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Natural Family Planning Awareness

Celebration Suggestions

Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is a national educational campaign led by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, celebrated the last week in July each year. The dates chosen coincide with the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood, and also the Feast Day of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother.

Following are some tips and suggestions for not only celebrating NFP week in your parish, but for use throughout the year for ongoing education and evangelization on this great gift of God’s divine design for family planning:

  • Visit the Office of Marriage, Family and Respect Life (OMFRL) website for a variety of resources, educational materials, and a list of trained NFP Instructors, to be used to promote NFP in your parish and family.
  • Distribute the OMFRL NFP pamphlets and if needed contact us to request more.
  • Place the enclosed NFP posters on your bulletin boards, doors, or other public areas. Additional USCCB posters can be ordered on the USCCB’s NFP website. The OMFRL poster can be printed off the website.
  • Place the enclosed bulletin inserts, or other tidbits of information on NFP, in your parish bulletins leading up to NFP Week, during, and throughout the year.
  • Consider using the enclosed homily notes to aid you in sharing the teachings of the faith on NFP and human sexuality with the faithful during Mass. More homily examples are available at
  • Consider including intercessions with an NFP focus in the prayers of the faithful. Sample intercessions are enclosed and can be used throughout the year.
  • Prayer and discernment are crucial components for any couple considering NFP or actively practicing it in their marriage. Please encourage your engaged and married couples to listen to a series of three talks given by Fr. Scott Traynor, entitled “Eyes to See and Ears to Hear: The Gift of Discernment in Daily Life.” These talks were given at the 2010 OMFRL Fall Conference and are available on the “Video Library” page of the OMFRL website.
  • Consider purchasing NFP and Theology of the Body pamphletsfor your parishioners to pick up after Mass. Contact our office for more information or visit the websites listed on the enclosed “Resources for Natural Family Planning” flyer for ideas.
  • Consider making use of an engaging 6-minute video, “NFP is . . .?” thatcan be downloaded from the “Video Library” page of the OMFRL website.
  • Encourage a parish Novena to Sts. Ann & Joachim. An example is provided.
  • Consider havinga Holy Hour with the specific intention of thanksgiving for the gift of NFP and for the reception of hearts and minds of all the faithful to this grace filled method of family planning.
  • Invite couples from your parish who are practicing NFP to speak and witness to your parish.
  • Invite a speaker to your parish that canshare the gift of NFP, dispel myths, and give the truth of the many harmful effects that contraception has on marriage and our society, including the fact that the pill can have an abortifacienteffect. We have power point presentations available, including one titled, “The Contraception Deception: Thinking Outside the Bitter Pill”. Contact the OMFRL for more information.
  • Host a parish marriage retreat focused on the gift and meaning of our human sexuality in Marriage, including NFP. Contact the OMFRL for more information.
  • Start an NFP, Theology of the Body, or Humanae Vitae discussion group and dive into the beautiful teachings of the Church on human sexuality, life, and family. Contact the OMFRL for more information.
  • If you do not have one in your parish already, invite a couple who is practicing NFP to become trainedas a teaching couple and help begin an NFP outreach program in your parish. Contact the OMFRL for more information, including information on scholarships for those programs that require funding.
  • Consider purchasing a CD or DVD in bulk and send one to each of your parish families. Two options are Janet Smith’s “Contraception, Why Not” or Patty Schneider’s “Prove It, God! . . . And He Did”.

Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls | Office of Marriage, Family & Respect Life |