Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Vaccine Q&A
From the United States Conference of Catholic BishopsJanuary 2021The development of vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has received much public attention and raised several ethical questions related to their development and use. This document is intended to...
Christmas TV Show
Proclaim! TV is celebrating the glory of Christmas with a television special, “Joy to the World: Christmas in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.”Hosted and produced by Tony DeGol, Diocesan Director of Communications, the two-hour show will highlight...
God Saves
Christmas just won’t be the same this year. How many of us have heard those words lately? As a result of an invisible virus, people will not be getting together with extended family and friends to celebrate Christmas. Who would have thought that shoppers would be more...
Diocese to Broadcast Christmas Masses and Christmas TV Special
As part of its continuing efforts to keep local Catholics connected during the coronavirus pandemic, the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is pleased to offer expanded television opportunities through its Proclaim! TV Ministry this Christmas.Bishop Mark Bartchak...
Parishes Announce Christmas Mass Schedule
By Justin KirklandProclaim!As Catholics, there is no better way to celebrate and experience God’s presence with us then in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Through the Mass, we are able to deepen our relationship with God, who came to us in the most unlikely way during...
Vaccine Clarification
By Tony DeGolProclaim!Bishop Mark Bartchak is joining other bishops in the United States in clarifying recent confusion regarding the “moral permissibility” of vaccines for COVID-19. According to Bishop Kevin Rhoades and Archbishop Joseph Naumann, vaccines from Pfizer...
What Comes After the Election Season?
A Reflection by Bishop MarkSince Election Day, I have received a few comments and concerns about Catholic Church leaders who have communicated with Joseph Biden. The focus of these concerns are political and religious. The political concern is that communication with...
Bishop Announces Directives for Advent Reconciliation and Christmas Masses
By Tony DeGolProclaim!In most parishes, the first vigil Mass on Christmas Eve usually attracts a ton of people with hardly an empty seat in the church. It is a challenging situation under normal circumstances, but especially worrisome during a pandemic. To help...
Advent Reconciliation Opportunities
By Justin KirklandProclaim!The Church celebrates Advent as a time that we may prepare our souls for the birth of Christ. Traditionally, before every major feast, time was taken by the faithful to prepare their hearts, through prayer, fasting, and penance. Christ came...
What Did Pope Francis Say?
A Message from Bishop MarkOctober 23, 2020What did Pope Francis say? I have been asked that question this week since it has been reported that Pope Francis may have just changed the Church’s teaching about marriage. That conclusion was based on something the Holy...
Saint of the Day
St. Abdiesus: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Also called Hebed Jesus, a deacon in the Christian community of Persia who was caught up in the persecutions conducted by King Shapur II. Records indicate that Abdiesus was accompanied in his martyrdom by Abrosimus, Acepsimus, Azadanes, Azades, Bicor, Mareas, Milles,...
St. Anselm: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, April 21, 2026
St. Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury and Confessor APRIL 21,A.D. 1109 IF the Norman conquerors stripped the English nation of its liberty, and many temporal advantages, it must be owned that by their valor they raised the reputation of its arms, and deprived their own...
St. Marian: Saint of the Day for Monday, April 20, 2026
When St. Mamertinus was Abbot of the monastery which St. Germanus had founded at Auxerre, there came to him a young man called Marcian (also known as Marian), a fugitive from Bourges then occupied by the Visigoths. St. Mamertinus gave him the habit, and the novice...
St. Alphege: Saint of the Day for Sunday, April 19, 2026
Archbishop and "the First Martyr of Canterbury." He was born in 953 and became a monk in the Deerhurst Monastery in Gloucester, England, asking after a few years to become a hermit. He received permission for this vocation and retired to a small hut near Somerset,...
St. Apollonius the Apologist: Saint of the Day for Saturday, April 18, 2026
Martyr whose Apologia, or defense of the faith, is considered one of the most priceless documents of the early Church. Apollonius was a Roman senator who was denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves. The Praetorian Prefect, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, arrested him,...
St. Anicetus: Saint of the Day for Friday, April 17, 2026
Anicetus was a Syrian from Emesa. He became pope about 155 and actively opposed Marcionism and Gnosticism. His pontificate saw the appearance of the controversy between East and West over the date of Easter. St. Polycarp, a disciple of John, is reported to have...
St. Stephen Harding: Saint of the Day for Friday, April 17, 2026
Stephen Harding was born in Dorset, England. He was a speaker of English, Norman French, and Latin. He was placed in the abbey of Sherbourne at a young age, but eventually put aside the cowl and became a travelling scholar. He eventually moved to the abbey of Molesme...
St. Bernadette: Saint of the Day for Thursday, April 16, 2026
Discover More About St. Bernadette with Journey with the Saints St. Bernadette was born in Lourdes, France on January 7, 1844. Her parents were very poor and she was the first of nine children. She was baptized at St. Pierre's, the local parish church, on January 9....
St. Paternus: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, April 15, 2026
St. Paternus.The first 5th century saint. He followed his father's path by becoming a hermit in Wales. He founded the monastery at the great church of Paternus, and became a bishop of that region. He was known for his preaching, charity and mortifications. Scholars...
St. Lydwine: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, April 14, 2026
St. Lydwine is the patroness of sickness Lydwine of Schiedam was born at Schiedam, Holland, one of nine children of a working man. After an injury in her youth, she became bedridden and suffered the rest of her life from various illnesses and diseases. She experienced...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 8:1-8 1 Saul approved of the killing. That day a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles scattered to the country districts of Judaea and Samaria.2 There were some devout people, however, who buried...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 7:51-8:1 51 'You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.52 Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? They killed those who foretold the...
Daily Readings for Monday, April 20, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 6:8-15 8 Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.9 Then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the...
Daily Readings for Sunday, April 19, 2026
Daily Reading for Sunday April 19, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 2:14, 22-28Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11Gospel, Luke 24:13-35Reading 2, First Peter 1:17-21 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, Acts 2:14, 22-28 14 Then...
Daily Readings for Saturday, April 18, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 6:1-7 1 About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked.2 So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and...
Daily Readings for Friday, April 17, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 5:34-42 34 One member of the Sanhedrin, however, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a teacher of the Law respected by the whole people, stood up and asked to have the men taken outside for a time.35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin, 'Men of Israel, be...
Daily Readings for Thursday, April 16, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 5:27-33 27 When they had brought them in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation.28 'We gave you a strong warning', he said, 'not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 5:17-26 17 Then the high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Filled with jealousy,18 they arrested the apostles and had them put in the public gaol.19 But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 4:32-37 32 The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common.33 The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great...
Daily Readings for Monday, April 13, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 4:23-31 23 As soon as they were released they went to the community and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said to them.24 When they heard it they lifted up their voice to God with one heart. 'Master,' they prayed, 'it is you who...