Mount Temple woman named new Diocesan Youth Director

Mount Temple native Anita Allen has been appointed as Youth Director of the Ardagh and Clonmacnois diocese and hopes to get more young people involved in the running of their parishes. Anita, who recently led a group from the diocese on the a trip to Madrid for World Youth Day, took up the position on September 1 and is based at St Mary's Hall in Athlone. She told the Westmeath Independent this week that while she will initially be in the position for one year, she is hoping to make it a lifetime career. And she certainly has plenty of experience with a degree in history and theology, a masters specialising in youth ministry and working as chaplain at the Beneavin De La Salle College in Finglas for the past five years. Anita also spent the past year volunteering with the previous Youth Director Fr Patsy. A clearly enthusiastic Anita said this week: "Fr Patsy did an amazing job and I hope to build on what he's been doing." At the moment Anita is involved in planning and developing a strategy to ensure that all events for young people in the diocese will be planned properly. Anita explained that she will be getting in touch with many of the young people in the diocese through schools, by working with AIT chaplain Fr Shay Casey, by holding information evenings in the various parishes and through a number of initiatives, such as the John Paul II Awards, a scheme similar to the Gaisce Awards, which will see young people working in their parishes and communities. Anita added that she will also be looking for leaders in the community, as well as participants for the initiatives. She said there were a number of ways young people could help out in their parishes and pointed out that often times they feel they need to be able to sing or play a musical instrument, but this is not the case and said they could always read at mass or help out with decorations for the church. Anita added that in the case of a young person having an interest in web design, they could help design and maintain a parish website. The new Youth Director explained that she hopes they will be able to establish a number of youth parish councils throughout the diocese and said this has been quite successful already in Tullamore. Speaking about her new position, she said: "I can see how good it could be for the young people to get involved." "I'm here for a year and there will be a review then, but I'm hoping to make it a life-long career," she added. Anita said she is looking forward to working with young people all across the diocese and has urged them to log onto the new website www.aym.ie to find out about upcoming events. She added: "I'd like to thank Fr Patsy and acknowledge all the work he has done over the years."