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.
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2026
GOSPEL MEDITATION
“I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
My most boring job was working at an insurance company as a college student. My main task? Filing. Now imagine if I had told my supervisor, “I just want you to know, I’m willing to die for these files.” She would have called a psychiatrist — or at least security. There is something absurd in Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel: “I am the good shepherd… I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) It sounds noble, until you think about it. No one dies for sheep. Not a hired hand. Not even a good shepherd. Sheep are important, sure, but not worth a human life. And yet, Jesus insists: I will die for them. The crowd understandably responds: “He is out of his mind.” C.S. Lewis once said that Jesus does not leave us the option of calling him merely a good teacher. If someone speaks like him, he is either lying, crazy, or telling the truth. John’s Gospel won’t let us stay sentimental. Jesus means it. He reveals a love that surpasses logic — a love that measures worth not by strength or success, but by the willingness to suffer unto death.
The Good Shepherd’s madness is mercy. His cross makes no earthly sense and yet it makes divine sense. He lays down his life not for kings or saints but for sheep — for the ordinary, the unworthy, for you and me.
Think of someone who may feel unworthy of love. Do something simple and generous for them, not because they deserve it, but because Jesus did the same for you.
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
Today’s readings on this fourth Sunday of Easter offer us a glimpse into the heart of our loving Savior. He is the Good Shepherd, and we can confidently place our trust in Him as we live the stewardship way of life.
In both the first and second readings, we find Peter embracing his role as leader of the newborn Church. In our first readings from Acts, he exhorts the crowd, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” We then read that the ones who accepted his message were baptized that day. Peter simply proposed the Good News to them and then left them free to accept or reject the call to repentance and belief in Christ, which is ultimately a call from God.
We can find many parallels in this passage to the call to a stewardship way of life. We, too, are free to accept or reject God’s call to discipleship. We can keep our time, talents, and treasure for ourselves, purely to serve our own interests. We are free to make that choice. Or we can embrace the call to discipleship through the stewardship way of life. If we do so, we will find a path to freedom from “this corrupt generation” just as those first disciples found in the early days of the Church.
2026 Catholic Stewardship Consultants
REFLECTION
In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes Himself to the Pharisees as the gate for the sheep. He tells them that it is only through Him that life is truly found.
The algorithm on my streaming service has been suggesting a lot of romantic scam documentaries lately. If you’re not familiar, romantic scams are a particularly cruel form of “the long con.”
Some man presents himself to some woman as Prince Charming. He wines her. He dines her. He charms her mom and makes her friends jealous. Little red flags pop up here and there, but she shrugs them all off. She accepts convenient explanations.
She just wants to be happy.
And then one day, Prince Charming vanishes, along with the contents of the woman’s savings account. Every victim says the same thing: “I should have known better, but I wanted it to be real.”
I think the reason I’m so drawn to these shows is that I identify with these women. No, I’ve never been the victim of a romantic scam (if my husband married me thinking he would gain access to some kind of fortune, he’s the one who got scammed). But we have all told ourselves that something is right because it feels right. We have shrugged off doubts about a choice, a relationship, a habit.
We have accepted easy answers that don’t pass the sniff test — because we really, really wanted an answer, and we really, really wanted it to be easy.
The devil is a romantic scammer. A third-party retailer hawking knock-off joy and fulfillment. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. A false prophet. A thief, a robber who has climbed the fence, knowing the gate will not admit him.
These are all different ways of saying the same thing: we can recognize what is real by where it comes from. What it sounds like. This ability to discern truth is written into our souls. We can ignore it, if we want. Suppress it. We can follow the stranger.
But where will he lead?