National NFP Awareness Week - July 25-21, 2021

“To have … To hold … To honor, Natural Family Planning, Supporting God’s gifts of love and life in marriage” is the theme of this year’s national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, an educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to celebrate God’s design for married love and the gift of life and to raise awareness of Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods. “NFP,” as the U.S. bishops have written, is supportive of Catholic beliefs about married love because it “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being” (see, U.S. Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life at https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/catholic-teaching/upload/Married-Love-and-the-Gift-of-Life-English-version.pdf).

The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of Humanae vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood; as well as the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother. In addition, the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne have been designated by Pope Francis as world grand-parents day! A fitting commemoration that happens during NFP Week!

The Catholic Church invites all the faithful to embrace God’s plan for married love. Learn more about these beautiful teachings which support the use of NFP in marriage at  https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning

Resources and ideas for celebrating and promoting NFP Awareness Week can be found on the USCCB’s NFP Program website at https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning. For more information, contact nfp@usccb.org, or Deacon Scott or Diane Sowell.