“The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family.”
Pope Francis – Lumen Fidei, June 29, 2013, no. 52

Family Life includes

† Celebrations of Birth, Baptism, First Sacraments, Sacraments of Vocations such as Priesthood,
Consecrated Life, Marriage 

† Participation in Faith Formation for Adults and Children, including Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the Sunday 11:00am Mass

† Enrichment of relationships such as youth, adults, singles, grandparents, seniors

† Offerings during the tougher times in life, such as separation/divorce, loss of loved ones, end of life. 

Consider what the Church has to offer during all stages of life!  Call for more information.

Have an idea for the parish to consider? Email Dotye. 

Interested in Volunteering? Visit this page for more information.

What do we have in our Parish for families?

† Faith Formation
† Sacraments for Adults and Children
† Speakers & Visiting Priests
† Family Nights
† Annual Parish Gatherings & Parties
† Annual Weekdays of Lent: Stations of the Cross & Fellowship/Meatless Meal

Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies.

Why NFP?  

The Catholic Church promotes NFP because it is the only method of family planning that respects the link between the love-giving and the life-giving purposes that God has placed in sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse is intended by God to be the most intimate sign of the complete gift of self that a man and a woman make to one another in marriage. This act that expresses their mutual gift of self, at the same time makes them capable of the greatest possible gift – cooperating with God in giving life to a new human person.

Natural family planning allows a couple to prayerfully discern on a periodic basis whether or not God is calling them to conceive a child and then to use their understanding of the wife’s fertility cycle to either achieve or avoid a pregnancy. It regards fertility as a gift that should not be suppressed or destroyed, but rather appreciated and respected. The Church believes that natural family planning is where being pro-life begins.

A common misconception is that NFP does not work.  This idea comes from multiple sources:

1. Early less effective methods (such as the Rhythm Method) overshadowing more scientific and highly effective methods (such as SymptoThermal and Creighton)
2. Many couples practicing a method without proper training
3. Many couples simply being open to life and less concerned about following rules of a method.

To address point 1, well designed studies have shown that Creighton Method and SymptoThermal Methods are both >99% effective when used properly to avoid pregnancy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034620/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9653695

To prevent couples from improperly using a system, we have teachers here in Shreveport who will meet with you, teach you the system, and answer any questions you have along the way.

Of course, point number 3 is the beauty of NFP: as couple goes through life, they can decide month-by-month whether or not to conceive.  NFP requires communication that strengthens marriages and prayer by causing each individual to evaluate his or her desires in light of their current situation.  Paragraph 2368 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “for just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood.”
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a6.htm#2368

Kristin Blanchard, a Creighton Practitioner comments on infertility

The NFP methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman’s cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.

NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).