Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Holy Week Directives
With public Masses and other liturgical gatherings suspended at least through Holy Week and Easter, Bishop Mark is inviting the faithful to watch the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown weekly television Mass on Passion (Palm) Sunday and Easter Sunday at 11:00 a.m. on WATM...
Television/Streaming Masses
During this time of no public Masses, the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is committed to continuing the weekly Proclaim! Television Ministry and Mass. Proclaim!Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WATM ABC 23 Mass with Bishop MarkSundays at 11:00 a.m. on WATM ABC23Sundays at...
Spirituality
PRAYER RECITED BY POPE FRANCISFOR THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLDO Mary,you always shine on our pathas a sign of salvation and of hope.We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm.You, Salvation of the...
Support Your Parish
Although public Masses are suspended until further notice, our Church is alive and still fulfilling its mission. Your parish will continue to bring you the light of Christ, but it needs your support. To assist parishes that do not currently offer...
Wine and Food Pairing
Much sweeter than the chocolate cake truffles and Moscato d’Asti at the recent Catholic Charities Wine and Food Pairing was a true story highlighting how the delightful evening helps our neighbors in need. At the conclusion of gathering at the Blairmont Club in...
Communal Penance Services
The season of Lent is a time to seek God’s healing and forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Many parishes are sponsoring Communal Penance Services in the coming weeks. The following parishes submitted schedules to the Office of Communications. Please...
Stations of the Cross
Most parishes invite the faithful to pray the Stations of the Cross during Lent. All parishes were invited to submit their schedule to the Office of Communications. The following is the schedule from the parishes that responded. BEDFORD COUNTY Saint John the...
Lenten Spiritual Opportunities
Various parishes in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown are sponsoring spiritual enrichment opportunities during the Lenten season. Novena to Saint Anthony of PaduaSaint Francis of Assisi Parish in JohnstownTuesdays in LentNovena prayed after 6:30 p.m. Mass Holy...
Memory Walk in Honor of Sister Margie
By Tony DeGolProclaim! Carol Babinsack sums it up well when she says that the late Sister Margie Monahan was a cherished friend to many people. “She was always there,” pointed out Babinsack, a member of Saint Stephen Parish in McConnellsburg. “She was willing to help....
March For Life 2020
Groups from throughout the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown traveled to Washington, D.C., on January 24 for the March for Life. Bishop Mark traveled by bus with a group from the Altoona area organized by the Blair County chapter of Citizens Concerned for Human Life. In...
Saint of the Day
St. Joan de Lestonnac: Saint of the Day for Monday, February 02, 2026
St. Joan de Lestonnac was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1556. She married at the age of seventeen. The happy marriage produced four children, but her husband died suddenly in 1597. After her children were raised, she entered the Cistercian monastery at Toulouse. Joan...
St. Brigid of Ireland: Saint of the Day for Sunday, February 01, 2026
Saint Brigid was born Brigit, and shares a name with a Celtic goddess from whom many legends and folk customs are associated. There is much debate over her birthparents, but it is widely believed her mother was Brocca, a Christian baptized by Saint Patrick, and her...
St. John Bosco: Saint of the Day for Saturday, January 31, 2026
John Bosco, also known as Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco and Don Bosco, was born in Becchi, Italy, on August 16, 1815. His birth came just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars which ravaged the area. Compounding the problems on his birthday, there was also a drought and a...
St. Aldegunais: Saint of the Day for Friday, January 30, 2026
Virgin and abess, also known as Adelgundis, Aldegonde, or Orgonne. She was a member of the royal family of the Merovingians and was raised by two saints: St. Walbert and St. Bertila, her parents. The family resided in the Hainault region of Flanders, a region of the...
Sts. Sarbelius & Barbea: Saint of the Day for Thursday, January 29, 2026
Two martyrs, brother and sister, who were put to death at Edessa during the persecutions of Emperor Trajan. Sarbelius, also called Sharbel, was a high priest at Edessa, in Mesopotamia. They were arrested for converting to the faith, and were tortured with red-hot...
St. Thomas Aquinas: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Thomas is believed to have been born in the castle of Roccasecca in the old county of the Kingdom of Sicily, which is now known as the Lazio region of Italy, in 1225. His parents were well-off, but as the youngest son Thomas was expected to enter the monastery. At...
St. Angela Merici: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, January 27, 2026
St. Angela Merici was an Italian religious educator and founder of the Ursulines whose deep prayer life and relationship with the Lord bore the fruit of mystical encounters with God. She was born on March 21, 1474 in Desenzano, a small town on the shore of Lake Garda...
St. Timothy: Saint of the Day for Monday, January 26, 2026
Born at Lystra, Lycaenia, Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Eunice, a converted Jewess. He joined St. Paul when Paul preached at Lystra replacing Barnabas, and became Paul's close friend and confidant. Paul allowed him to be circumcised to placate the Jews,...
St. Peter Thomas: Saint of the Day for Sunday, January 25, 2026
Carmelite Latinpatriarch and papal legate. Peter was born in Gascony, France and joined the Carmelites while still a young man. In 1342 he was appointed procurator of the order and, from Avignon, he oversaw the organization and government of the Carmelites. As Avignon...
St. Francis de Sales: Saint of the Day for Saturday, January 24, 2026
St. Francis de Sales was born to a noble family at Chateau de Sales in the Kingdom of Savoy near Geneva, Switzerland on August 21, 1567. He was a Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Francis was both intelligent and gentle. From a very early age, he desired to serve God....
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Sunday, February 01, 2026
Reading 1, Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13 3 Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek uprightness, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the Day of Yahweh's anger.12 But in you I shall leave surviving a humble and lowly people,13 and those...
Daily Readings for Saturday, January 31, 2026
Reading 1, Second Samuel 12:1-7, 10-17 1 Yahweh sent the prophet Nathan to David. He came to him and said: In the same town were two men, one rich, the other poor.2 The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance;3 the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb, only a...
Daily Readings for Friday, January 30, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17 1 About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite marched up and laid siege to Jabesh in Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, 'Make a treaty with us and we will be your subjects.'2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, 'I shall make a...
Daily Readings for Thursday, January 29, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14 1 [Song of Ascents] Yahweh, remember David and all the hardships he endured,2 the oath he swore to Yahweh, his vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:3 'I will not enter tent or house,...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 7:4-17 4 And the Israelites banished the Baals and Astartes and served Yahweh alone.5 Samuel then said, 'Muster all Israel at Mizpah and I shall plead with Yahweh for you.'6 So they mustered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh....
Daily Readings for Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19 12 The cows made straight for Beth-Shemesh, keeping to the one road, lowing as they went and turning neither to right nor to left. The Philistine chiefs followed them as far as the boundaries of Beth-Shemesh.13 The people of...
Daily Readings for Monday, January 26, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 5:1-7, 10 1 When the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.2 Taking the ark of God, the Philistines put it in the temple of Dagon, setting it down beside Dagon.3 When the people of Ashdod got up the following...
Daily Readings for Sunday, January 25, 2026
Reading 1, Isaiah 8:23-9:3 23 For is not everything dark as night for a country in distress? As the past humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, so the future will glorify the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, the territory of the nations.1 The people...
Daily Readings for Saturday, January 24, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27 1 There was a man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the highlands of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.2 He had two wives, one called Hannah, the other Peninnah;...
Daily Readings for Friday, January 23, 2026
Reading 1, Samuel 24:3-21 3 Saul thereupon took three thousand men selected from all Israel and went in search of David and his men east of the Rocks of the Mountain Goats.4 He came to the sheepfolds along the route, where there was a cave, and went in to cover his...