Office of Natural Family Planning

Latest News

Archdiocesan Catholic Appeal – Because we are grateful for all the assistance Natural Family Planning receives each year from the ACA, we would like to ask you to make a donation to the ACA. You may make your donation by visiting their website.

For Engaged Couples – Congratulations! If you need to schedule an appointment for an Introductory Session you can find a listing of locations and dates on the "Calendar" page. It is suggested that you schedule this appointment six months before your wedding date.

The Legacy of Humanae Vitae: 40 years

July 25 & 26, 2008, the St. Louis University School of Nursing and the Office of Natural Family Planning, Archdiocese of St. Louis are co-sponsoring a seminar on the 40 years of impact and importance of this 1968 encyclical, Humanae Vitae. Day One is dedicated to health care professionals while Day Two is designed for the general public. For more information on speakers, topics and registration, please click here.

40th Annual Humanae Vitae Mass and Celebration

On July 26th, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke will celebrate Holy Mass at 5pm at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis followed by a family dinner in Boland Hall. The mass does not require reservations, but the dinner does. Please contact Melissa or Pat for more information.

Features

Espanol – Para ensenanza de a planificacion natural de la familia, en espanol, favor de contactar a Hermana Janina srjanina@yahoo.com - Natural Family Planning instruction is available in Spanish. For those interested, please contact Sister Janina Zilvinkis at srjanina@yahoo.com

Infertility Support Group – Donna Whitely, LPC, facilitates a monthly discussion group meeting at St. John's mercy medical Center, Department of Fertility Care Services, 11700 Studt Road, Suite C. This group has been formed to provide an opportunity to meet with others experiencing infertility to share insights, feelings and experiences. For more information, please call (314) 991-0327.

What others say about NFP!

My husband and I had been married 14 years when we made the decision to practice natural family planning (NFP). Prior to then we had been contracepting. When we were preparing for marriage in 1979, we attended Pre-Cana classes where there was some mention of NFP, however, I don't recall any emphasis placed on the Church's teaching regarding contraception. What I do recall is our "without any doubt" decision to contracept.

Five years ago, God personally called me to stop. He did this in the form of my conscience. I became aware of the link between contracepton and abortion. There's a very short distance between rationalizing contraception and rationalizing abortion. I began to wonder (fear) what I may be capable of rationalizing next. Of course we were afraid to use NFP. Placing that much faith and trust in God was new territory for us. This decision marked the beginning of a pattern of turning our lives over to God. We are on the road to complete submission, which is the ultimate goal of every human being.

STEVE AND PAT NOTESTINE
MARRIED 20 YEARS
CHRIST PRINCE OF PEACE

Neither of us really thought too much about contraception when we were planning our marriage. We were aware that the Church frowned on condoms and the pill, but more importantly, we were not comfortable using chemicals, and turned off by interruptiong our lovemaking for any sort of barrier. We wanted children and knew a little about NFP, so we trusted God and had our first child just under a year into our marriage. A feeling that we needed to know how to space our children prompted us to take a course on NFP. Taking that class not only helped us to space our children as we wanted to, but also strengthened our marriage.

NFP takes the selfishness out of lovemaking. It gives us a basis to communicate with each other. It helps us spiritually because we are keeping God in our family planning. It helps us to be open to having children and to realize the importance of our job as parents. If you allow God to help you determine your family, He will make sure it is exactly the right size.

RON AND DARIA WINKER
MARRIED 17 YEARS
ST. KEVIN'S PARISH, ST. ANN

Our Way of Life Booklet 331.63 Kb

Introduction

In 1998, Natural Family Planning was established as a department of the Office of Laity and Family Life by then Archbishop Justin Rigali. Natural Family Planning was designated its own office by Archbishop Raymond Burke in 2005.

The Archdiocesan Office of Natural Family Planning coordinates and promotes information for all four models of Natural Family Planning methods at 13 different locations in the Archdiocese to all Archdiocesan Marriage Preparatory programs through the Office of Laity and Family Life, the St. Louis Review, Parish Bulletins and through individual priests and marriage preparers who request specific information. The Humanae Vitae Association, a group of NFP couples who support one another and evangelize the Archdiocesan community, are a volunteer group within the department.

Department activities include –

an annual Humanae Vitae Mass and celebration
materials for the engaged
promotion kits for the preparers for Christian Marriage, priests and deacons
an infertility support group
fellowship through Eucharistic Adoration and socialization
presentations on NFP, sexuality and chastity promotion to parishes and schools
“Make Love … Real,” a day of reflection for high school seniors based on the Theology of the Body.
a speakers’ series for the community
"The Chart" newsletter
annual Seminarian Homily contest

There are four models for the natural regulation of birth at 13 different locations in the Archdiocese. They are Aware/Billings Ovulation Method, Creighton Model Fertility Care Services, Couple to Couple/Symto-Thermal, and the Marquette Model/Sympto-thermal. All of these models are offered independently of the Archdiocesan Office of Natural Family Planning.