As part of the diocesan observance of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, and as part of the Plan for Strengthening Marriage, the Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life will sponsor an encore presentation of “Not Your Mom’s NFP,” July 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Chancery.

Presenter for the workshop, originally presented during the Marriage Summit held May 8-9 in Georgian Court University, Lakewood, is Kait Mayer is a Creighton Model Fertility Care intern with the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction. She works full time in St. Paul Parish, Princeton, as coordinator of youth and young adult ministry.

The 50-minute presentation will delve into the scientific methods that revere God’s awesome gift of fertility and procreation. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session and dessert reception.

This year’s Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is slated for July 19-25. The national campaign, prepared by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, aims to celebrate God’s design for married love and the gift of life and to raise awareness of natural family planning methods. This year’s theme is “All natural! Natural Family Planning: Good for the body. Great for the soul!”

The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (“Of Human Life”), which was promulgated July 25, 1968, by Pope Paul VI and 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.

Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to aid or avoid pregnancy.

NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, enriches the bond between husband and wife, promotes openness to life and recognizes the value of the child. Through incorporating NFP into their lives, married couples report having found a new depth of intimacy and understanding. Their communication as a couple grows, which builds a deeper level of trust, commitment, and fidelity.

According to the USCCB website, couples who practice NFP are less likely to divorce than the general population. Up to 99 percent effective and 100 percent natural, NFP extends the mutual care of the woman's fertility into the faithful and life-giving love of man and woman in all aspects of their marriage.

Promoting the use of NFP among engaged and married couples, and introducing age-appropriate concepts for NFP in youth ministry, religious education and campus ministry settings is part of the Diocese of Trenton’s “Plan for Strengthening Marriage,” which was introduced at the Marriage Summit in May and was implemented July 1.

All parishes of the Diocese have been sent packets of information on NFP to distribute, both in English and Spanish. Resources on NFP which reside on the USCCB website, usccb.org, include posters, liturgy and prayers, couples’ stories and excerpts of Church teachings. For further information on natural family planning, contact [email protected]. 

The workshop will be offered free of charge, and registration in advance is requested. To register, contact Jossie Ruiz at [email protected] or 609-403-7151, or go to www.dioceseoftrenton.org/nfpweek. The Chancery is located at 701 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville.