Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1800 Orlando, Florida 32802-1800	Physical Address: 50 East Robinson Orlando, Florida 32801
Telephone: 407-246-4800	Fax: 407-246-4942
E-mail: cbrinati@orlandodiocese.org
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Engaged Encounter and Pre-Cana

In order to receive the Sacrament of Marriage within the Catholic Church, the couple must participate in either the Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend or the Diocesan Pre-Cana Program. Schedules for these are available through the Pastoral Center--E-mail for more information.

Minister Training.

Several Ministries require professional training and/or certification--Ministry to the Sick is one example. This training is provided by the Diocese. If you are interested in serving in any of the many Parish Ministries, contact the Pastoral Center and information regarding the requirements will be provided. E-mail for more information.

Support Services.

Several volunteer and ministry programs require specific training often provided, sometimes in part, by the Diocese--Religious Education volunteers are a good example. If you are interested in serving in any of the many Parish Ministries, contact the Pastoral Center and information regarding the requirements will be provided. E-mail for more information.

Catholic Charities.

Our Diocesan Catholic Charities provide many needed services to our fellow Cathlics in need. Professional Counseling, corporal support for the needy are just two examples of the help provided. If you are in need or know of someone in physical or spiritual need in our parish, please contact the Pastoral Center to see if you/they can be helped via the Diocesan Catholic Charities. E-mail for more information.

Marriage Encounter.

Marriage Encounter is a special weekend designed to give married couples a chance to examine their life together: to rediscover the person they first fell in love with and married. It's a rare opportunity to leave the frustrations and distractions of the world behind and get away together…to talk, listen and discover. Click here for more detailed information.

Retrouvile.

Retrouvile is a program offered for troubled marriages. The Sacrament of Marriage is a sacred and most wonderful gift to us. Sanctioned by Jesus at the Wedding of Cana. The Catholic Church takes its responsibility to married couples very seriously and will make every effort to assist and resolve marital differences. The professionals that facilitate Retrouvile are committed to this ministry, to maintain the Sacrament. Contact the Pastoral Center for more specific information on Retrouvile. E-mail for more information.

Church Annulments.

1. The Sacrament of Marriage
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a community of life and love, an enduring and exclusive partnership between a man and a woman for the giving and receiving of love and for the procreation and education of children. According to Church teaching, every valid marriage between two baptized persons is a sacrament and thus it is permanently binding and cannot be dissolved. In addition, the Church recognizes the validity and permanence of the marriages of unbaptized persons. The Church teaches that certain elements must be present in order for a marriage to be valid. Some of these would be minimal maturity, a personal commitment to marriage and to the other party, average emotional stability, a belief that marriage is a lifelong and faithful union, and an openness to children.

2. The Marriage Tribunal
Unfortunately, not every marriage, including some that are entered with the best intentions, is successful, and many marriages end in divorce. The Church is aware of the stress and suffering experienced by separated, divorced, and remarried people, particularly Catholics and it expresses its pastoral concern in different ways, especially through the ministry of the Marriage Tribunal. The Marriage Tribunal is composed of trained personnel, and is designed to help the divorced and remarried person, the divorced person intending another marriage, and the divorced Catholic seeking a clarification of his or her standing in the Church. The law of the Church requires that every diocese have a functioning Marriage Tribunal.

3. Church Annulments
An annulment is a judgment of a Marriage Tribunal of the Catholic Church concerning the validity or invalidity of a particular union. If an annulment is granted, it means that in the eyes of the Church, a basic element was missing from the union in question from the very beginning, and that on account of this, the marriage was not valid from the start. The annulment does not deny that a real relationship may have existed, nor does it imply that the union was entered with ill will or moral fault. Rather, an annulment states that the relationship fell short of at least one of the elements seen as essential for a true valid, Christian marriage. Finally, an annulment does not seek to establish guilt or innocence, but rather validity or invalidity. In the United States, a church annulment has absolutely no civil effects. The granting of an annulment will not affect anything that is determined by civil law, such as alimony, child custody, visitation rights, division of property, etc.

4. Eligibility
Divorced persons, regardless of religious affiliation, have the right to apply for an annulment of their former marriage. Persons who are not members of the Catholic Church often pursue an annulment in order to establish their freedom to many a Catholic. In order to make application, the individual must approach the Marriage Tribunal, which has the proper jurisdiction for the case. This would include the Tribunal of the Diocese where the marriage in question took place, the Tribunal of the Diocese where the party seeking the annulment currently lives, the Tribunal of the Diocese where the majority of the proofs can be gathered. In the latter two cases, the consent of the Tribunal of the other party must be secured.

5. Initiating the Process
In order to initiate annulment proceedings, parties believing that their marriage may have been invalid should con tact their parish priest or another parish minister for an initial interview in order to explore the possibility of an annulment. At this time the person, hereafter known as the Petitioner, will tell the story of his or her marriage. with special emphasis on any circumstances, personality traits and behavioral patterns on the part of either or both parties which in their opinion may have caused or contributed to the failure of the union. Specific facts such as the duration of the courtship, the religious affiliation and baptismal status of both parties, date and place of marriage and of divorce should also be presented at this time. The priest or parish minister will fill out the initial form to introduce the case and forward it to the Marriage Tribunal for acceptance and direction. Upon acceptance of the case, the Tribunal will forward the necessary forms and questionnaires to the priest or parish minister acting on behalf of the Petitioner. This person is known as the Advocate. The Tribunal will also notify the Petitioner and the Respondent about its composition.

6. Documents
Petitioners coming for an initial interview should bring a legally certified copy of the Final Divorce Decree, a Church Marriage Certificate for Catholic weddings, a legally certified copy of the civil Marriage Certificate for non-Catholic weddings, and recently issued Baptismal Certificates for the Catholic parties. If these documents are not available at the time of the initial interview, they should be given to the Advocate as soon as possible after it. No case will be brought to a hearing unless all the necessary documents have been submitted.

7. Witnesses
Church Law requires that the testimony of the Petitioner be corroborated by witnesses. Before Petitioners come for an initial interview, they should have the names and the complete current addresses of three witnesses who knew the parties in question from the beginning of the union, and who are willing to cooperate by giving testimony concerning the marriage. Witnesses in a marriage case are not character witnesses, but rather individuals, be they relatives or friends, who knew the couple well and who can testify concerning the quality of the union. The Tribunal will send for the testimony of the witnesses regardless of where they live.

8. The Other Party
The other party in a marriage case is known as the Respondent. Church Law requires that every possible effort be made to contact Respondents and give them an opportunity to testify if they so choose. Petitioners approaching a parish minister should bring with them the last known address of the Respondent. If this proves to be impossible, the Tribunal would request that they submit the name and address of a parent or close relative of the Respondent, where the Tribunal could write to him or her. The Tribunal will write directly to Respondents informing them of the proceedings, and giving them a month to testify, if they so choose. If Respondents do not cooperate within that period of time and do not ask for an extension, the Tribunal will presume that they do not wish to testify, and will proceed without them.

9. Children
Church Law specifically states that children born of a marriage that has been declared null are considered legitimate by the Church.

10. Conclusion
When the Tribunal determines that sufficient testimony, as well as the necessary forms and documents have been secured in a given case the case, will be scheduled for a formal hearing. The Petitioner and Respondent may be asked to appear in person if the testimony introduced earlier in the case needs clarification. Cases may be decided by a panel of three Judges, but it is possible to have just one Judge assigned to hear a case. At the hearing, the Judge consults other members of the Tribunal, particularly the Defender of the Bond, who is charged by Church Law with insuring that all requirements have been observed, and that the permanence of marriage has been protected. After the necessary consultation, the Judge will write a Definitive Sentence declaring the marriage to be null, or stating that the invalidity has not been proved. Church Law requires that every affirmative decision of nullity be sent for a Mandatory Review to the Court of Second Instance, in our case, the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Miami. Once confirmation of the decision is received from that Tribunal, the Sentence becomes final, the parties are notified, and if everything else is in order, they are free to marry in the Church.

11. Time Element
The Tribunal cannot promise that a case will be completed within a specific period of time. Each case is unique and many different factors may either contribute to or hinder its conclusion, including the ability to secure the testimony of witnesses, and the increasing work load of the Tribunal. Usually a decision will be rendered within six months to a year of the date of formal acceptance of the case, but some cases may take a longer period of time.

12. Expenses
While the Marriage Tribunal is subsidized by the contributions made to the Bishop's Appeal for Service Enrichment, persons submitting a case are asked to offer a fee of $250.00 to help defray the expense. Petitioners are asked, if at all possible, to offer a deposit of $100.00 to cover initial expenses, and to pay the balance when the case is completed. Petitioners may pay this fee any way they feel they are able, and if anyone needs a reduction or a total waiver of the fee, the Tribunal will readily honor this request. Under no circumstances will an annulment be denied or delayed because an individual cannot meet the expenses incurred by the Tribunal.

13. Future Marriage
Often the Tribunal will place a restriction on a person's right to marry in the Church because of facts that were presented in the case. This prohibition will require that the person and his or her intended spouse have at least one session with a professional counselor, usually a member of Catholic Social Services, to insure, as far as possible the success of a future union. After this session the restriction may be removed or counseling maybe required before it is lifted. No wedding date may be set until the annulment is final and until any restriction on a future marriage has been removed.