Support for dioceses and institutions

Tribunal support

I currently serve as a stable advocate for the Dioceses of Winona-Rochester and Madison and as an advocate for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Hamilton, alongside my work as a judge. I can help your tribunal:

• Serve as advocate, defender of the bond, judge, auditor or assessor as appointed
• Reduce backlogs with case review and written work in the role assigned
• Implement the procedures of Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus, including the briefer process
• Train new tribunal staff and field advocates

Penal and disciplinary matters

• Conduct or advise on preliminary investigations c. 1717
• Guidance on precautionary measures and on the choice between administrative and judicial processes
• Procedures under Vos estis lux mundi and the norms reserved to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

Administrative decisions that hold up

Many decrees are overturned on recourse not because the decision was wrong, but because the procedure was. I help bishops and their curia get it right the first time:

• Parish mergers, suppressions and church closures cc. 515, 1222
• Removal and transfer of pastors cc. 1740–1752
• Drafting decrees with proper consultation, reasons and notification cc. 50–51
• Responding to recourses brought against the diocese

Religious institutes and associations

Advice on constitutions and statutes, governance, admission and dismissal, and the relationship between institutes and diocesan authority.

Formation and teaching

I teach canon law and marriage nullity procedure at Saint Philip’s Seminary in Toronto. I offer workshops for clergy days, curia staff, parish teams and tribunal personnel on topics such as marriage preparation and validity, the revised penal law, and sound administrative practice.