Denver Catholic

BY NISSA LAPOINT Married couples are called to be a total and complete gift to one another, just as Christ was for humanity on the cross. This is a truth Carrie Keating, natural family planning (NFP) specialist, is working to help cou- ples realize and live. Under the Office of Evangeli- zation and Family Life Ministries in the Denver Archdiocese, she is developing outreach efforts and an NFP network that proclaims the truth of God's plan for mar- riage, human sexuality and fam- ily life. NFP is the Church-approved way of recognizing and charting the observable signs of a wom- an's fertility. It can regulate births and help couples achieve a 98 percent effectiveness. Archbish- op Charles Chaput, O.F.M., Cap., made it a requirement for mar- riage preparation. Keating, who has studied natural planning methods and taught them to couples, said NFP is a way to strengthen marriages. It's like Christ's total and com- plete gift of himself when he was exposed, naked and stretched out on the cross. "So we're to be that way with one another," Keating said. Her office is working to in- crease the number of married couples teaching NFP to couples before making their way to the altar. Methods available include the sympto-thermal method taught by the Couple to Couple League in classes, and the Creigh - ton Model, taught privately. Keating said she's working to expand the number of teaching couples so there's one in every church or region of the diocese. "Whenever you teach it, it grows," she said. In 2012, there were about 1,700 weddings in the archdiocese and most couples were taught by the Couple to Couple League and others by the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, also an NFP organization. Currently, there are 34 couples teaching the sympto-thermal method—15 in Spanish and one in Vietnamese—and 18 teach- ing the Creighton Model—two of which teach in northern Colorado. Her mission is to expand the options available to couples so all have a chance to better un- derstand and respond to their fertility. With a pastor's approval, cou - ples unable to access classes may learn online. But over time, Keat- ing aims to have more options available to couples through live virtual classes. She's also organiz- ing traveling couples who will go to the Eastern Plains and West- ern Slope to teach in Spanish and English. Part of the plan is to reach out to the Hispanic communi- ty. In partnership with Viviana Martinez, coordinator of His- panic Family Ministry, the two women have joined to develop a cross-cultural approach to mar- riage enrichment for inner-city and rural communities with Hispanics. In January, the archdiocese held the largest-ever mar- riage-prep training days for mentoring couples. It was part of a larger effort to better pre- pare engaged couples for holy matrimony. Keating and her office is also strengthening its ties with the medical community, particularly local physicians who are trained in NFP. Several local faithful are also launching classes that explain the religious, historical and sci- entific aspects of contraception and NFP—classes meant for engaged and marriage couples or those entering the Church. Another has begun a class that coaches women on the connec- tions between health, fertility and nutrition. Keating says the secular world gives a very different message about sexuality. "I think our culture says that sex is for pleasure and that in- timate part of the relationship is very different in the Catholic world," Keating said. "It is for marital bonding, it is for that closeness and representing the sacrament. It's about giving our- selves fully to our spouses and not holding back." To learn more about NFP and connect with Keating, visit the Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries at www. archden.org. Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa NFP specialist helps couples be mutual gift 14 I ARCHBISHOP'S CATHOLIC APPEAL MAY 7, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER Come for a day or week Book your next event with us More than just retreats... 719-258-1600 for Tour or Reservations www.eltesororetreat.org all the students around the building to get the sense of our prayerful embrace of the school and the mission and vision of the school," he said after leading the students in prayer. "Visually it's more impactful to see the whole student body praying for the building, praying for one another. It's the feel of that embrace." He said a blessing over the school after students recited a part of the rosary. Father Espino asked God to keep the children safe and make the school a place of learning. "We dedicate this building to the PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT NATURAL FAMILY Planning specialist Carrie Keating, left, talks with Viviana Martinez, co- ordinator of Hispanic Family Ministry, about expanding outreach to couples to educate them about the Church's approved birth planning method. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING Contact NFP, family and mar- riage specialist Carrie Keating for more information. Phone: 303-715-3259 Email: carrie.keating@arch den.org Online: www.archden.org and search for Office of Evangeli- zation and Family Life Archbishop's Catholic Appeal Through the Archbishop's Catholic Appeal, nearly 40 archdiocesan ministries are sup- ported by donations to the annual campaign. Donations fund ministries created to cate- chize school students, educate seminarians, provide food and shelter to the impover- ished, lead the wayward back to the Church and communicate the Gospel message. Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila chose this year's theme "Go, therefore, and make disciples" (Matt 28:19) to encourage faithful to re-evaluate their roles in making disciples. Gifts to the appeal is one way faithful can help make disciples for Christ. To make a donation, call 303-715-3111 or visit www.archden.org/donate. The Bogumills say their mar- riage is as strong and fresh as it was when they first got mar- ried nearly 15 years ago. And natural family planning has a lot to do with it, they said. "We've been given this gift of NFP that has been such a big factor in the strengthening of our marriage," said John Bogu- mill, 49, of he and his wife, Theresa. "It's been a gem in our marriage." The natural way to chart a woman's visible signs of fertility has been a gift they want to share with others. This month, the Church of the Risen Christ parishioners are giving back by volunteering to teach engaged couples about NFP at Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora. "We always tell them we know this is a leap of faith," John said about teaching cou- ples. "It's a scary leap of faith for couples to go counter to what the culture is telling them." But NFP is effective, doesn't carry health risks for women, and increases communication between couples, they said. It's also helped Theresa in understanding her cycle. With- out NFP she wouldn't have known about a time when she had low levels of progesterone, which would have caused her to lose her first child. With this awareness, Theresa said she rushed to the hospital to get a progesterone shot. Her son's life was saved. "I just can't imagine my life without my son," she said. "God gave me the knowledge to know that I need to take care of my body." NFP 'a gem' to couple "GO, THEREFORE, AND MAKE DISCIPLES..." (MATT 28:19)

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