The Catholic Church is celebrating Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week, a national education campaign supported annually by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. This year’s iteration of the week is held under the title “Love Beyond Measure,” and the USCCB has some advice on ways to celebrate.
NFP Awareness Week is an annual effort by the USCCB to instruct on and make prevalent the practices of Natural Family Planning, the only Church approved form of pregnancy spacing. The week falls in line with the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, and coincides with the feast of Sts Joachim and Anne (July 26), designated by Pope Francis as World Grandparents Day, as an added bonus.
In Natural Family Planning, married couples closely monitor their periods of fertility and avoid pregnancy by remaining chaste during periods of ovulation. Of course there is a whole lot more that NFP offers, especially with regard to women’s health, but it remains a faithful means for Catholics to plan their families without artificial contraception.
In support of the Awareness Week and the greater NFP movement, The USCCB encourages the faithful to gather together for activities, “either grand or humble,” to spread the word. The bishops’ website offers a variety of suggestions for activities that were drawn from the efforts of dioceses all over the country in previous years.
The USCCB suggests getting the whole diocese involved by running phone calls or letter writing campaigns. The idea is to communicate with communities to instruct those who are unfamiliar with NFP, to better educate them in the practice.
Prayer campaigns are also most welcome. The USCCB encourages those who are driven to organize events to meet with their pastors and schedule prayer gatherings like Eucharistic Adoration, Novenas, Rosaries, or even a dedicated Mass. Prayer life is the heart of Church life and the intentions of the faithful are always welcomed in support of the NFP movement. The bishops also suggest organizing a professional talk with an NFP expert to offer seminars at Catholic institutions.
For those who are new to the idea of Natural Family Planning and are not sure where to even start, Aleteia has your back. We have a variety of articles that will help you understand and appreciate Natural Family Planning, from beginner’s fare to tips for those who have followed the NFP lifestyle for years:
