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Bishop Mark Bartchak will recognize 13 individuals with one of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown's most prestigious honors, the Prince Gallitzin Cross Award. The Gallitzin Cross is given to clergy, religious and lay parishioners who exhibit the "evangelizing spirit" of the Prince-Priest and Servant of God Demetrius Gallitzin, who laid the foundation for the Catholic faith in this region in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The award was first presented in 1990 and continued annually until the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as the diocese celebrates its 125th anniversary, the tradition is returning.
The 2026 awardees are as follows:
Rebecca Babik and Christine Goch - Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Johnstown; Louise Brezovic - Church of the Transfiguration Parish, Conemaugh; Walter Brown - Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Everett; Monsignor Stanley Carson - Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona; Tony DeGol - Proclaim! TV Ministry/Proclaim! Magazine; Donald McMullen - Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish, Ashville; Jonathan Nagy - Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel, Loretto; Gerald Neugebauer - Saint Aloysius Parish, Cresson; Ann Pershing - Saint Bartholomew Parish, Wilmore; Helen Saylor - Saint Demetrius Parish, Gallitzin; Michele Varner - Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Johnstown; Terry Wilt - Saint Michael the Archangel Parish, Hollidaysburg.
Bishop Bartchak will present the Gallitzin Cross to the honorees during a dinner and ceremony at 5 p.m. Oct. 9 at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School in Ebensburg, sponsored by the Independent Catholic Foundation. Tickets for the event are available for purchase through the diocesan website or by calling the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Pastoral Center at 814-695-5579. The cost is $30 per person. When registering, note if the ticket holder will be attending in honor of a particular awardee so that seating arrangements can be made. The deadline to purchase tickets is Sept. 25.
The Prince Gallitzin Cross Award recipients will also be profiled in the fall edition of the diocese's Proclaim! Magazine.