Mark Leonard Bartchak
Encyclopedia
Mark Leonard Bartchak is the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown
, Pennsylvania
.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio
, Bartchak was ordained a priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
, Pennsylvania
on May 15, 1988. On January 14, 2011, Bartchak was appointed bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese and was ordained bishop on April 19, 2011.
Bartchak is the 5th of eight children. He attended Catholic elementary and secondary schools, graduating in 1973 from Bradford Central Christian High School, Bradford, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Erie. His college studies were at St. Mark Seminary and Gannon University
, Erie
, PA, where he received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Philosophy in 1977. He also studied for the priesthood at Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, NY, receiving a Master of Arts
degree in Theology in 1981. He studied canon law
at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC where he received the Licentiate
degree in 1989 and the Doctorate
degree in 1992.
Bartchak was ordained a deacon at Christ the King Seminary on September 22, 1980, and served as deacon at St. Joseph Parish, Warren, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Erie on May 15, 1981, by the late Bishop Michael J. Murphy at St. Peter Cathedral, Erie.
Immediately after ordination to the priesthood, Bishop Bartchak was assigned as temporary parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Warren, Pennsylvania. In August 1981, he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Francis Parish, Clearfield, Pennsylvania. He was also assistant principal and theology teacher at St. Francis High School and part-time chaplain at the Clearfield Hospital. He was transferred to St. Leo Magnus Parish, Ridgway, Pennsylvania, to serve as administrator of the parish for several months when the pastor became ill. He was then appointed parochial vicar at St. Leo Magnus Parish. His duties included pastoral care at the Elk County General Hospital and the Elk County Prison. In these early parish assignments he was active in local ecumenical clergy associations. He was a speaker at ecumenical and civic gatherings.
In 1982 Bartchak was appointed part-time Defender of the Bond, and in 1986 he was assigned full-time to the Tribunal of the Diocese of Erie. During his time in Washington, Bartchak assisted as a confessor at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
and at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
In 1992 Bartchak was appointed by Bishop Donald Trautman as Judicial Vicar
and Director of the Office of Conciliation & Arbitration of the Diocese of Erie. In 2000 he received papal honours from Pope John Paul II
with the title of Chaplain to His Holiness
. In addition to these duties, he was named Vicar for Canonical Affairs of the Diocese of Erie in 2004.
In the Diocese of Erie, Bartchak was an ex-officio member of the presbyteral council
, the administrative cabinet and various diocesan committees. He served on the planning committee for the establishment of the permanent diaconate formation program of the Diocese of Erie.
In addition to his duties in the Diocese of Erie, Bartchak has been involved in various roles in the Church on the state, national and international level. In 2004, he was appointed to the Administrative Board and the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. In 2007 he was appointed as a consultant for the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is a Roman Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania. It was established in May 1901 as the Diocese of Altoona; on October 9, 1957 the name changed to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. It consists of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon and...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Bartchak was ordained a priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie is a Roman Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven suffragan sees in Pennsylvania that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on May 15, 1988. On January 14, 2011, Bartchak was appointed bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese and was ordained bishop on April 19, 2011.
Bartchak is the 5th of eight children. He attended Catholic elementary and secondary schools, graduating in 1973 from Bradford Central Christian High School, Bradford, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Erie. His college studies were at St. Mark Seminary and Gannon University
Gannon University
Gannon University is a private, co-educational Catholic university offering associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees, certificates and doctoral degrees and is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon University has an alumni base numbering around 31,500. Current enrollment is 4,238.Gannon's...
, Erie
Erie
Erie is a city in Pennsylvania, United States.Erie may also refer to:*Erie , a tribe of Native Americans-Places:*Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes of North America*Erie Canal, a canal running from the Hudson River to Lake Erie...
, PA, where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Philosophy in 1977. He also studied for the priesthood at Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, NY, receiving a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in Theology in 1981. He studied canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC where he received the Licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
degree in 1989 and the Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degree in 1992.
Bartchak was ordained a deacon at Christ the King Seminary on September 22, 1980, and served as deacon at St. Joseph Parish, Warren, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Erie on May 15, 1981, by the late Bishop Michael J. Murphy at St. Peter Cathedral, Erie.
Immediately after ordination to the priesthood, Bishop Bartchak was assigned as temporary parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, Warren, Pennsylvania. In August 1981, he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Francis Parish, Clearfield, Pennsylvania. He was also assistant principal and theology teacher at St. Francis High School and part-time chaplain at the Clearfield Hospital. He was transferred to St. Leo Magnus Parish, Ridgway, Pennsylvania, to serve as administrator of the parish for several months when the pastor became ill. He was then appointed parochial vicar at St. Leo Magnus Parish. His duties included pastoral care at the Elk County General Hospital and the Elk County Prison. In these early parish assignments he was active in local ecumenical clergy associations. He was a speaker at ecumenical and civic gatherings.
In 1982 Bartchak was appointed part-time Defender of the Bond, and in 1986 he was assigned full-time to the Tribunal of the Diocese of Erie. During his time in Washington, Bartchak assisted as a confessor at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
and at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
In 1992 Bartchak was appointed by Bishop Donald Trautman as Judicial Vicar
Judicial vicar
In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court...
and Director of the Office of Conciliation & Arbitration of the Diocese of Erie. In 2000 he received papal honours from Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
with the title of Chaplain to His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
. In addition to these duties, he was named Vicar for Canonical Affairs of the Diocese of Erie in 2004.
In the Diocese of Erie, Bartchak was an ex-officio member of the presbyteral council
Presbyteral Council
The Presbyteral Council or Council of Priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the local ordinary in an advisory capacity in the governance of the diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have such a council...
, the administrative cabinet and various diocesan committees. He served on the planning committee for the establishment of the permanent diaconate formation program of the Diocese of Erie.
In addition to his duties in the Diocese of Erie, Bartchak has been involved in various roles in the Church on the state, national and international level. In 2004, he was appointed to the Administrative Board and the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. In 2007 he was appointed as a consultant for the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.