As part of effort to promote couples to learn together, archdiocese offers a night out, plus free NFP intro courses in English and Spanish
DETROIT — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recognizes the last week in July each year as Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week.
During this year’s observance, July 25-31, the Archdiocese of Detroit’s marriage and family ministry office is inviting couples to celebrate with a special date night, as well as several free opportunities to learn about NFP.
The “To Have and to Hold” Married Date Night will take place Friday, July 30, at 6:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson. The idea is that for couples to practice and promote NFP, they must first establish a strong marital foundation of trust and intimacy with each other, said Nicole Joyce, the archdiocese’s NFP ministry coordinator.
“We always talk about NFP awareness as this push to get more couples to use NFP, but the bigger question behind that is, why don’t more couples use it?” Joyce told Detroit Catholic. “The more I started digging into that and the more I was exposed to different couples who resisted NFP at first, the more it became clear that we are not going to get couples to even want to think about NFP if they aren’t in a healthy, whole relationship already.”
The date night is designed to invite any couple in any stage of marriage to come and spend quality time with their spouse, Joyce said.
The date night will include a talk from Fr. John Kopson, associate pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, about different ways couples can grow in holiness and live out their vocation. Couples will be treated to an outdoor dining and dancing experience with a chance to win prizes.
“It will be a really nice evening for the couples to spend some time without the kids to reconnect,” Joyce said. “Some of them might not have been out to dinner since the pandemic started.”
Representatives from the archdiocese’s marriage coaching program will be available to share their experiences with couples.
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is a national education campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to celebrate marriage and promote NFP methods.
According to the USCCB’s website, “the dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week 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.”
Practicing NFP is one of the many ways married couples can live as missionary disciples, Joyce said.
Practicing Natural Family Planning is one of the many ways that married couples can live as missionary disciples, Joyce said.
“I think the foundation of NFP is really about sacrifice and the idea that marriage is an outward sign of God’s love for the world –– just as husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the Church,” Joyce said. “When we practice NFP, that is another way we are saying, ‘Yes, I do give my whole self to you; I do this as an outward example of the way Christ loves all of us.’”
NFP isn’t always easy, Joyce said, and she encourages couples to find other couples to support one another during difficult moments. She also said couples shouldn’t be afraid to look into different methods of NFP, especially if one method isn’t working for them.
Free NFP intro courses will be offered online throughout the week. Couples can attend sessions to learn about the Marquette and Creighton models, and several of the sessions will be offered in Spanish.
‘To Have and To Hold:’ Married Couples Date Night
- Friday, July 30, 6:30 p.m.
- Guardian Angels Parish, Clawson
- Cost: $50 per couple, RSVP at EventBrite
Free NFP Intro Courses
(Attendees must register to be admitted into the meetings)
- Introduction to Natural Family Planning (Spanish) - Lunes, el 26 de Julio
- Introduction to the Creighton Model (English) - Tuesday, July 27
- Introduction to the Creighton Model (Spanish) - Miércoles, el 28 de Julio
- Introduction to the Marquette Model (English) - Wednesday, July 28
