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. Julie Billiart: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, April 08, 2026
St. Julie (Julia) Billiart was born in 1751 and died in 1816. As a child, playing "school" was Julie's favorite game. When she was sixteen, to help support her family, she began to teach "for real". She sat on a haystack during the noon recess and told the biblical...
St. John Baptist de la Salle: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, April 07, 2026
St. John Baptist de La Salle was born in 1651, in Reims, France. He was the eldest son of wealthy parents. At the age of eleven, La Salle was committed becoming a priest. At the age of sixteen, he was named Canon of Reims Cathedral. At the age of eighteen, he received...
St. William of Eskilsoe: Saint of the Day for Monday, April 06, 2026
Missionary. Born at Saint-Germain, France, circa 1125, he served as a canon at the church of St. Genevieve, Paris, under the great Abbot Suger until about 1170, when he was sent to Denmark with the mission of reforming the canons at Eskilsoe at the request of the...
St. Vincent Ferrer: Saint of the Day for Sunday, April 05, 2026
St. Vincent Ferrer is the patron saint of builders because of his fame for "building up" and strengthening the Church: through his preaching, missionary work, in his teachings, as confessor and adviser. At Valencia in Spain, this illustrious son of St. Dominic came...
St. Isidore of Seville: Saint of the Day for Saturday, April 04, 2026
Isidore was literally born into a family of saints in sixth century Spain. Two of his brothers, Leander and Fulgentius, and one of his sisters, Florentina, are revered as saints in Spain. It was also a family of leaders and strong minds with Leander and Fulgentius...
St. Richard of Wyche: Saint of the Day for Friday, April 03, 2026
Richard of Wyche, also known as Richard of Chichester, was born at Wyche (Droitwich), Worcestershire, England. He was orphaned when he was quite young. He retrieved the fortunes of the mismanaged estate he inherited when he took it over, and then turned it over to his...
St. Francis of Paola: Saint of the Day for Thursday, April 02, 2026
Francis was born at Paola, Italy and was educated at the Franciscan friary of San Marco there, and when fifteen became a hermit near Paola. In 1436, he and two companions began a community that is considered the foundation of the Minim Friars. He built a monastery...
St. Hugh of Grenoble: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, April 01, 2026
Benedictine bishop of Grenoble, France, patron of St. Bruno. He was born in the Dauphine region and became a canon of the cathedral in Valence. In 1080, while attending a synod in Avignon, Hugh was named bishop of Grenoble. He attempted a massive reform of the...
St. Benjamin: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, March 31, 2026
St. Benjamin, Martyr (Feast Day - March 31) The Christians in Persia had enjoyed twelve years of peace during the reign of Isdegerd, son of Sapor III, when in 420 it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal of Abdas, a Christian Bishop who burned the Temple of Fire, the...
St. Peter Regulatus: Saint of the Day for Monday, March 30, 2026
Also Peter Regalado, Franciscan reformer. Peter was born at Valladolid, Spain, to a noble family, and entered the Franciscan Order in his native city at the age of thirteen. After several years, he transferred to a far more austere monastery at Tribulos, where he...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Wednesday, April 08, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 3:1-10 1 Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour,2 it happened that there was a man being carried along. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, April 07, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 2:36-41 36 'For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.'37 Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'What are we to do,...
Daily Readings for Monday, April 06, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 2:14, 22-32 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice: 'Men of Judaea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I say.22 'Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to...
Daily Readings for Sunday, April 05, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 10:34, 37-43 34 Then Peter addressed them, 'I now really understand', he said, 'that God has no favourites,37 You know what happened all over Judaea, how Jesus of Nazareth began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism.38 God had anointed him...
Daily Readings for Saturday, April 04, 2026
Daily Reading for Saturday April 4, 2026 Reading 1, Genesis 1:1-2:2Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35Gospel, Matthew 28:1-10Reading 2, Genesis 22:1-18 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, Genesis 1:1-2:2...
Daily Readings for Friday, April 03, 2026
Daily Reading for Friday April 3, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 52:13-53:12Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25Gospel, John 18:1-19:42Reading 2, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, Isaiah...
Daily Readings for Thursday, April 02, 2026
Reading 1, Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 1 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,2 'This month must be the first of all the months for you, the first month of your year.3 Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, "On the tenth day of this month each man must take an...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, April 01, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 50:4-9 4 Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple's tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple.5 Lord Yahweh has opened my ear and I have not resisted, I have not...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:1-6 1 Coasts and islands, listen to me, pay attention, distant peoples. Yahweh called me when I was in the womb, before my birth he had pronounced my name.2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into...
Daily Readings for Monday, March 30, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 42:1-7 1 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have sent my spirit upon him, he will bring fair judgement to the nations.2 He does not cry out or raise his voice, his voice is not heard in the street;3 he does...