PENNSYLVANIA
Altoona Mirror

MAR 1, 2017

RUSS O’REILLY
Staff Writer
roreilly@altoonamirror.com

A year after a statewide grand jury revealed the scope of child molestation among the ranks of Roman Catholic clergy in Altoona and stressed that allegations were mishandled by former church leadership, diocese spokesman Tony DeGol said Bishop Mark Bartchak will soon announce his plans for turning the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese into a leader in youth protection.

“Over the past year, Bishop Bartchak has devoted much of his time to collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a new comprehensive approach that will help to make the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown a leader in the field of youth protection. We will be announcing the product of these efforts in the near future,” DeGol wrote in an email.

“The release of the grand jury report was heartbreaking for all Catholics, and it was especially painful for the…