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. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Saint of the Day for Sunday, January 04, 2026
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born two years before the American Revolution, Elizabeth grew up in the upper class of New York society. She was a prolific reader, and read everything from the Bible...
St. Genevieve: Saint of the Day for Saturday, January 03, 2026
St. Genevieve was a fair and courageous peasant girl who was born around 422 in Nanterre, France, to a man named Severus and a woman named Gerontia. When Genevieve was only seven-years-old, St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre visited Nanterre on his way to Britain. While...
St. Basil the Great: Saint of the Day for Friday, January 02, 2026
St. Basil the Great was born at Caesarea of Cappadocia in 330. He was one of ten children of St. Basil the Elder and St. Emmelia. Several of his brothers and sisters are honored among the saints. He attended school in Caesarea, as well as Constantinople and Athens,...
Mary the Blessed Virgin: Saint of the Day for Thursday, January 01, 2026
Mary, also known as St. Mary the Virgin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, Mary Mother of God or the Virgin Mary is believed by many to be the greatest of all Christian saints. The Virgin Mother "was, after her Son, exalted by divine grace above all angels and...
St. Sylvester: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, December 31, 2025
St. Sylvester, born in Rome, was ordained by Pope St. Marcellinus during the peace that preceded the persecutions of Diocletian. He passed through those days of terror, witnessed the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, and saw the triumph of Constantine in the year...
St. Anysia: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Martyr of Greece. She was a wealthy woman of Salonika, in Thessaly, who used her personal funds to aid the poor. A soldier accosted her in the street and tried to drag her to a pagan sacrifice. Anysia resisted and was killed when the soldier attacked her with his...
St. Aileran: Saint of the Day for Monday, December 29, 2025
Monk, biographer, and scholar-also called Sapiens the Wise. Aileran was one of the most distinguished professors at the school of Clonard in Ireland. St. Finian welcomed Aileran to Clonard. In 650, Aileran became rector of Clonard, and was recognized as a classical...
St. Anthony the Hermit: Saint of the Day for Sunday, December 28, 2025
Anthony was born about circa 468 at Valeria in Lower Pannonia. When he was eight years old, his father died and he was first entrusted to the care of St. Severinus. After the death of Severinus, an uncle, Bishop Constantius of Lorsch in Bavaria took charge of his...
St. John the Apostle: Saint of the Day for Saturday, December 27, 2025
St. John, Apostle and Evangelist St. John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and Salome, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. John was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry. He is considered the same person as John the...
St. Stephen: Saint of the Day for Friday, December 26, 2025
Saint Stephen was one of the first ordained deacons of the Church. He was also the first Christian martyr. The Greek word from which we derive the English word martyr literally means witness. In that sense, every Christian is called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Sunday, January 04, 2026
Reading 1, Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 1 Wisdom speaks her own praises, in the midst of her people she glories in herself.2 She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One:3 'I came forth from the mouth of the...
Daily Readings for Saturday, January 03, 2026
Reading 1, John 2:29-3:6 1 There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews,2 who came to Jesus by night and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.'3...
Daily Readings for Friday, January 02, 2026
Reading 1, John 2:22-28 22 and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what he had said.23 During his stay in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover many believed in his name when they saw the...
Daily Readings for Thursday, January 01, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 10:34, 37-43 22 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,23 'Speak to Aaron and his sons and say: "This is how you must bless the Israelites. You will say:24 May Yahweh bless you and keep you.25 May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.26 May...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Reading 1, First John 2:18-21 18 Children, this is the final hour; you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and now many Antichrists have already come; from this we know that it is the final hour.19 They have gone from among us, but they never really belonged to...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Reading 1, First John 2:12-17 12 I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven through his name.13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who has existed since the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because...
Daily Readings for Monday, December 29, 2025
Reading 1, First John 2:3-11 3 In this way we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.4 Whoever says, 'I know him' without keeping his commandments, is a liar, and truth has no place in him.5 But anyone who does keep his word, in such a one...
Daily Readings for Sunday, December 28, 2025
Reading 1, Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 2 for the Lord honours the father above his children and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.3 Whoever respects a father expiates sins,4 whoever honours a mother is like someone amassing a fortune.5 Whoever respects a father...
Daily Readings for Saturday, December 27, 2025
Reading 1, First John 1:1-4 1 Something which has existed since the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have watched and touched with our own hands, the Word of life -- this is our theme.2 That life was made visible; we saw...
Daily Readings for Friday, December 26, 2025
Reading 1, Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 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...