“Pro-Woman, Pro-Man, Pro-Child, Natural Family Planning” is the theme
of this year’s Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, a national 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, 2006).
The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week (July 21nd –27th, 2013) highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. The dates also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother.
Resources (e.g., the 2012 NFP Week poster, prayers, homily notes, bulletin inserts, etc.) and ideas for celebrating and promoting NFP Awareness Week in your area can be found on the USCCB’s NFP Program website: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/awareness-week/index.cfm. For more information, contact nfp@usccb.org.