The Catholic Church considers any marriage between two Christian spouses (not just Catholics) to be a valid sacramental marriage—that is a covenant freely entered into between a man and a woman, with full knowledge and consent, for the good of the spouses, and the procreation and education of children. It is more than just a legal contract; it is a covenant between the spouses and God, lasting for life.

If a marriage has ended in divorce, it can be reviewed by the Marriage Tribunal to determine if some necessary element for a sacramental marriage was missing. Anyone can present a case to the Marriage Tribunal for review.

Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish has four Lay Advocates who have attended training sessions to learn about the annulment process and how to identify the different types of annulments. A Lay Advocate will work one-on-one to help anyone seeking an annulment, or who simply wants to know a little more about the annulment process.

He/she will meet with you individually to help explain the process, answer any questions you might have, help you gather the necessary documents and fill out the forms required to present a case to the Marriage Tribunal for consideration.

Anything discussed with a Lay Advocate will be kept confidential. All documents produced to the Marriage Tribunal will also remain confidential.

If you would like to contact one of the Lay Advocates to set up a meeting, or just for some information, you may call:

Missy Cotita, 325-3622
Tim Cotita, 547-9848
Cathy Greenlaw, 345-7630
Mary Ann Sims, 325-0264