Tribunal staff are seen outside the McRaith Catholic Center in Owensboro, Ky., on May 8, 2024. RILEY GREIF | WKC
Tribunal: Hope and healing
BY LOUANNE SEIBERT, TRIBUNAL
The Diocese of Owensboro Tribunal offers hope and healing by pastorally assisting in examining the sacramental validity of previous marriages. The staff consists of five full-time and four part-time ministers.
Serving as the Judicial Vicar since 2017, Very Rev. Patrick Cooney, OSB, JCL, judges marriage cases and addresses other canonical issues assigned to him by the Bishop.
Louanne Seibert serves as the Director of the Tribunal and Formal Case Instructor. Serving for over twenty-four years, she oversees the day-to-day function of the Tribunal and instructs marriage cases in the formal process.
Appointed in 2020, Emily Danchisin-Johnson, JCL, serves as a Judge in formal marriage cases. She also assists with other canonical projects.
Patti Bartley was appointed as an Ecclesiastical Notary and Documentary Case Instructor in 2020. Patti instructs all marriages cases in the documentary processes and offers administrative assistance.
Joining the Tribunal staff in 2022, Debbie Grinnell-Perez serves as an Ecclesiastical Notary, providing administrative assistance as well as greeting visitors and callers.
Rev. Will Thompson, JCL, serves as the Defender of the Bond for the Tribunal in marriage cases, a part-time position he has held since 2019. Fr. Will also serves the Diocese as the Promoter of Justice.
Also serving the Tribunal for many years as Judges are Rev. Michael Clark, JCL, Very Rev. Patrick Reynolds, JCL, and Rev. John Vaughan, JCD.
For information on how to initiate a marriage case, contact your pastor or the Tribunal directly at (270) 683-1545.
Originally printed in the June 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
