April was a busy month for the Office of Marriage & Family Life. We held four sessions of "Stories of Hope and Healing: Rebuilding After Divorce" in Paducah, Hardinsburg, Bowling Green, and Owensboro; "Encountering the Gift of Marriage" retreat for married couples at KenLake Resort State Park; an Engaged Encounter Retreat at Mount St. Joseph Retreat Center; and Spanish Pre-Cana in Madisonville. We also trained a new NFP instructor (more on that later).
This monthly email list has now surpassed 550 people, which we are tremendously excited about, but we are still constantly trying to build this email list to include more families in the Diocese of Owensboro. So please share this email with parishioners, family, and friends you think would appreciate it.
If this is your first time receiving and reading this email, welcome!! Click here to subscribe so you will continue to get this newsletter directly in your inbox each month.
The Diocese of Owensboro Office of Marriage & Family Life strives to provide easily accessible instruction in Natural Family Planning (NFP) to as many couples as possible in both the Billings and Creighton methods.
NFP refers to natural methods to determine fertile and infertile times in a women's monthly cycle. Couples trained in NFP make daily observations and record the results on a chart to help them plan to either achieve or postpone pregnancy. When taught by a certified instructor and used according to instructions, couples practicing NFP see 96% - 99.5% effectiveness rates when using NFP to space their children or plan their family size.
When trying to achieve pregnancy, 98% of couples with normal fertility achieve a pregnancy in the first six months using the Creighton Model. Of those with fertility complications, 20% - 40% were able to achieve by simply charting and up to 80% were able to achieve when they received medical treatment in conjunction with charting. Our Diocese is very fortunate to have a Creighton "Center" right here in our Diocese to instruct clients either face-to-face or remotely. Contact Suzanne Padgett for more information.
The Billings Ovulation Method® is a simple, highly effective fertility management system. Backed by over 50 years of clinical research and over 850,000 hormonal assays, Billings helps couples understand the state of their combined fertility to achieve or space pregnancy. The information can be used to monitor reproductive health.
Our Diocese has trained Billings Teachers ready to see clients in Bowling Green, Paducah, Hopkinsville, and Owensboro. And as of April, we are excited to announce we have just trained another Billings Teacher in Leitchfield! Contact Martha Winn for more information.
We also offer Billings instruction in Spanish in Sebree, Owensboro, Mayfield, Bowling Green,and Hopkinsville. Contact Patti Gutierrez for more information.
A Billings Ovulation Method® Teacher Training is taking place at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN June 7-10th. CNE's/CME's are being offered to health care professionals for attendance. Through the kindness of benefactors of BOMA-USA, a limited number of scholarships are available to medical students. Contact Sue Ek, Executive Director of BOMA-USA http://boma-usa.org/, at 651-699-8139 to apply.
With this year being the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, we are especially excited to be promoting NFP and making it more readily accessible throughout the Diocese of Owensboro. Be on the lookout for a 50th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae event this summer.
- by Elaine Robertson, Director of Faith Formation
As we look toward the end of the school year, our minds turn to planning vacation time. Although many plans are made for the beach, Disney, Holiday World, etc., may I suggest planning a pilgrimage trip to many Catholic sites.
This is just in our diocese. If you wish to find other sites in different states google “Catholic Pilgrimage Sites in the United States.” I am sure you can find some place to visit on your travels to other vacation sites. Have a blessed summer and safety for all.
Opportunities for Life maintains a pregnancy helpline answered by trained volunteers 24 hours a day. OFL is operated under the direction of the Catholic bishops of Kentucky and facilitated by the Catholic Charities agencies of Kentucky. There is a local office right here at the McRaith Catholic Center in Owensboro. Please help us spread the word!
The Office of Faith Formation webpage has resources for sharing faith at home with children and family. The Faith Formation and Marriage & Family Life Offices at McRaith Catholic Center (in Owensboro) both have books and other resources available for parents to borrow in both Spanish and English.
Online Resources:
(a run-down of the best websites I've come across since last issue)
USCCB "For Your Marriage" website hosts a Catholic podcast called Made for Love about real people living out their call to love. April episode topics included Infertility and Complementarity (Man and Woman: Not Two Halves, but Two Wholes). May episodes feature Bishops talking about their moms for Mother's Day and an episode about Sports and Family Life.
Catholic Family and MarriageOnline Magazine. Featuring articles about marriage and family life from a Catholic perspective. New articles are posted each month with a link to past issues as well.
Stay tuned.... The Office of Marriage and Family Life is reformatting our webpage to better serve you! When we launch the new page, we will give our email newsletter subscribers the first chance to see it. In the meantime, follow us on social media. Please follow our Facebook page, Instagram. And Twitter.
Save the Date…
Tribunal Information Sessions
"Stories of Hope and Healing: Rebuilding After Divorce" was a great success for all who came to the sessions.
Tribunal will be returning to each location to address myths and misconceptions surrounding divorce in the Catholic Church. Come hear the truth and beauty of the Church's teaching on separation, divorce, declarations of invalidity (annulment), remarriage, and the reception of Holy Communion.
Tues, May 8 @ 6:30pm - St. Thomas More, Paducah
Tues, May 15 @ 6:30pm - St. Romuald, Hardinsburg
Tues, May 22 @ 6:30pm - Holy Spirit Church, Bowling Green
Tues, June 5 @ 6:30pm - Our Lady of Lourdes, Owensboro
"Joined by Grace" marriage prep Mentor Couple Program training for parish mentor couples June 16 in Whitesville, KY. Couples from St. Mary of the Woods and St. Elizabeth (Clarkson) are attending. Space is limited, but if any other parishes are interested in having couples trained, please contact Danny May for more info.
Family Day at Gasper
Family Day at Gasper River returns Sunday, August 19, with a day focused on "Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist." Includes activities, reflections by Fr. Mike Williams, and closing Mass with Bishop Medley.
Married Couple's Day of Reflection at Passionist Monastery September 22. (Postponed from April)
Marriage Retreat at Mount St. Joseph Retreat Center
Mount St. Joseph Conference and Retreat Center is hosting a Marriage Retreat Oct. 26-28, 2018. The theme is ”Falling in LOVE, Staying in LOVE AND Finding God in it all.” Contact Mary Matthias Ward at 270-229-0200 for more information.
Pre-Cana Dates:
June 2 @ Gasper River
August 18 @ Gasper River
September 8 @ St. Thomas More, Paducah
October 27 (Spanish) @ Christ the King, Madisonville
November 3 @ Gasper River
