Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Diocese to Livestream Triduum Services
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown has announced plans to livestream Triduum services with Bishop Mark Bartchak as presider and homilist, in addition to the regularly scheduled television broadcast of the Bishop’s Easter Sunday Mass. The following is a schedule: Holy...
Closure of Churches and Discontinuation of Services
Memo from: Bishop Mark To: All Clergy Date: April 1, 2020 Re: Closure of Churches and Discontinuation of Services Today, state health officials today announced 962 new COVID-19 cases as the statewide total jumped to almost 6,000. Pennsylvania’s death toll climbed to...
New Directives
As part of a continuing effort to protect the health and safety of parishioners, clergy, and staff, Bishop Mark L. Bartchak has issued new directives, which include closing all church buildings to the public and prohibiting outdoor activities on parish properties...
Holy Week Resources
Palm Sunday Proclaim! at 10:30 a.m. on WATM ABC 23Bishop Mark explains ways to engage in the solemnity of Holy Week at homeClergy offer messages of hope during these challenging times Mass with Bishop Mark11:00 a.m. on WATM ABC 239:00 p.m. on Atlantic Broadband...
Bishop’s Easter Message
It sounds so awkward to say Happy Easter this year. During the past month, people everywhere added new words to their vocabulary: Coronavirus and COVID-19. The dreaded virus that these words represent made us learn another dimension of living as we “shelter in place.”...
Blessed Palm
As parishes and the faithful look ahead to Palm Sunday next weekend, the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown continues to be aware of the need for social distancing and other necessary precautions. Bishop Mark has directed parishes to not distribute blessed palm to the...
Governor Wolf extended his “Stay at Home” Order
Dear Brothers in Christ, Earlier today Governor Wolf extended his "Stay at Home" order to include Centre County. In keeping with our protocols announced earlier (March 20), in order to protect the faithful and follow this important restriction put in place by the...
Memo from: Bishop Mark
Memo from: Bishop Mark To: All Clergy Date: March 25, 2020 Re: Celebration of the Liturgies of Holy Week and Especially the Sacred Triduum In this time of need, directives have been issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as...
Bishop Suspends All Public Masses
Bishop Mark L. Bartchak announced the suspension of the celebration of all public Masses and all other liturgical celebrations in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown effective March 17, 2020, and continuing until further notice. Throughout this time, the dispensed...
Liturgical Directives
The following directives were communicated to the clergy of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown on March 17, 2020. The directives remain in effect until further notice. If questions arise concerning the impact of these directives, please contact your pastor for further...
Saint of the Day
St. Joseph: Saint of the Day for Thursday, March 19, 2026
Discover More About St. Joseph with Journey with the Saints Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him. We know he was a carpenter, a working...
St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, March 18, 2026
"Make your fold with the sheep; flee from the wolves: depart not from the Church," Cyril admonished catechumens surrounded by heresy. These were prophetic words for Cyril was to be hounded by enemies and heretics for most of his life, and although they could exile him...
St. Patrick: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Discover More About St. Patrick with Journey with the Saints St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as...
St. Abban: Saint of the Day for Monday, March 16, 2026
Abbot and Irish missionary. An Irish prince, Abban was the son of King Cormac of Leinster. He is listed as the nephew of St. Ibar. Abban founded many churches in the old district of Ui Cennselaigh, in modern County Wexford and Ferns. His main monastery is...
St. Matilda: Saint of the Day for Saturday, March 14, 2026
Matilda was the daughter of Count Dietrich of Westphalia and Reinhild of Denmark. She was also known as Mechtildis and Maud. She was raised by her grandmother, the Abbess of Eufurt convent. Matilda married Henry the Fowler, son of Duke Otto of Saxony, in the year 909....
Bl. Agnello of Pisa: Saint of the Day for Friday, March 13, 2026
The founder of the English Franciscan province, Blessed Agnello, was admitted into the Order by St. Francis himself on the occasion of his sojourn in Pisa. He was sent to the Friary in Paris, of which he became the guardian, and in 1224, St. Francis appointed him to...
St. Fina: Saint of the Day for Thursday, March 12, 2026
St. Fina or Seraphina, Virgin A.D. 1253 The old town of San Geminiano in Tuscany treasures with special veneration the memory of Santa Fina, a young girl whose claim to be recognized as a saint lay in the perfect resignation with which she accepted bodily suffering....
St. Constantine: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Constantine was king of Cornwall. Unreliable tradition has him married to the daughter of the king of Brittany who on her death ceded his throne to his son and became a monk at St. Mochuda monastery at Rahan, Ireland. He performed menial tasks at the monastery, then...
St. John Ogilvie: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Born in 1579, John Ogilvie belonged to Scottish nobility. Raised a Calvinist, he was educated on the continent. Exposed to the religious controversies of his day and impressed with the faith of the martyrs, he decided to become a Catholic. In 1596, at age seventeen he...
St. Frances of Rome: Saint of the Day for Monday, March 09, 2026
Frances was born in the city of Rome in 1384 to a wealthy, noble family. From her mother she inherited a quiet manner and a pious devotion to God. From her father, however, she inherited a strong will. She decided at eleven that she knew what God wanted for her -- she...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Thursday, March 19, 2026
Daily Reading for Thursday March 19, 2026 Reading 1, Second Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29Gospel, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24Reading 2, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1,...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 49:8-15 8 Thus says Yahweh: At the time of my favour I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have helped you. I have formed you and have appointed you to be the covenant for a people, to restore the land, to return ravaged properties,9 to say...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Reading 1, Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 1 He brought me back to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream flowed eastwards from under the Temple threshold, for the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar.2 He took me out...
Daily Readings for Monday, March 16, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 65:17-21 17 For look, I am going to create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered and will come no more to mind.18 Rather be joyful, be glad for ever at what I am creating, for look, I am creating Jerusalem to be 'Joy' and...
Daily Readings for Sunday, March 15, 2026
Daily Reading for Sunday March 15, 2026 Reading 1, First Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6Gospel, John 9:1-41Reading 2, Ephesians 5:8-14 Printable PDF of Today's Reading Past / Future Daily Readings Reading 1, First Samuel 16:1, 6-7,...
Daily Readings for Saturday, March 14, 2026
Reading 1, Hosea 6:1-6 1 Come, let us return to Yahweh. He has rent us and he will heal us; he has struck us and he will bind up our wounds;2 after two days he will revive us, on the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his presence.3 Let us know, let us...
Daily Readings for Friday, March 13, 2026
Reading 1, Hosea 14:2-10 2 Israel, come back to Yahweh your God your guilt was the cause of your downfall.3 Provide yourself with words and come back to Yahweh. Say to him, 'Take all guilt away and give us what is good, instead of bulls we will dedicate to you our...
Daily Readings for Thursday, March 12, 2026
Reading 1, Jeremiah 7:23-28 23 My one command to them was this: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people. In everything, follow the way that I mark out for you, and you shall prosper.24 But they did not listen, they did not pay attention;...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Reading 1, Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 1 'And now, Israel, listen to the laws and customs which I am teaching you today, so that, by observing them, you may survive to enter and take possession of the country which Yahweh, God of your ancestors, is giving you.5 Look: as...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Reading 1, Daniel 3:25, 34-43 25 Azariah stood in the heart of the fire, praying aloud thus:34 Do not abandon us for ever, for the sake of your name; do not repudiate your covenant,35 do not withdraw your favour from us, for the sake of Abraham, your friend, of Isaac,...