Current Events and News
From the Diocese
A Special Message from Bishop Mark
Young people in our diocese have frequently heard me tell them that the foundational principle of Catholic social teaching is the following: Every human person is made in the image and likeness of God. Period. It’s in the Sacred Scriptures (Genesis 1:27). No further...
New Directive Regarding Mass Atttendance
Bishop Mark has issued a new directive regarding the celebration of public Masses that lifts an earlier directive that would have limited the number of people permitted at each Mass to 25. When public Masses resume beginning the weekend of June 13-14, 2020, all are...
Parishes Announce Reconciliation Opportunities
Bishop Mark Bartchak has announced that the public celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation may resume at parishes beginning on May 23, 2020. Click HERE for a county-by-county schedule of upcoming Reconciliation opportunities at various parishes in the Diocese...
Dates for Public Confessions, Masses Announced
Bishop Mark has announced dates to resume the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the distribution of Holy Communion and the public celebration of Mass in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. According to the Bishop’s directives, issued on May 20, 2020, priests may resume the...
Bishop Announces Plan to Reopen Churches
The following is a message from Bishop Mark to all people of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown on May 13, 2020. Specific directives are being finalized and will be available prior the the reopening of church buildings on Saturday, May 16, which marks the...
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.”...
Saint of the Day
St. Maria Goretti: Saint of the Day for Monday, July 06, 2026
Maria Goretti was born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, in the Province of Ancona, Italy. Her family lived in deep poverty, and when her farmworker father moved them to Ferriere di Conca, near Anzio, their hardship only increased. After her father died of malaria,...
St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria: Saint of the Day for Sunday, July 05, 2026
Cofounder of the Barnabites. Born in 1502 in Cremona, Italy, Anthony became a medical doctor. In 1528 he was ordained a priest and cofounded the Barnabites, the religious congregation so called because it was headquartered in St. Barnabas Monastery in Milan. The...
St. Elizabeth of Portugal: Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 04, 2026
Elizabeth was a Spanish princess who was given in marriage to King Denis of Portugal at the age of twelve. She was very beautiful and very lovable. She was also very devout, and went to Mass every day. Elizabeth was a holy wife, but although her husband was fond of...
St. Thomas: Saint of the Day for Friday, July 03, 2026
St. Thomas was born a Jew and was called to be one of the twelve Apostles. His birth and death dates are unknown, but his feast day is celebrated July 3. He lived before the formal establishment of the Catholic Church but is recognized as the patron saint of...
St. Bernardino Realino: Saint of the Day for Thursday, July 02, 2026
St. Bernardino Realino was born into a noble family of Capri, Italy in 1530. After receiving a thorough and devout Christian education at the hands of his mother, he went on to study medicine at the University of Bologna, but after three years he switched to law and...
St. Junipero Serra: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, July 01, 2026
Learn More about the Missions St. JunĂ?Âpero Serra Helped Build with California Missions Adventure Junípero Serra, originally named Miguel José, was born on November 24, 1713, in Petra, Majorca, Spain. His parents, Antonio Nadal Serra and Margarita Rosa Ferrer, were...
First Martyrs of the See of Rome: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, June 30, 2026
The holy men and women are also called the �Protomartyrs of Rome.� They were accused of burning Rome by Nero , who burned Rome to cover his own crimes. Some martyrs were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified, others were fed to wild...
St. Peter: Saint of the Day for Monday, June 29, 2026
Discover More About St. Peter with Journey with the Saints Peter, who was also known as Simon Peter of Cephas, is considered the first Pope. Despite his papacy, Peter had humble beginnings and became one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was ordained by Jesus in the...
St. Irenaeus: Saint of the Day for Sunday, June 28, 2026
The writings of St. Irenaeus entitle him to a high place among the fathers of the Church, for they not only laid the foundations of Christian theology but, by exposing and refuting the errors of the gnostics, they delivered the Catholic Faith from the real danger of...
St. Cyril of Alexandria: Saint of the Day for Saturday, June 27, 2026
St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (June 27) Cyril was born at Alexandria, Egypt. He was nephew of the patriarch of that city, Theophilus. Cyril received a classical and theological education at Alexandria and was ordained by his uncle. He...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Tuesday, July 07, 2026
Reading 1, Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 4 They have set up kings, but without my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold, they have made themselves idols, but only to be destroyed.5 I spurn your calf, Samaria! My anger blazes against...
Daily Readings for Monday, July 06, 2026
Reading 1, Hosea 2:16, 17-18, 21-22 16 But look, I am going to seduce her and lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.17 There I shall give her back her vineyards, and make the Vale of Achor a gateway of hope. There she will respond as when she was young, as...
Daily Readings for Sunday, July 05, 2026
Reading 1, Zechariah 9:9-10 9 Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king is approaching, he is vindicated and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10 He will banish chariots...
Daily Readings for Saturday, July 04, 2026
Reading 1, Amos 9:11-15 11 On that Day, I shall rebuild the tottering hut of David, make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins and rebuild it as it was in the days of old,12 for them to be master of what is left of Edom and of all the nations once called mine -Yahweh...
Daily Readings for Friday, July 03, 2026
Reading 1, Ephesians 2:19-22 19 So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are fellow-citizens with the holy people of God and part of God's household.20 You are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus himself is the...
Daily Readings for Thursday, July 02, 2026
Reading 1, Amos 7:10-17 10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel then sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel as follows, 'Amos is plotting against you in the heart of the House of Israel; the country cannot tolerate his speeches.11 For this is what Amos says, "Jeroboam is going...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, July 01, 2026
Reading 1, Amos 5:14-15, 21-24 14 Seek good and not evil so that you may survive, and Yahweh, God Sabaoth, be with you as you claim he is.15 Hate evil, love good, let justice reign at the city gate: it may be that Yahweh, God Sabaoth, will take pity on the remnant of...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Reading 1, Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12 1 Listen, Israelites, to this prophecy which Yahweh pronounces against you, against the whole family which I brought up from Egypt:2 You alone have I intimately known of all the families of earth, that is why I shall punish you for all...
Daily Readings for Monday, June 29, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 12:1-11 1 It was about this time that King Herod started persecuting certain members of the church.2 He had James the brother of John beheaded,3 and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he went on to arrest Peter as well.4 As it was during the days...
Daily Readings for Sunday, June 28, 2026
Reading 1, Second Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 8 One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who lived there pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way.9 She said to her husband, 'Look, I am sure...