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In March, the Tribunal will be offering an Advocate Training Program for people throughout the Diocese of Jefferson City who are interested in working with the tribunal as advocates in marriage nullity cases. In many parts of the Diocese, additional trained advocates are greatly needed to assist our pastors in working with those who are seeking declarations of nullity.
The training will be offered for those who have no prior experience with the tribunal, but is also recommended for those who are already working with us as advocates. Any of our priests, deacons, and parish life collaborators would also be welcome to attend, and are encouraged to do so.
This training program will initially consist of two sessions: the first session will be on Saturday, March 4; and the second session will be on Saturday, March 11. Both sessions will be held from 10am – 3pm at the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center in Jefferson City. Lunch will be provided for those attending in-person. Participation via ZOOM will also be an option, but attendance in-person is highly encouraged, if possible.
For those who have not worked as advocates in the past, we will need a recommendation from his or her pastor. The pastor is ordinarily the first point of contact for a person seeking a declaration of nullity. The pastor’s recommendation therefore not only ensures that the potential advocate enjoys a good reputation in the community and is a practicing Catholic, but also ensures that the pastor would be willing to refer people in his parish who are seeking a declaration of nullity to the advocate for assistance through the process.
We would like our pastors to consider inviting people to attend the training who they believe might be interested and capable of working with the tribunal as advocates. Interested parties must be at least 18 years of age, enjoy a good reputation, and be practicing Catholics.