Natural Family Planning

 Welcome! This is the place to learn about NFP!

We hope that we will be able to help you understand more about Natural Family Planning (NFP).  Know that you are not alone in choosing this alternative.

First, it is important to know what NFP is NOT.

NFP is NOT the old "CALENDAR RHYTHM METHOD".

The rhythm method is NOT based on scientific research.  Natural Family Planning, as it is taught today, has been scientifically   pro proven    pro      proven to be an effective method of family planning.

NFP is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies.  These methods are based on observation of the naturally occuring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a women's menstrual cycle.

NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child.  By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife.

Popular culture would have us believe that a couple’s Catholic faith is separate from human sexuality and family planning concerns.  However, quite the opposite is true. 

The brochure “Sex, Marriage, and your Catholic Faith” seeks to answer some of the most frequently asked questions in the area of sexuality, medical science and faith.

So, what does the Catholic Church say about sex?

The Church teaches that sex is an expression of total love between a man and woman who have permanently committed to each other in the sacrament of marriage. This life-long commitment is dependent upon unconditional love, acceptance and total self-giving. To believe that sex is merely instinctive or simply pleasurable severely undervalues it.

Over the years, the Catholic Church has written extensively about sexuality and its role in life and marriage. In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI recognized sex as rooted in God’s love and plan for His people and their well-being.  Paul VI saw sex as the dynamic element in every marriage, bringing permanence and enabling the couple to make wise, generous, and responsible decisions about the spacing of births and the size of their family.

The Church teaches that through sex, couples strengthen their marital relationship, and, in a special and profound way, participate in God’s supreme act of creation. Sexuality, then, is not merely a matter of biology, nor is it simply a source of personal pleasure. It is an expression of total, self-giving love.

Click on the titles of the links below to learn more!