Youngest AOH president plans to expand group's work

When Matthew Nelligan, 34, was installed last week as president of the New York State Ancient Order of Hibernians, he became the youngest person to hold that position.

A parishioner of Holy Cross Church in Albany, he has been a member of the AOH since 1992. He joined so he could express his Irish heritage in a positive way.

"In our family, we were raised to have pride in our Irish heritage and to be devout Catholics," he said. "Our parents taught us that being Irish and Catholic went hand-in-hand, that you really couldn't separate the two."

Involvement

Mr. Nelligan, who has held several AOH offices, is also president of the annual Irish 2000 Music and Arts festival at the Altamont Fairgrounds, which raises money for charitable organizations, including the Irish-American Cultural Center in Albany. He is also on the board of directors of the Irish American Museum in East Durham.

"I'm involved in these organizations because I believe that it is important to develop and strengthen our ideals as citizens and our religious directives as Catholics," he said.

Goals

As AOH president, Mr. Nelligan said, "I want to encourage our members to become as involved as they can in their parish life. With the shortage of priests we are currently experiencing, lay involvement in parish life is not just important; it's necessary."

He also hopes to expand AOH membership throughout New York State.

"Our membership is aging," he noted. "Right now, only 31 of New York's 62 counties have an AOH division. We are developing a state-wide program of recruitment. In order to do this, we are [placing billboards] throughout New York that will say, 'Irish Need Apply'" for membership in AOH.

Taking action

Mr. Nelligan will continue the group's long-standing tradition of fundraising for charity and sponsoring involvement in public policy issues.

"Traditionally, AOH members have been staunch supporters of right-to-life issues," he explained. "Each year, with the Knights of Columbus, we take part in a prayer rally against the death penalty at the Capitol in Albany. I see our job as continuing that support through increased publicity."

The group also provides grants for seminarians through Project St. Patrick, a statewide effort, and offers college scholarships to high school students.

(A graduate of Siena College in Loudonville, Matthew Nelligan teaches at Guilderland High School. The AOH was first organized in Ireland for the purpose of defending Gaelic values, and for the protection the Catholic Church and its clergy. Formed in New York in 1836, it is the oldest Catholic lay organization in America. For more information on the AOH, go to www.nyaoh.com or www.laohnys.org.)

(7/19/07)