Current Events and News
From the Diocese
Bishop Suspends Precious Blood During Flu Season
Bishop Mark L. Bartchak has directed that the Precious Blood not be distributed in any form at Mass beginning the weekend of January 11 and 12, 2020, and continuing until further notice. The directive is due to the severity of the flu season. It is the belief of the...
Answers to Your Questions about Our Response to the Victims of Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown has released a financial summary of the costs related to clergy sexual abuse from July 1, 1999, to December 1, 2018. The summary is included in the December 10, 2018, edition of the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Register. It is...
Independent Oversight Board Report
The Independent Oversight Board for Youth Protection of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown has issued its first Annual Report on reforms developed and implemented by the Diocese for the protection of children and youth, concluding that “much has been done, but much is...
Victim Assistance
For almost two decades, the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown has been committed to providing pastoral care and financial support to the victims and survivors of sexual abuse. The diocese began a Victim Assistance Program in 1999, and, since that time, assistance in the...
Independent Oversight Board
Bishop Mark Bartchak and Acting United States Attorney Soo Song have announced the names of the individuals appointed to the Independent Oversight Board for Youth Protection for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. Click below for the media advisory from the Department...
Review Board
Bishop Mark Bartchak has announced the appointment of an entirely new membership for the Diocesan Review Board, which assists in the assessment of allegations of sexual abuse of minors and a cleric’s suitability for ministry. The new members are: Rev. Leo ArnoneJoyce...
Reforms to Protect Children
On March 6, 2017, Bishop Mark L. Bartchak and Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced reforms by the Diocese to protect children from sexual abuse, ensure that all allegations of sexual abuse are immediately reported to law enforcement, and provide victims...
Support for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is partnering with state and local agencies to offer support to survivors of sexual abuse. Resources and educational information will be featured regularly in the Diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Register, and on the Diocesan...
Saint of the Day
St. Gregory Barbarigo: Saint of the Day for Thursday, June 18, 2026
St. Gregory Barbarigo was born in 1625, of a very old and distinguished Venetian family. A brilliant student, he embraced a diplomatic career and accompanied the Venetian Ambassador, Contarini, to the Congress of Munster in 1648. Then he became a priest and was soon...
St. Emily de Vialar: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, June 17, 2026
St. Emily de Vialar, Virgin, Foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph "of the Apparition" Anne Marguerite Adelaide Emily de Vialar was the eldest child and only daughter of Baron James Augustine de Vialar and his wife Antoinette, daughter of that Baron de Portal who was...
St. John Francis Regis: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, June 16, 2026
St. John Francis Regis Confessor of the Society of Jesus June 16 True virtue, or Christian perfection, consists not in great or shining actions, but resides in the heart, and appears to great edification, though in the usual train of common and religious duties...
St. Germaine Cousin: Saint of the Day for Monday, June 15, 2026
When Hortense decided to marry Laurent Cousin in Pibrac, France, it was not out of love for his infant daughter. Germaine was everything Hortense despised. Weak and ill, the girl had also been born with a right hand that was deformed and paralyzed. Hortense replaced...
St. Methodius I: Saint of the Day for Sunday, June 14, 2026
Patriarch of Constantinople, modem Istanbul. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, and builta monastery on the island of Chios. After some time in Constantinople, he was sent to Rome in 815 as the representative of Patriarch Nicephorus, who was exiled by Emperor Leo V the...
St. Anthony of Padua: Saint of the Day for Saturday, June 13, 2026
Discover More About St. Anthony of Padua with Journey with the Saints Saint Anthony was born Fernando Martins in Lisbon, Portugal. He was born into a wealthy family and by the age of fifteen asked to be sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, the then capital of...
St. John of Sahagun: Saint of the Day for Friday, June 12, 2026
John Gonzales de Castrillo was born at Sahagun, Leon Spain. He was educated by the Benedictine monks of Fagondez monastery there and when twenty, received a canonry from the bishop of Burgos, though he already had several benefices. He was ordained in 1445; concerned...
St. Barnabas: Saint of the Day for Thursday, June 11, 2026
All we know of Barnabas is to be found in the New Testament. A Jew, born in Cyprus and named Joseph, he sold his property, gave the proceeds to the Apostles, who gave him the name Barnabas, and lived in common with the earliest converts to Christianity in Jerusalem....
St. Getulius: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Martyr with Amantius, Caerealis, and Primitivus. He was the husband of St. Symphorosa. An officer in the Roman army, he resigned when he became a Christian and returned to his estates near Tivoli, Italy. There he converted Caerealis, an imperial legate sent to arrest...
St. Ephrem: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, June 09, 2026
"I was born in the way of truth: though my childhood was unaware of the greatness of the benefit, I knew it when trial came." Ephrem (or Eprhaim) the Syrian left us hundreds of hymns and poems on the faith that inflamed and inspired the whole Church, but few facts...
Daily Reading
Daily Readings for Friday, June 19, 2026
Reading 1, Second Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20 1 When Athaliah mother of Ahaziah learned that her son was dead, she promptly murdered all those of royal stock.2 But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, surreptitiously rescued Jehoash son of Ahaziah...
Daily Readings for Thursday, June 18, 2026
Reading 1, Sirach 48:1-14 1 Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch.2 It was he who brought famine on them and decimated them in his zeal.3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, three times also he brought down fire.4 How...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Reading 1, Second Kings 2:1, 6-14 1 This is what happened when Yahweh took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal,6 Elijah said, 'Elisha, you stay here, Yahweh is only sending me to the Jordan.' But he replied, 'As Yahweh lives and...
Daily Readings for Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 21:17-29 17 Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite,18 'Up! Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth's vineyard; he has gone down to take possession of it.19 You are to say this to him, "Yahweh...
Daily Readings for Monday, June 15, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 21:1-16 1 This is what happened next: Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria,2 and Ahab said to Naboth, 'Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it adjoins my palace; I will give you a better...
Daily Readings for Sunday, June 14, 2026
Reading 1, Exodus 19:2-6 2 Setting out from Rephidim, they reached the desert of Sinai and pitched camp in the desert; there, facing the mountain, Israel pitched camp.3 Moses then went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Say this to the...
Daily Readings for Saturday, June 13, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 19:19-21 19 Leaving there, he came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him.20 Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah....
Daily Readings for Friday, June 12, 2026
Reading 1, Deuteronomy 7:6-11 6 For you are a people consecrated to Yahweh your God; of all the peoples on earth, you have been chosen by Yahweh your God to be his own people.7 'Yahweh set his heart on you and chose you not because you were the most numerous of all...
Daily Readings for Thursday, June 11, 2026
Reading 1, Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3 21 The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.22 The news of them came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas out to Antioch.23 There he was glad to see for himself that God...
Daily Readings for Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Reading 1, First Kings 18:20-39 20 Ahab called all Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.21 Elijah stepped out in front of all the people. 'How long', he said, 'do you mean to hobble first on one leg then on the other? If Yahweh is God, follow...