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.
JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE 175 YEARS OF PARISH LIFE IN THE HEART OF ALTOONA!
In 1851, St. John the Evangelist Church was established to serve the Catholic community of Altoona. As the community grew, so did the parish. In 1901, it became the pro-cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Altoona. Today, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament stands as a testament to generations of faith, service, and community.
Join us for 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday, November 7th, followed by a social in the parish hall with catered refreshments.
Please click here to RSVP and join us in celebrating 175 Years of Parish Life!
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.
The 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 18, 2026
GOSPEL MEDITATION
Occasionally, I’ll slip into a parish I’ve never visited before, pick up the bulletin, and find one of my Gospel reflections. My heart usually swells with a bit of affection for my creation. I imprint a bit of myself into my little “literary labors of love.” Anyone who has created something — a piece of writing, a garden, a meal, a child — knows that feeling. We love the things into which we put ourselves. We are happy when they return to us.
With this in mind, listen to Jesus’ classic line in this Sunday’s Gospel: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:21). He presents this little riddle to deepen the theme from taxes to human beings. A Roman coin bears Caesar’s image, so it belongs to Caesar. Therefore, he has a legitimate claim to it. Fair enough. But what belongs to God? What bears His image? Every human being. God has imprinted Himself on every person. Which means everyone — including Caesar — belongs entirely to Him. Jesus, who is God’s perfect image, has come to draw everyone back to God.
We can be tempted to imagine that our lives are made up of “things for God” and “things not for God.” The good news is that no such division is possible because everything in life is a gift from God to us. Therefore, all is meant to be placed at the service of God’s kingdom. He loves everything He has created. We have the privilege of giving it all back to Him.
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
Today’s readings encourage us Christian stewards to always be mindful of who we are and Whose we are in every aspect of our lives.
Our First Reading, from Isaiah, takes us back to the very foundation of our faith. The prophet, serving as the “voice” of God, proclaims, “I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” This is a powerful reminder of a fundamental truth. But it is easy to lose sight of this truth in our fast-paced, stressed-out, digital world. As disciples of Christ, we must make intentional choices each day as to how we spend our Time, Talents and Treasure so that each of these aspects of our lives proclaim that we indeed serve God and God alone.
Let us joyfully give thanks to this wonderful God by the way we live our daily lives. We belong to Him and there is no other.
So let us embrace the stewardship way of life today! Let us put God first with our Time, our Talents and our Treasure, knowing that we can do all of this through Christ Who gives us strength. God is calling to us today to live with eternity in mind. If we do this, we will be feasting now and forever.
2026 Catholic Stewardship Consultants
REFLECTION
In writing this column, I spent a lot of time mulling over a strange question: if I had a coin with Caesar’s face on it, could I use it to pay for my morning coffee?
Ancient Roman artifacts are worth a lot of money, but I have no idea how to appraise the artifacts and convert that worth to cash. I doubt my local barista does, either.
Out of curiosity, I Googled it. Apparently, the value depends a lot on the emperor. If we’re talking about a marquee name like Julius Caesar, a coin will go for thousands of dollars. But let’s say it’s a shekel from Emperor Geta, some third-century failure who got murdered by his brother. You can get his coin for less than $200.
It matters, apparently, whose face you’re stamped with. We are all only as good as the image we bear.
When Christ said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God,” he was talking about faithful citizenship and faithful discipleship. He was talking about the omnipotence of God over any political movement or historical era.
But he was also talking about our worth. Where it comes from, what it means, how long it will last. He was talking about whose image we bear.