“Love Beyond Measure, 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 (July 21–27).
As an educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), NFP Week celebrates God’s design for married love and the gift of life and raises awareness about Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods.
As the U.S. bishops have written, NFP is supportive of Catholic beliefs about married love because it “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being” (see Married Love and the Gift of Life).
The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, July 21–27, highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood.
The Diocese of Raleigh joins with the U.S. bishops in highlighting the benefits of NFP as ethical methods to help married couples live God’s design for their marriages.
“If you are married or getting engaged to be married, consider learning a method of NFP. The practice of an NFP method will be a blessing in your marriage,” said Father Robert R. Cannon, a member of the board of directors of the Couple to Couple League, an organization that seeks to inspire, educate and support couples in natural family planning.
“NFP can help you and your spouse to embrace God’s gifts of human sexuality, fertility, marital love, and parenthood,” Father Cannon said. “If a husband and a wife want to nourish their love and grow their family, NFP methods can become a practical and ethical support of their marital union.”
The Diocese of Raleigh's Marriage and Family Life ministry offers resources on Natural Family Planning, including information on where to learn NFP. Please join the diocesan NFP team to spread the word about God’s design for married love and the gift of life as well as the methods of NFP! Contact us to get involved at 984-900-3184.
Learn More
NFP Resources from the Diocese of Raleigh
Where to learn an NFP method in the Diocese of Raleigh
Catholic teaching on love and human sexuality (USCCB)
Catholic teaching on married love and the gift of life (USCCB)
What is Natural Family Planning? (USCCB)