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
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION DURING HOLY WEEK
Palm Sunday: 3:00 P.M.
Wednesday of Holy Week: 8:00 A.M., 12:30 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Stations of the Cross will be prayed on the Fridays of Lent at 5:30 P.M.
HOLY TRIDUUM LITURGIES
Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 5:30 P.M. Adoration until 10:00 P.M.
Good Friday: Morning Prayer at 9:00 A.M. Commemoration the Lord’s Passion at 1:00 P.M. Stations of the Cross at 5:30 P.M.
Holy Saturday: Office of Readings at 9:00 A.M. Easter Vigil Mass at 8:00 P.M.
Easter Sunday: Masses at 8:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. (There is no 5:00 P.M. Mass.)
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.
Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord
April 5, 2026
GOSPEL MEDITATION
Zander Price was the fastest kid at my grade school. He won every race on Field Day. To me, his swiftness meant he was the greatest. Zander was the best.
It’s the same with the speediest Apostle on Easter morning. John tells us he “ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first.” (John 20:4) But only after Peter entered did John go in, see the burial cloths, and believe. Here is a symbol of two dimensions of the Church. John, the beloved disciple, represents the contemplative, mystical life: affection, prayer, intimacy. Peter, the rock, represents the Church’s institutional life: steady, authoritative, structured…but slower.
Of course, John runs faster! Love is the heartbeat of Christian faith, so love will always arrive first. Peter’s role is, in a sense, secondary. He arrives later, but is still very much needed. John waits for him. The Church must be built, balanced, protected, and led. Love without structure can vanish; structure without love becomes lifeless.
This dynamic is not just historical — it is personal. In you, there is a John who longs to run to the tomb in love. Let him run! Pray, sing, love Jesus. There is also a Peter, who eventually gets to the tomb and takes charge. The Risen Christ wants both. Remember: if you want to get to the mystery of Jesus’ resurrection fast…love him, for love is best.
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the disciplines and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season.
Our first reading, from Acts, gives instructions on how to do this. Here, St Peter says that our Lord “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? By the way we live our ordinary lives – through the intentional use of our time, talent and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony.
As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love – the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad, and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace!
2026 Catholic Stewardship Consultants
REFLECTION
If you are a person who is religious in any way, chances are that at some point, someone has asked you to give a reason why.
I meet lots of people who identify as spiritual but not religious, lots of people who are more comfortable splashing in the shallow end of belief but hesitating to wade into the more uncertain depths of doctrine. So, when they ask the question “Why do you believe what you believe?” it usually comes out as “Why do you go to church?”
They want to know why I come to this specific place at this specific time. What am I expecting to happen?
We read that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb “while it was still dark.” I imagine she could not sleep. She was traumatized. Grieving. Confused. Angry, perhaps. Doubting? Maybe. It’s possible. We cannot know what was in her heart.
We only know what she did. We only know where she went. And we know that it was dark, that the light of Easter’s dawn had not yet pierced the sky.
Often, I am grieving when I go to church, or angry, or confused, or all three. I have gone many times with a doubting and resentful heart.
Because, you see, it is still dark. The dawn of eternity, which will illuminate all understanding, has not yet even begun to creep across my horizon.
My answer to the question, when I am asked, is that I go to church — to Catholic Mass, specifically — for the same reason Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. I go because it is the last place I saw Christ, and I am desperate to see him again.
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