CATHEDRAL OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Altoona, PA is a welcoming and compassionate community of believers striving to grow as God’s people.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we offer lifelong faith formation for children, youth, and adults; and we live out Christ’s invitation to serve our sisters and brothers.
We gather to worship in prayer and song and invite all to joyfully participate in word and sacrament, especially the Eucharist.
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE CITY OF ALTOONA, PA SINCE 1851.
DAILY MASSES
Monday-Saturday-Noon
WEEKEND MASSES
Vigil, Saturday at 5:00 P.M.
Sunday Masses at 8:00 A.M., 10:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.
Saturday: at 12:30 P.M.
By appointment: by calling or texting 814-937-8240
SUPPORTING THE MINISTRIES OF CATHEDRAL PARISH
By clicking on the GET INVOLVED link, you will find valuable information on how to make a financial donation to the Cathedral. The weekly offertory, the annual Catholic Ministries Drive, Bequests, and contributions to our Endowments are ways by which the blessings God has given to you become a blessing to the parish.
PILGRIMAGE TO ROME AND THE SHRINES OF ITALY
You are invited to join Monsignor Stan Carson on a pilgrimage to Rome and the shrines of Italy from October 12-22 in 2026. Brochures are available at the entrances to the cathedral. Click this link for additional Information.
The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 23, 2026
GOSPEL MEDITATION
The first time I stood inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, its majesty overwhelmed me. The sheer beauty of Michelangelo’s dome seemed to lift my soul right out of my body. Later, I joined the Scavi tour that winds below the basilica, down into the ancient pagan cemetery where Peter was buried. There, in the dim light and narrow passageways, I found myself looking at the bones of a murdered Jewish fisherman, his feet cut off so his crucified body could be taken down more easily.
What a paradox. Above me, the most glorious church ever built. Beneath me, the remains of a backwater fisherman. But this man dared to answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” And crowning that immense dome above his tomb are the words from today’s Gospel, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.”
Within you and me is the drama of the lowest and the highest. Every time we confess Christ, humbly, imperfectly, maybe even trembling, we enter that same mystery. The dust of our humanity, touched by the splendor of heaven. God’s presence and our dry bones together. Humility and glory. May our lives embrace both the lowest and the highest, like that great basilica, as we profess Jesus
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
Our readings today reveal beautiful truths about our God, and they challenge us to look at the truth about ourselves as well. Our Gospel passage, from Matthew, leads us to take a serious look at whether our lives give God the glory He deserves. It comes in the form of a question that Jesus poses to the disciples. He leads up to it gently enough: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they offer varying responses. Then, Jesus gets personal with them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter gets the answer right, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus is getting personal with us today. He poses the same question to each one of us who call ourselves His stewards and modern-day disciples. Surely, we would not hesitate to answer just as Peter did, that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God. But do our lives truly reflect this answer?
The gifts and blessings that God has given us – our time, our talents, our material possessions – are meant to be used in a manner that says “Christ is my Savior and I am His disciple.” The most eloquent praise we can offer Him is a life lived in grateful response to His unfathomable love. This is the beauty and power of a stewardship way of life.
2026 Catholic Stewardship Consultants
REFLECTION
“What do you think of the Pope?”
After the election of Pope Leo XIV in 2025, all my non-Catholic friends texted me this question. The result of the papal conclave was dominating the news cycle, and everyone was curious about this man who would now be so prominent on the world stage, making me temporarily popular with people who apparently need more (and better) Catholics in their lives.
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus entrust Peter and his heirs with the stewardship of the kingdom here on earth, creating an unbroken line of authority that stretches through the millennia all the way to our current Pope — whoever he is at the time you are reading this.
I don’t know if you like the Pope. The same goes for your local bishop and your pastor. If a friend texted you, “What do you think of him?” I have no idea how you would respond.
All I know is this: it doesn’t really matter. What really matters is what we would say if a friend texted us the same question about Jesus Christ: “What do you think of him, and why?”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t ask his disciples to take an IQ test. He doesn’t try to find out which one is the nicest, the hardest worker, the most humble, or even the holiest.
He asks a very simple question: “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter has the answer.
I am not Catholic because I like the Pope. I am not Catholic because the human representatives of the Church have anything to offer me (they often do, but this is beside the point).
I am Catholic because only Peter has the answer.
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