NFP | The Practicing Catholic

5 Steps to Embracing Natural Family Planning

Sunday, July 29th, 2012 | By Renee McGuire

Editor’s Note: In honor of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, welcome back Renee McGuire to The Practicing Catholic. Read Part 1 of Renee’s testimony 6 Things I’ve Learned Since Dumping the Pill.

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Once we removed the pill from our marriage, my husband and I experienced healing we didn’t know we needed. This truly was a turning point in our marriage. But after the birth of our first son, we had to trust in God another way … postponing pregnancy. Here comes the responsible parenthood part.

What’s responsible parenthood? It’s the virtuous decision made by a married couple to either conceive a child or postpone conception. Catholics are NOT expected to have . . . → Read More: 5 Steps to Embracing Natural Family Planning

6 Things I’ve Learned Since Dumping the Pill

Saturday, July 28th, 2012 | By Renee McGuire

Editor’s Note: In honor of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, please welcome Renee McGuire to The Practicing Catholic. Renee and husband Kerry are parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines, Iowa, where they teach Natural Family Planning classes. This is Part 1 of Renee’s testimony. Part 2 is 5 Steps to Embracing Natural Family Planning.

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“This is just the rhythm method and everyone knows that doesn’t work.”

“Everyone who follows natural family planning has big families and we can’t afford that.”

“NFP is too hard to learn.”

“Catholics don’t really follow this anyway. It’s so . . . → Read More: 6 Things I’ve Learned Since Dumping the Pill

Catholic Church in the Crosshairs

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 | By Joel Schmidt

Obama administration empowers dissident Catholics to represent the Church, tries to shift conversation from religious freedom to contraception.

EWTN's Teresa Tomeo interviews NY Archbishop Dolan at 2012 March for Life

“Click, click.”

Did you hear that? It’s the sound of the Obama administration taking aim at the Catholic Church. I’m sure there are some who disagree with me, who want me to just relax and stop with the conspiracy theory nonsense. I won’t.

According to Fr. Jesus Urteaga, “If we love truth, we must learn to defend it against all attack.” Make no mistake; we are most definitely being attacked. The Obama administration has declared war on religious freedom, . . . → Read More: Catholic Church in the Crosshairs

The Catholic Church’s Best Kept Secret

Thursday, October 27th, 2011 | By Kerry McGuire

One Husband’s Perspective on Natural Family Planning

Today we are pleased to welcome friend and fellow parishioner Kerry McGuire to The Practicing Catholic. Kerry’s wife Renee wrote two posts for us this past July (Part I & Part II) in conjunction with Natural Family Planning Awareness Week. As Respect Life Month comes to a close, we are honored to share Kerry’s perspective to the couple’s pro-life conversion story.

To me, respecting life has a lot to do with respecting the way in which life is created.

After my wife Renee and I had been married for a few years we decided, maybe, just maybe we were ready to have kids. The first month we really tried, Renee was . . . → Read More: The Catholic Church’s Best Kept Secret

Help a Friend Defend NFP!

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 | By Joel Schmidt

The Problem

In our continuing focus on Natural Family Planning Awareness week, I would like to highlight the good work of our friend Kristan Doerfler who writes The Emmaus Road blog, the Catholic voice on HoustonBelief.com (hosted by the Houston Chronicle). As one might imagine, she has a broad, diverse readership that can result in a litany of less-than-charitable comments. Yet, she always responds thoughtfully, rationally, and sometimes humorously, striving to moderate productive discussion.

Further, Kristan doesn’t avoid the more “controversial” issues. This week, her Why the Pill is a Problem post expectedly has generated lots of comments, most of which are rather negative and decidedly anti-NFP. I urge you . . . → Read More: Help a Friend Defend NFP!