A request from the Assistant Director of the USCCB's NFP Program
Does your diocese require NFP education as part of marriage preparation? If so, please let us know. We are working with two researchers to study the program's effectiveness. Send your information to Theresa Notare, PhD, Assistant Director, NFP Program at @email.

It is time to put NFP education in the Parish!
If you do not know about the Couple to Couple League’s website “My Parish NFP,” please visit it now and tell your pastors about it! This useful website has information and resources for clergy, the parish community, and married couples. They also provide a free e-newsletter for those who sign up. To learn more contact @email; or, visit their website at https://ccli.org/myparishnfp.

2025 Historic RRM Congressional Briefing
In Washington, DC on September 16, 2025, an historic Congressional Briefing was held on Capitol Hill covering the history, science, and clinical successes of leaders in Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM). The International Institute for Reproductive Medicine (IIRRM) sponsored the event. An article in the link below, written by an RRM physician, summarizes the “Why” behind the RRM Congressional Briefing.. 

Infertility: Science, Politics, Money, and Morality - American Thinker.

This excellent professionally designed briefing provided evidenced-based scientific and clinical information about RRM to congressinoal staff. A highlight of the briefing included witness stories from patients with their RRM physicians. The main RRM presenters were: 

• Tracey Parnell, MD, IIRRM Global Director, Development and Communications (who presented the history of RRM);
• Joseph Stanford, MD, IIRRM Director of Research (who covered the science supporting the protocols of RRM); and
• Monica Minjeur, DO, IIRRM US Director of Development and Communications (who discussed the clinical implications). 

Catholic Relief Services asks for your help to feed and care for suffering families in Gaza!
Please see this fact sheet ( 2025 Emergency Help for Families in Gaza ) to understand the need. Please consider how you can help by donating:

• Online: support.crs.org/donate/holy-land-conflict
• By phone: 1‑877‑HELP‑CRS
• By check: Catholic Relief Services, Holy Land Response P.O. Box 5278, Tipton, IA 52772-0517  

Citizens' Petition

This public petition to the FDA provides a review of the research that demonstrates the harmful effects of hormonal contraception on women who use these drugs. The Citizens' Petition asks that the FDA issue black-box warnings and change the prescribing protocols for these harmful drugs. The interest of the authors of the Citizens' Petition is to help women understand the possible harmful side effects of these drugs. 

In 2022, the FDA agreed to change the prescribing protocols for women at risk of breast cancer, however no response has yet been given to the many other harmful side effects. We will keep you informed when other developments happen.

NFP Office Hours: All diocesan NFP coordinators and their teachers are invited to participate in the virtual NFP Office Hours held on the second Thursday in a month at 2:00PM (east coast time). Email notification with a web link will be sent to the diocesan NFP coordinators prior to each event. Diocesan NFP coordinators are encouraged to share the link with their NFP teachers. Questions? Contact @email. View current and past videos of NFP Office Hours on our webpage.  

National NFP Awareness Week
This celebration occurs during the week of the anniversary of Humanae vitae (July 25), St. Paul VI's encyclical that teaches about God's design for married love and the gift of life and the natural methods of family planning. The celebration begins on the Sunday before July 25th and ends on the Saturday in that week. Visit our NFP Week page to see the resources.

Listen to a message about the importance of NFP Week from Bishop Robert Barron.

Past NFP Posters. Many of the past NFP Week posters can be used in your ongoing educational efforts since they do not include the dates of the year in which they were produced. See past posters. To order posters call toll-free: 1-866-582-0943 or write @email. 

Want to help your local healthcare professionals to embrace Church teaching and NFP? 
Visit our education page for healthcare professionals!

We have links and files of resources that can save you time and energy. Please contact us at nfp@usccb.org for access to MP4 files on an introduction to the science and methodology of NFP available from FACTS (Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science). These files provide a general overview of all NFP methods offered in the USA. In addition, PowerPoint slides with notes on the general science of NFP are available from Marquette University's NFP Institute. They have graciously donated them for your educational efforts!

See, NFP Education for Healthcare Professionals 

Archived Announcements

Please send us information about your NFP events. We will post them here to spread the good news!

2026
July 22-25, American Academy of FertlityCare Professionals' 45th annual conference in Fort Wayne, IN. Visit the AAFCP website to check for details (aafcp.net).

July 19-25: National NFP Awareness Week
 

2025
December 11, 2:00 PM (ET), NFP Office Hours Advent Retreat with Msgr. Robert R. Cannon.  Group invitations will be sent the the national and diocesan NFP leaders. Watch for your email with the links! 

November 13, 2:00 PM (ET), NFP Office Hours with guest Gerard Migeon, Natural Womanhood. Group invitations will be sent the the national and diocesan NFP leaders. Watch for your email with the links! 

October 28, CANFP hosts the virtual event "Food for the Journey: Thriving as an NFP Professional," presented by Loree Lippsmeyer, LCSW, a psychotherapist, NFP teacher for over 27 years, and president of Self Discovery for Catholics whose mission is to help people come to know and live more fully who God created them to be. CANFP hosts regular Zoom meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month. It is a service of their membership. The "Tune-Up Tuesdays" are a forum for continuing education, networking, and sharing ideas. To become a member of CANFP see "Become A Member | California Association of Natural Family Planning." 

October 10-11, FACTS' Virtual Conference on the impact of lifestyle on a women’s menstrual cycle. Presentations will focus on wellness, nutrition, exercise, and sleep. For the agenda, see October 2025 FACTS Virtual Conference - FACTS About Fertility. Questions? Contact: @email.

October 9, 2:00 PM (ET), NFP Office Hours with Mary Schneider, PhD, RN, NFP Institute, Marquette University. Group invitations will be sent the the national and diocesan NFP leaders. Watch for your email with the links! 

September 24-27, International Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine (IIRRM) conference, Croatia. This conference is provided both in person and online. Continuing Medical Education units are available. To learn more, see rrmcongress.com.

Archived Events

• The Couple to Couple League (CCL) has a Spanish language client education program that offers a variety of formats for the learner. Married couples can learn the Sympto-Thermal Method (multiple bio-signs), via live group on-line classes, private on-line, or self-paced. Visit https://ligadepareja.org.
   
• Family of the Americas has resources at discounted prices!
  Family of the Americas is selling the resources below for reduced prices:
  Love & Fertility by Mercedes Wilson, 6^th-Edition (English text; includes a book/and 6-month chart); 50% discount, now $19 .99.

• Metodo de Ovulacion (6 Grafica), Mercedes Wilson (Spanish text); an introductory offer of $19.99; also available on Amazon as an e-book.

  To order, contact Brenda Norton Williams, USA Director, FAF, (O) 301-627-3346; Email, familyplanning@yahoo.com; Website: familyplanning.net.

• Natural Womanhood offers training and support to educate young women about their fertility. Their Cycle Mindfulness® Clubs are tailored to fit college campus life. See https://naturalwomanhood.org/cycle-mindfulness-clubs. 
   
• Pearl & Thistle
  Looking for on-line and trustworthy fertility education for children? Visit Pearl & Thistle at https://pearlandthistle.podia.com to view their age-appropriate digital programs that are tailored for parents to use with their children. Please note, most of the programs are for mothers to use with their daughters. Several of the programs are for both girls and boys.
   
• Video Series on the Harmful Side Effects of Hormonal Contraception
  The St. Augustine Foundation developed 10 short videos on the harmful side effects of hormonal contraception with Dr. Bill Williams, MD. The videos present the findings of scientific research that demonstrates the risks to women's health when using hormonal contraception. So harmful are these drugs that Dr. Williams and his colleagues submitted a  Citizens' Petition to the FDA requesting a warning label on these contraceptives.
   
• Chart Your Cycle Engaged
  Chart Your Cycle Engaged is an online fertility awareness coaching program that follows a multi-index approach to cycle tracking by recording and interpreting cervical fluid, basal body temperature, and additional at-home hormonal monitoring for increased efficacy and confidence. Chart Your Cycle Engaged provides two offerings for couples fulfilling their marriage preparation requirement for Natural Family Planning:
  
  1. Live Virtual Introduction to Natural Family Planning Workshop (one hour)
  Each month a free live Introduction to Natural Family Planning virtual workshop is offered. In this one-hour presentation, clients will meet a Chart Your Cycle coach, learn the basics and benefits of cycle charting, and why it matters when getting married in the Catholic Church. The live question and answer session allows time for clients to discuss the information with the cycle coach.
  
  Participants will receive a certificate of completion for their marriage preparation program. The couple is required to attend together but may attend on separate devices. This is a great option for couples who are not in the same geographic location.
  
  To learn more and register for the next session visit: Introduction to Natural Family Planning at awesomecatholicmarriage.com;contact: @email
  
  2. Complete NFP Method Instruction
  Complete NFP instruction and support are offered through a 12-week hybrid program offering self-paced learning with online live coaching for charting evaluation and support.
  
  Full instruction for autonomous use of fertility awareness cycle charting and interpretation for NFP is provided.
  
  The program uses Chart Neo, a medical management model cycle tracking app and platform for secure charting and data management.
  
  This hybrid program offers both on-demand content and live coaching. It is intentionally structured for busy couples. Join anytime, work at your own pace, and receive personalized support with regularly scheduled check-ins.
  
  Chart Your Cycle Engaged includes an Introduction to Catholic Marriage, which provides background on the integration of fertility awareness in Catholic marriage.
  
  To get started visit: awesomecatholicmarriage.com; Melissa Buchan, NBC-HWC, Chart Your Cycle Founder, Neo Fertility Advisor, Integrative Health Coach; Chart Neo Co-Founder, melissabuchan.com, chartneo.com
   
• BOMA-USA has virtual education for healthcare professionals. This series covers NFP science and general methodology in addition to focusing on the Billings Method. Continuing education units are available for both physicians and nurses. See boma-usa.org/health-professionals.html.
   
• Free NFP podcast featuring Dr. Marguerate Duane of FACTS speaking about NFP science and methods. The interview is hosted by the Podcast Hormone Genius (hormonegenius.com), a service of two Creighton Model FertilityCare teachers. Share this link with your family practice physician and young adults who need to know about NFP!
   
• Humanae Vitae, 50 Years Later, Embracing God's Vision for Marriage, Love and Life, A Compendium is available from The Catholic University of America Press (2019). Edited by Theresa Notare, Ph.D., Assistant Director, NFP Program, USCCB, this Catholic Press Association 2020 award winning book features the papers from the 2018 Humanae vitae 50th anniversary symposium held at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (April 4-6). Orders, 1-800-537-5487.
   
• NFP Conversations--a video series by the USCCB's NFP Program launched during the 2020 pandemic that showcases NFP pioneers and topics of interest in NFP ministry. Hosted by the USCCB NFP Program's Assistant Director, Theresa Notare, PhD. A sample of our guests and topics include
  Hanna Klaus, MD, founder of Teen STAR an adolescent fertility appreciation and chastity curriculum
  Mary Shivanandan, STD, author, professor, and NFP promoter
  Donna Dausman and Mary Pat Vann Epps, former diocesan NFP coordinators of the 1980s and '90s
  "Leading with Church Teaching," NFPNAB members, Alice Heinzen and Cindy Leonard
  "Fertility Apps" with Michael Manhart, PhD and Richard Fehring, PhD, RN
  "NFP Outreach to Young Adults," with USCCB's Paul Jarzembowski
  For new videos, search "NFP Conversations" in YouTube.
   
• Faith and Marriage Ministry, an Apostolate of Willwoods Community.  Established in the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1978 by a group of married couples desiring to support the Catholic Church and the community through prayer and service, Willwoods Communmity's Faith and Marriage Ministry has a number of spiritually rich and uplifting resources for marriage enrichment (faithandmarriage.org) including podcasts hosted by Mario Sacasa, PhD, LMFT. Among the podcasts is an engaging conversation on Humanae vitae and more with Theresa Notare, PhD, Assistant Director of the USCCB's NFP Program and podcast host, Dr. Sacasa. Listen at https://faithandmarriage.org/.../059-what-happened-with.../
   
• Dr. Thomas W. Higers' book Blinders: The Destructive Downstream Impact of Contraception, Abortion, and IVF (2018), is available on Amazon. This book reviews the evidence on the destructive effects of these practices in the lives of many people.
   
• The Archdiocese of St. Louis has available a template for a brochure that can easily be adapted for your NFP ministry. Entitled "What Can NFP Do for You?," the St. Louis NFP staff also offer an option to work with their printer so that you can order hard copies directly. Contact Melissa Barnason, Office Assistant, Office of NFP, tel. 1-314-997-7576; melissabarnason@archstl.org.
   
• Minnesota Catholic Conference has available free videos on Catholic teaching on the person and human sexuality from the one-day symposium “Revisit the Catholic Vision of the Human Person.”  View the talks at https://www.mncatholic.org (select the link in the scrolling images); or, go to their YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiXvsyO7_90YpY4imuBqCbg.
   
• Ruah Woods has Theology of the Body curriculum for K-12. Visit the website today!
   
• Archived Resources