“Called to the Joy of Love, Natural Family Planning, Supporting God’s gifts of love and life in marriage” is the theme of this year’s national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week (July 24–30, 2022).

As an educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “NFP Week” celebrates God’s design for married love and the gift of life and raises awareness about Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods. “NFP,” as the U.S. bishops have written, are supportive of Catholic beliefs about married love because NFP “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being.

These dates highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood.

The Diocese of Burlington joins with the U.S. bishops in highlighting the benefits of NFP as ethical methods to help married couples live God’s design for their marriages. Throughout the week, look for videos from Vermont NFP Providers on the diocesan Facebook page as well as online at vermontcatholic.org/nfp.

Please join the diocesan NFP team to spread the word about God’s design for married love and the gift of life as well as the methods of NFP. Contact Terri McCormack at tmccormack@ vermontcatholic.org to get involved.

deGoësbriand Day of Giving July 29

July 29 is the DeGoesbriand Day of Giving in honor of Bishop deGoësbriand, the first bishop of Burlington. The first 20 donations made online to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal of $1,000 or more will be matched with a $1,000 toward the parish goal thanks to a $20,000 donation from the Vermont Catholic Community Foundation. Each parish is eligible for two matching gifts. Make your gifts online: https://www.vermontcatholic.org/giveonline.

—Originally published in the July 23-29, 2022, edition of The Inland See.