Spotlight on ministry: Alison Tate

Alison Tate has served as the diocesan director of the Office of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry for nine years. In this role, she helps form adults to work with young people in the parishes and schools. Her office also provides resources and consultations for parish youth and young adult ministry programs.
“The volunteers I get to work with bring me so much joy and always lift my spirits. They remind me that anyone can serve the young church in their own unique way,” Tate said.
Her office is currently preparing for Austin DCYC 2021, which is the oldest and one of the largest diocesan youth events in the country. Tate, who was raised in Cedar Park, first experienced the diocesan church at the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference in the late nineties.
The event, which is usually draws more than 2,000 youth and chaperones and is held over the course of a weekend, has been forced to shift gears as the COVID-19 pandemic has persisted. DCYC 2021 will be held Jan. 30 at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
“This year’s DCYC may look a little different, but we are looking forward to making this one-day, socially-distanced DCYC very special,” she said. Details are available online at austindiocese.org/dcyc.
As the secretariat director for Formation and Spirituality, Tate fosters collaboration among three diocesan offices: Evangelization and Catechesis, Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center, and Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry. In this role, she is leading the diocesan efforts for the Year of the Domestic Church, which begins Dec. 27.
“This is a time to focus on how we proclaim our faith through our households and families,” she said.  For more information about the Year of the Domestic Church, visit austindiocese.org/domestic-church.
Tate, her husband and their children are parishioners of St. Theresa Parish in Austin. (Photo by Shelley Metcalf)