Mark Leonard Bartchak | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Philadelphia |
| Diocese | Altoona-Johnstown |
| Appointed | January 14, 2011 |
| Installed | April 19, 2011 |
| Predecessor | Joseph Victor Adamec |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 15, 1981 by Michael Joseph Murphy |
| Consecration | April 19, 2011 by Justin Francis Rigali,Donald Walter Trautman, andJoseph Victor Adamec |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1955-01-01)January 1, 1955 (age 70) |
| Education | Gannon University Christ the King Seminary Catholic University of America |
| Motto | Christ our hope of glory |
| Styles of Mark Leonard Bartchak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Mark Leonard Bartchak (born January 1, 1955) is anAmerican Catholic prelate who has served asbishop of Altoona-Johnstown in Pennsylvania since 2011.
Bartchak has also served on theSupreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest court of the Vatican, since 2021 and is considered an authority oncanon law.
Mark Bartchak was born on January 1, 1955, inCleveland, Ohio, the fifth of eight children of Leonard Bartchak and Rosemary (nee: Beck) Bartchak-Shay. He attended Catholic elementary and secondary schools, graduating in 1973 from Bradford Central Christian High School inBradford, Pennsylvania.[1]
After graduating from high school, Bartchak decided to become a priest. He entered St. Mark Seminary inErie, Pennsylvania, and started his studies atGannon University, also in Erie. He received a Bachelor of Arts inphilosophy from Gannon in 1977. Bartchak continued his preparation for the priesthood at Christ the King Seminary inEast Aurora, New York, receiving aMaster of Arts in theology in 1981.[1]
Bartchak was ordained as atransitional deacon at Christ the King Seminary on September 22, 1980, and was assigned to serve at St. Joseph Parish inWarren, Pennsylvania.[1]
Bartchak was ordained a priest for theDiocese of Erie on May 15, 1981, by BishopMichael J. Murphy atSt. Peter Cathedral in Erie.[2] After his ordination, the diocese assigned Bartchak as temporaryparochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish. In August 1981, he was namedparochial vicar at St. Francis Parish inClearfield, Pennsylvania. During this period also served as assistant principal andtheology teacher at St. Francis School in Clearfield and as part-time chaplain at the Clearfield Hospital.[1]
The diocese then transferred Bartchak to St. Leo Magnus Parish inRidgway, Pennsylvania, to serve as the temporary parish administrator. He was later appointed parochial vicar of the parish. Bartchak also visited patients at the Elk County General Hospital inSt. Marys, Pennsylvania, and inmates at the Elk County Prison inRidgway, Pennsylvania.[1]
In 1982, BishopMichael Murphy appointed Bartchak as part-timedefender of the bond for the diocese and in 1986 assigned him full-time to the diocesan tribunal. Bartchak then went to Washington, D.C. to attend theCatholic University of America School of Canon Law, where he received aLicentiate of Canon Law in 1989. During his time in Washington, Bartchak assisted as aconfessor at theBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and at theU.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.[1]
In August 1991, Bartchak requested that the diocese allow him to reside at St. Stanislaus Parish, where he provided weekend pastoral assistance. He received aDoctor of Canon Law degree from Catholic University in 1992. That same year, Bartchak was appointed by BishopDonald Trautman asjudicial vicar and director of the Office of Conciliation & Arbitration of the diocese. In 2000,Pope John Paul II named Bartchak aschaplain to his holiness.[1]
In addition to these duties, Trautman named Bartchak as vicar for canonical affairs in 2004. Bartchak also served as an ex-officio member of thepresbyteral council, the administrative cabinet and various diocesan committees. He served on the planning committee for the establishment of the permanent diaconate formation program for the diocese.[1]
In 2004, Bartchak was appointed to the administrative board and the executive committee of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. In 2007, he was appointed as a consultant for theUS Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.[1]
While in Erie, Bartchak gave seminars and workshops on canon law for civil attorneys of the Erie County Bar Association and for students in thepermanent diaconate program.[1]
A grand jury report published by Pennsylvania Attorney GeneralJosh Shapiro in August 2018 criticized Bartchak for his investigation of Reverend William Presley, a priest in the Diocese of Erie. The Vatican in 2005 had assigned Bartchak, then a member of the diocesan tribunal, to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against minors by Presley. As part of his investigation, Bartchak re-interviewed a man who had sent accusations about Presley to the diocese in 1982, 1987 and 2002.[3]
On August 25, 2005, Bartchak sent a secret memo about Presley to Trautman. Parts of the memo read:
"I was not surprised to learn from other witnesses from the Elk County area that there are likely to be other victims" ..."it is likely that there may be others who were also of the age for the offenses to be considered delicts, but to what end is it necessary to follow every lead?" ... "[It was] not likely that they will lead to information concerning delicts involving minors under 16 years of age." He then asked Trautman: “Is it worth the further harm and scandal that might occur if this is all brought up again? I am asking you how you want me to proceed. With due regard for the potential for more harm to individuals and for more scandal, should I continue to follow up on potential leads?”[3]
On January 14, 2011, Bartchak was appointed byPope Benedict XVI as bishop of Altoona-Johnstown; Bartchak was consecrated bishop at theCathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona, Pennsylvania, by CardinalJustin Rigali on April 19, 2011.[2] In December 2018, Bartchak said that the diocese had paid $21.5 million in settlements to victims of sexual abuse by its clergy.[4] He stated:
I apologize to all who have suffered from sexual abuse, especially perpetrated by some members of the clergy. I apologize to your families and loved ones. I apologize to all who feel shock, disgust, anger, confusion, disappointment, and betrayal.[4]
Pope Francis named Bartchak a member of theSupreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in June 2021.[5] Bartchak has lectured on canon law at Catholic University of America, theJohn Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Lublin, Poland, andSaint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario. He teaches at the Institute on Matrimonial Tribunal Practice, held each summer at Catholic University.[1]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown 19 April 2011–present | Incumbent |
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