Bishop Mark L. Bartchak
Bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown
The Most Rev. Mark Leonard Bartchak was ordained a Bishop and installed as the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown on April 19, 2011, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona.
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.
Bishop 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. In 2000 he received papal honors from Pope John Paul II with the title of Chaplain to His Holiness.
In 1982 Bishop 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, Bishop 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 Bishop Bartchak was appointed by Bishop Donald W. Trautman as Judicial Vicar and Director of the Office of Conciliation & Arbitration of the Diocese of Erie. In addition to these duties, he was named Vicar for Canonical Affairs of the Diocese of Erie in 2004.
Bishop Bartchak is a member of the Canon Law Society of America (CLSA) and the Mexican Association of Canonists. He has served on several CLSA committees. In 1999 he was elected to serve on the CLSA Board of Governors and later he was elected to serve as Vice-President (2002-2003) and President (2003-2004) of the Canon Law Society of America. During his term as President, Bishop Bartchak represented the CLSA at private meetings at the Vatican with officials of various Congregations, Councils, and Tribunals of the Apostolic See.
Jean Johnstone
Victim Assistance Coordinator
Phone: (814) 944-9388 / (814) 232-3094 [Cell]
Email: jjohnstone@dioceseaj.org
Jean D. Johnstone is a graduate of Penn State University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Her early career started in California and used her educational background as the team leader for an infant development program in Los Angeles. The program served abused infants and toddlers who were wards of the LA court system. In collaboration with the Child Abuse Team at Children’s Hospital – Los Angeles, they worked with both children and parents to successfully reunite families.
Jean continued her work with young children while living in Los Angeles, Oakland and Redding, CA. Her last position in California was as the Director of Big Brother & Big Sisters of Shasta County.
After returning to central Pennsylvania in 1990, she worked as the Human Services Director for Blair County, and the Chief Operating Officer for Easter Seals of Central PA/Children’s Services for the Home Nursing Agency. In 1998, she took a job as Vice President of Mission at Bon Secours-Holy Family Hospital. After 10 years, she left to become the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.
For the past 10 years, she had been responsible for programming in three offices located in Altoona, Johnstown and Bellefonte – providing services for the eight counties of the diocese – Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset. She was also responsible for the oversight of the Martha & Mary House – Emergency Shelter Program in Johnstown which serves homeless men, women and children in Cambria County.
In 2016, Jean was appointed as the Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. In this role, she is responsible for providing comprehensive assistance to victims (minors, adult survivors, and victim’s families) of sexual abuse by clergy or other Diocesan personnel for the purpose of healing.
Michele Luciano
Director of the Office of Children & Youth Protection
Michele Luciano serves as the Director of the Office for Children and Youth Protection for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.
Mrs. Luciano has a degree from Pennsylvania State University in Human Development and Family Studies. She has always been passionate about protecting and assisting those in need. Mrs. Luciano comes to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown with a background in child protective services. Before Mrs. Luciano started at the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown as a case worker at Catholic Charities, she previously worked at Blair County Children, Youth, and Families for many years.
As the Director of the Office for Children and Youth Protection, Mrs. Luciano’s primary role is to oversee the efforts to protect vulnerable persons, children, and young people for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. Responsibilities also include creating a diocese-wide safe environment plan, reviewing organizational structures for maximum efficiency, increasing youth protection awareness communication efforts, implementing best practices for record keeping, and ensuring all compliance measures are being met.
Dana Hanna
Office Coordinator of Children & Youth Protection
With a background in Finance, Dana works in the office of Children & Youth Protection focusing on record keeping and ensuring all compliance measures are being met.