“The Church firmly believes that human life is always a splendid gift of God’s goodness.”
~ Familiaris Consortio, 30
The love of husband and wife is a unique participation in the mystery of life and of the love of God Himself. Great care is to be taken to remain true to God’s unique plan for human sexuality. Developed by medical researchers who combined their thorough knowledge of human sexuality with their profound faith in the perfection of God’s plan for marriage and sexuality, modern fertility awareness methods teach couples to incorporate a rich understanding of the hormonal changes present in the female body to achieve or avoid pregnancy in the context of God’s plan.
Diocesan Coordinator of Natural Family Planning:
Contact Carlin Gould at the Marriage and Family Life Office
(707) 566-3305 or [email protected]
Diocesan Instructors of Natural Family Planning:
Kelly and Annette Righetti
Couple to Couple League Instructor Couple
(707) 542-3635
(707) 251-9226
[email protected]
Bernard and Regina Fosnaugh
Couple to Couple League
(707) 822-6057
Eureka, CA
[email protected]
Billings Ovulation Method
Sonoma, CA
Monica Taylor, R.N.
Billings Ovulation Method
Napa, CA
[email protected]
SCHEDULE of NFP CLASSES
The Couple-to-Couple League does have on-line NFP learning opportunities available in English and Spanish. Check www.ccli.org. for details.
NFP Resources
General Resources
CANFP – the California Association of Natural Family Planning provides information on NFP professionals (teachers, physicians, and clergy) in the state of California, links to the major NFP organizations, and expert answers to questions about fertility and human sexuality.
FACTS – The Fertility Awareness Collaborative, a group of physicians, health care professionals, and other educators working together to Teach the Science of natural or fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) and family planning.
NFP Methods – La planificación natural de la familia
BOMA-USA – the Billings Ovulation Method, researched by Dr. Billings, is a natural method of fertility management that teaches couples to recognize the body’s natural signes of fertility.
Couple-to-Couple League is an organization dedicated to promoting and teaching fertility awareness (natural family planning) to married and engaged couples through live and online courses. NFP honors the dignity of the human person by respecting the natural functions of the body. It is easy to understand, medically safe, 99% effective in avoiding pregnancy, 100% natural, strengthens marriages, and is morally acceptable. For more information or to enroll for a live or online course, call 707-542-3635, of visit www.ccli.org.
Creighton Model FertilityCare System is based upon a couple’s knowledge and understanding of the naturally-occuring phases of fertility and infertility. This method provides women with the added benefit of being able to personally monitor and maintain their reproductive and gynecologic health over a lifetime. The teachers of SrMS are trained allied health professionals and specifially-trained physicians who have been educated to incorporate the CrMS into their medical practice. This system is the foundation for the new women’s health science, NaPro Technology (natural procreative technology).
NaProTechnology – natural procreative technology was developed as an extention of the CrMS to provide women with real solutions to the difficulties associated with infertility, ovarian cysts, PMS, miscarriages, and other reproductive disorders.
Family of the Americas
En español – Familia de las Américas
Marquette Method – developed by the Marquette University College of Nursing Institute for Natural Family Planning. The mission of the Institute is to serve God by contributing to the advancement of knowledge in NFP through providing professional education, research and service concerning NFP.
En español – La planificación natural de la familia
Northwest Family Services – SymptoPro Fertility Services has been teaching the Sympto-Thermal method of NFP for over 30 years. Their online classes are informative, personal, and discreet and they offer lifetime support for couples from their instructor couples.
Church Teaching
Casti Connubii – On Christian Marriage by Pope Pius XI
En español – Carta Encìclica Casti Connubi del Papa Pìo XI Sobre el Matrimonio Christiano
Humanae Vitae – On Human Life by Pope Pius VI
En español – Carta Encìclica Humanae Vitae de S.S. Pablo VI
Familiaris Consortio – On the Family in the Modern World by St. John Paul II
En español – Exhortatión Apostólica Familiaris Consortio de su Santidad Juan Pablo II
Evangelium Vitae – On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life by St. John Paul II
En español – Carta Encìclica Evangeliuim Vitae de su Santidad Juan Pablo II
Amoris Laetitia – On Love in the Family by Pope Francis
En español – Exhortatión Apostólica Postsinodal Amoris Laetitia del Santo Padre Francisco
Blogs
Living the Love by the Couple to Couple Leauge
Books
Fertility, Cycles, & Nutrition: Self-Care for Improved Cycles and Fertility…Naturally!
by Marilyn M. Shannon
Articles
Catholic Answers – a brief history of the Church’s teaching on birth control
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/church-teaching-on-birth-control-11228 – on “What the Church REALLY teaches…?“
Disclaimer: These resources and links are provided for your convenience because others have found them helpful. The Diocese of Santa Rosa does not endorse everything connected with these authors and resources.