each one of...
Daily Readings for Thursday, May 28, 2026
Reading 1, First Peter 2:2-5, 9-12 2 Like new-born babies all your longing should be for milk -- the unadulterated spiritual milk -- which will help you to grow up to salvation,3 at any rate if you have tasted that the Lord is good .4 He is the living stone, rejected...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Reading 1, First Peter 1:18-25 18 For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver or gold,19 but in precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ.20 He...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Reading 1, First Peter 1:10-16 10 This salvation was the subject of the search and investigation of the prophets who spoke of the grace you were to receive,11 searching out the time and circumstances for which the Spirit of Christ, bearing witness in them, was...
Daily Readings for Monday, May 25, 2026
Reading 1, First Peter 1:3-9 3 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead4 and into a heritage that can never be spoilt or soiled and...
Daily Readings for Sunday, May 24, 2026
Daily Reading for Sunday May 24, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34Gospel, John 20:19-23Reading 2, Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11 1 When...
Daily Readings for Saturday, May 23, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 16 On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded him.17 After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, 'Brothers, although I have...
Daily Readings for Friday, May 22, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 25:13-21 13 Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.14 Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul's case before the king, saying, 'There is a man here whom Felix left behind in custody,15...
Daily Readings for Thursday, May 21, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 30 The next day, since he wanted to know for sure what charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and set him in front of them.6 Now...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 20:28-38 28 'Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the guardians, to feed the Church of God which he bought with the blood of his own Son.29 'I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves...