NFP to be offered in Spanish in diocese

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
July 28, 2005

EARLY - The Office of Hispanic Ministries of the Diocese of Sioux City will be offering a Spanish version of Natural Family Planning to interested parishioners in the diocese.

Natural Family Planning is 99 percent effective to prevent or achieve pregnancy and is 100 percent natural.

There will be two conferences held in the Sacred Heart Parish Center in Early. The first session will be Aug. 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The second session will be Sept. 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

"This is for couples and individuals who want to learn about Natural Family Planning," said Juan Garcia, assistant for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Sioux City.

The conference will be facilitated by a couple, Fausto and Lourdes Ramirez, from Fresno, Calif. that has been teaching Natural Family Planning for about 10 years. The couple is originally from Mexico but have been living in California for several years. They will be teaching the Couple to Couple League (CCL) method of NFP.

"The whole method is presented in two sessions," said Garcia. "People need to attend both (August and September) in order to learn the whole method."

The CCL method provides quality instruction in the Sympto-thermal method of NFP through a certified teaching couple. Each CCL course usually consists of four classes held at monthly intervals, which allows couples to chart several cycles and receive personal counseling during the course.

The Sympto-thermal method of NFP provides awareness of fertility by daily observation of three signs: the mucus, the cervix and the basal body temperature. Abstinence during the fertile time allows couples to avoid pregnancy. Knowledge of the fertile time can also help couples of marginal fertility to achieve pregnancy. The CCL course includes information on the return of fertility after childbirth, ecological breastfeeding, ongoing marital growth and help with pre-menopausal years.

"Pope John Paul II encouraged the whole church to be pro-life and this is something we are doing to follow that," said Garcia. "Also, we have this in English and not in Spanish. This will be the first time that we will present this completely in Spanish."

Garcia noted that maybe in the future it would be possible to offer the Spanish version for the marriage preparation programs.

"A lot of people that are coming to this area, their first language is Spanish," said Garcia. "Even in their own language, they need a lot of explanation in order to understand. It is very important to offer, at least to this generation, a lot of services in their native language."

He added that after these sessions there is hope to have a certified couple so that NFP can be taught in the diocese in Spanish without hiring someone from another diocese.

The cost of the conference is $20 per person and $40 per pair. Couples are encouraged to attend together.

If anyone has questions or would like to register for the conference, please contact Juan Garcia at the Office of Hispanic Ministry at (712) 233-7536 or (712) 253-7973 in Sioux City; Juanita Garcia at (712) 252-6118 in Sioux City; Marta Paz (712) 263-5313 in Denison; or Norma Rangel (712) 749-2969 in Storm Lake.