We present the following reflection on Mother Teresa as we thank God for her life and work. Provendentially, this reflection was produced for the 1997 Respect Life Program while Mother Teresa was still alive. Last year when Susan Wills, Respect Life Managing Editor, began to plan the layouts for the program, it was suggested to her that she focus on Mother Teresa as the person in our day who most radically reflects the deep reverance for God's gift of life which all Christians should have. The text appears on the back of a picture of Mother Teresa holding a child. The following is available as a "palm card" from the Pro-Life Secretariat (202-541-3070).

Mother Teresa reflects, in a way few others do, profound respect, love and joy for the gift of life. In her we see the light of God's love. Even though her style of living is vastly different from ours, her life beckons us to examine our own. In doing so we may discover that her response to human life is possible for us.

Mother Teresa invites us to see that respect for human life is an attitude, a way of living. It is planteda nd nurtured in the many places and circumstances of our lives, where we work and live and play. Through the simplest of wo4r4ds and actions, respect for life can become the unmistakable aura of our lives, as surely as it is the aura of Mother Teresa's life.

Mother Teresa's life also reflects the compassion that results when we respect human life. It is a self-giving love that each of us can share, starting with those who are closest to us--family, friends, co-workers. What simple acts of kindness might affirm their dignity, value and the sacredness of their lives? Who might benefit from a warm smile, a kind word, a gentle touch, a patient ear?

Our compassion should also touch those beyond our immediate world, reaching others who are poor, or alone, or sick. But reaching out to others is only possible after we have first learned to respond to the needs of those closest to us.

Mother Teresa's example invites us to respond to human life with a spirit and a face of jhoy. Respecting life as God's precious gift, and imitating the love of Jesus Christ, will lead us to be surprised byt he joy in our lives. A joy running deep within us, beyond our control or manipulation, will become a hallmark of our lives.

Each of us, no matter the circumstances of our lives, can follow Mother Teresa's example of respect, compassion and joy for the gift of life. Out witness will be treasured in the heart of God and in the hearts of those whose lives we touch.

I first met Mother Teresa in 1975 when we served together on the Delegation of the Holy See to the First International Conference on Women in Mexico City. The two week meeting was something of a penance for Mother Teresa. She was not accustomed to the tedium and frustration of U.N. conferences. We lived in a modest hotel where we gathered each morning for Mass and prayer. But Mopther missed the chapel and the opportunity to spend longer times before the Blessed Sacrament. She felt confined by the schedule and wanted to go and visit the poor and destitute in Mexico City. But she was faithful to her duties and delivered a moving address tot he entire Conference, calling attention tothe suffering of poor women, sick women, elderly and absndoned women, mothers and babies who needed help.

The secret of Mother Teresa's success was that her whole life revolved around her relationship with God. Though the world may acclaim her a saint, she did not think of herself that way. She saw herself as a person called by God to serve the poor and to use all the practical means available to her.

The media has already begun to extol her, even though it doesn't understand her. But Mother Teresa knew the modern world only too well. She understood the poverty of the world-the material poverty that tears down human dignityand creates such great division in the human family. It was this poverty that called her to give her life to working among the poorest, most disadvantaged and abandoned and the most neglected, not only in India but throughout the world. Her didication was inspirational and contagious, not only to those women who joined her Order, but to countless priests, seminarians and lay people who became supporters of her sisters.

Mother Teresa also understood the spiritual poverty of our world--a poverty that affects everyone, including the wealthy, the powerful and the successful. Mother Teresa in her poverty and detachment had the riches of faith, of love and of a deep relationship with God. Her life was always full of challenge, of security and of love. Because of her faith she was able to treat everyone equally and to bring compassion to each personl. In each person she saw God Himself and she could not do anything but try to help, try to diminish the suffering--above all, to give the person an awareness of his or her value to God and to Mother Teresa and her sisters.

Mother Teresa always preserved a special concern for women. In the impoverished places of this world, she knew that women and children are faced with the greatest of neglect. So Mother Teresa defended unborn children. She fought abortion and spoke out forcefully against it no matter the audience. She opposed the sterilization policy in India and she trained her sisters to be teachers of natural family planning methods to help women.

Mother Teresa is revered because she was a holy woman--one who loved God above all and lived out that love in her service and care of all God's children. We can all imitate her, not only in helping poor people, but by replacing the spiritual poverty of our world with faith and love of God.

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The above article was edited and modified to fit this newsletter. The full article appears in the September 17 issue of Life Issues Forum, a nationaly syndicated column published by the NCCB's Pro-Life Secretariat.+

Mother Teresa on NFP

I know that couples have to plan their family and for that there is Natural Family Planning. The way to plan the family is NFP, not con traception. In destroying the power of giving life, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self. This turns the attention to self and so it destroys the gift of love in him or her. In loving, the husband and wife must turn the attention to each other as happens in NFP, and not to self, as happens in contraception. Once that living love is destroyed by contraception, abortion follows very easily.

I also know that there are great problems in the world--that many spouses do not love each other enough to practice NFP. We cannot solve all the problems in the world, but let us never bring in the worst problem of all, and that is to destroy love. And this is what happens when we tell people to practice contraception and abortion.

Address to Members of Congress, National Prayer Breakfast, Washington, D.C., January 1994

The conference marked the second time that the NFP coordinators shared joint sessions with the diocesan Pro-Life directors (the first was in 1995 in Orlando, FL). The intention was not to have one conference for both groups, but to share sessions where interests or concerns overlapped and to pray together in common liturgies. The reason for maintaining two separate conferences of course, has to do with differences in program tasks rather than with program philosophy. For example, diocesan Pro-Life directors are responsible for very specific educational and pastoral services, as well as strong public policy efforts. NFP coordinators on the other hand, have a ministry which is equally pastoral and practical. From setting up client classes and training teachers, to working on pre-marital programs and providing outreach for clergy or health care professionals, the diocesan NFP coordinator and his/her teachers are mostly engaged in educational tasks. Therefore, NFP conference sessions are oriented for continuing education or programmatic problem solving. Nonetheless, many participants from both conferences recommended addiitional sessions in the future.

A reception and banquet opened the conference. Following dinner there was an open discussion with members of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities--Cardinals Bernard Law (chairman), James Hickey, Archbishop of Washington, D.C., Willliam Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore, MD, Archbishop John Favalora, Miami, FL, Bishops James T. McHugh, Camden, N.J., and Andrew Pataki, Eparch of Passaic for Byzantine Ruthenians. In discussing various challenges facing both Pro-Life and NFP programs in the dioceses, it became clear that the NCCB does not mandate local programs, but rather suggests programs and assists in developing program resources.

Cardinal Law was the principal celebrant and homilist at the opening liturgy on Thursday morning. Two joint sessions followed: Rev. Richard John Newhaus, director of the Institute on Religion and Public Life, offered the Keynote on "Roe v. Wade at 25 Years," followed by a panel on "Non-Marital Sex and Pregnancy." Panel moderator was Rose Fuller, Executive Director, Northwest Family Services. Steve Burke, Director of Marriage and Family Life for the diocese of Providence, R.I., provided an overview of Church teachings which focused on chastity. Patricia Ware, of Preserving Family Well-Being, Inc., stepped in for Stan Weed who had to cancel at the last minute due to his father's severe illness. Pat gave an overview of the research on abstinence programs and threw more light on the bias of the pro-contraceptive community (led by Planned Parenthood). She also explained the provisions in the Welfare Reform Act which allotted funds for abstinence education. Pat's clear instruction and enthusiasm for the truth enlivened all present.

Once the mornings sessions ended, the two conferences continued separately. The NFP sessions were dominated by program concerns. Before the first session got underway, however, two long time NFP laborers were honored. Bishop McHugh announced that both Marge Harrigan and Dr. Ruth Taylor had retired from diocesan NFP ministry. Marge retired as director of the NFP office for the diocese of Corpus Christi, TX in May, after serving in NFP ministry for 24 years. Marge also had been active in NFP teacher training and will continue to serve as chair of the Education Committee for the Billings Ovulation Method Association--USA. After 20 years, Dr. Ruth Taylor retired from her position of director of NFP and Adolescent Sexuality for the diocese of Wichita, KS in July. Dr. Taylor took over the position in 1977 while still a practicing pathologist for St. Francis Medical Center in Wichita. After retiring from her medical duties in 1986, she forged new roads as she worked to develop an abstinence-based adolescent sexuality program called The Wonder of Me. She also contributed to the Project Genesis curriculum. Bishop McHugh noted how truly fortunate the Church is to have been served by these two women. He presented both with plaques bearing the inscription from Humanae vitae that NFP is a "great work, for it affects the good of the world and the Church."

John Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L., director of the Pope John XXIII Center, gave an inspiring and at times humorous talk on communicating responsible parenthood in our day and age. Jenny Peters of Lortz Direct Marketing, Inc., provided a practical session on marketing NFP. Ms. Peters, daughter of NFP coordinator Donna Dausman and husband Harold, reviewed the basic elements of a marketing campaign, including such concepts as situation analysis, promotional strategy, and creative planning. The first full day of the conference was concluded with evening prayer. That evening, an informal session was offered on NFP programs and resources. This informal gathering provided participants an opportunity to know what NFP and chastity resources are available and to meet the people behind the resources. This forum was well attended and participants asked that more time be given to this in the future.

The second day of the conference began with a rousing presentation by Luz-Elena and Kevin Shearer, diocese of Tucson, AZ. They spoke on techniques which, if used correctly, improve communication skills. This was a hands-on session. Participants were asked to take part in a variety of exercises which put into practice the techniques under discussion. After a short break, Dr. Lorna Cvetkovich, Wichita, KS, offered a two part science session. Part one treated common medical conditions which teachers may find in working with clients and part two focused on the signs of infertility. During the next break, an optional "Brown-Bag Lunch" was offered by Theresa Notare, and NFPNAB members Donna Dausman and Stella Kitchen on implementing the National Standards.

Three workshops were offered after lunch. Rev. Robert Cannon, Diocese of Venice, focused on strategies to generate greater clergy support for NFP. Niki Pino, ABNC Design, explored the basics of designing newsletters. She discussed publication terms and definitions and highlighted the "do's" and "don'ts" of design and cost effective ways to produce a newsletter. Jeannie Hannemann of Elizabeth Ministries discussed her parish based program that enables women to be mentors for one another during pregnancy and after birth. Participants discovered ways for individuals and parishes to be a strong witness to the belief in the dignity and worth of all life. The final session entitled, "What Works in NFP Diocesan Programming," gave participants an opportunity to look at three different programs and how they faced the challenges in their own dioceses. The panel included Kay Ek, Diocese of St. Cloud, MN, Rose Jacobs, Diocese of Cleveland, OH and Alice Heinzen, diocese of LaCrosse, WI. In offering her gratitude at the close of the working sessions, Theresa Notare, DDP/NFP Special Assistant, also asked Fr. Ronald Lawler to impart a special blessing on the NFP community. Finally, a closing Mass was concelebrated with Fr. Daniel McCaffrey as the principal celebrant and homilist.

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Due to the high costs of the hotel's sound company, no audio tapes were made of the conference sessions.

A new approach to family planning which is being studied in the United States may offer couples a new option for using natural family planning. The system is made by Unipath Diagnostics Co. and is termed "Persona" outside of the U.S. It identifies a woman's fertile phase by interpreting levels of two hormones found in her urine. Users are required to perform a series of one-step at-home urine tests that are read by a small electronic monitor (about the size of an eyeglass case); the monitor measures a woman's personal hormone levels that control fertility. The system is intended to enable a couple to naturally control contraception by abstaining from intercourse on days of possible fertility when trying to avoid pregnancy.

Clinical trials are being conducted in America to establish the reliability of the system among U.S. couples. Because Unipath is marketing the Persona as a contraceptive, it must be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As part of this process, the company is conducting clinical trials in nine U.S. cities in order to gather data. Based on the usual timing of this process, we do not expect that the system will be approved before the year 2000.

Currently, the Persona is available in several European countries. In a May 1997 issue of L'Osservatory Romano, moral theologian Gino Concetti wrote, "If, by using this (device), one intends to regulate births according to the criteria of responsible fatherhood and motherhood laid down by the teaching of the Church, then no reservations arise."

How the System Works

NFP users will be familiar with the concept behind Unipath's system. Like NFP, the system is intended to provide a woman with information that identifies when she is and is not fertile. Different from NFP, the system, instead of the user, gathers this information by measuring two hormones: estrone-3-glucuronide (E3G) (a metabolite of estradiol) and the luteinizing hormone (LH). Clinical research has demonstrated that, prior to ovulation, a woman's body produces increasing amounts of E3G, and immediately prior to ovulation, her body produces a large amount of LH.

To use, every morning a woman looks at the monitor to see which of three lights is shining:

• GREEN means she is not fertile and can have intercourse;

• RED means she could be fertile and should abstain from intercourse if trying to avoid pregnancy;

• YELLOW will be displayed eight mornings each month (16 in the first month only), indicating the need for a simple urine test. After the test, the system will provide a red or green light.

Clinical Trials

To be eligible for clinical trials of the system, women must be between the ages of 18 and 44, have partners aged 18 to 50, and live in one of the nine trial cities: Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York City, San Francisco, Tampa and Washington DC. Trials will last approximately one year. Because of the FDA's requirements for control groups, half of all couples enrolled will receive Unipath's system while the other half will receive male condoms along with the Unipath system. (.NB: Participants in the study are not able to choose which group they will be part of. ED). The study will evaluate the effectiveness of the birth control methods used in the two groups.

We will continue to keep the Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning updated as we continue researching this fertility indicator

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For more information, contact: 1-888-UNIPATH (1-888-864-7284). Janet Jacobs is director of clinical research at Unipath Diagnostics Co. and is overseeing the U.S. clinical trials.

Last month the Medical Institute for Sexual Health (MISH) held the first National Leadership Summit on Abstinence in Washington, D.C. The meeting provided a rare opportunity for abstinence educators to share ideas and materials, and strategize about the future of chastity education. MISH was founded in 1992 by Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., M.D. and several associates, out of concern for what they saw as the "beginning of an STD epidemic of unprecedented proportion." The goals of the nonprofit organization are:

to provide incisive, research-based sexual health information to young people, to parents and to leaders in health care, government, education and media in practical, understandable and dynamic formats in order to facilitate healthy and life affirming sexual choices, and to promote a cultural revolution of deeply satisfying human sexuality.

The MISH Leadership Summit presented an impressive array of experts from diverse backgrounds. Their talks centered on four themes: (1) the proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is having a serious impact on our society, particularly on adolescents; (2) condoms offer little or no protection against STDs; (3) "safe sex" occurs only in faithful marriages; and (4) character-based education programs offer the best way to help young people remain abstinent until marriage.

In his opening address, Dr. McIlhaney acknowledged that abstinence educators still face great opposition from a culture that glamorizes promiscuity. He pointed out, however, that the tide is now turning in favor of abstinence education. Evidence of the shifting attitudes is seen in federal legislation which last year allocated $50 million to help fund state-level abstinence-only educational programs. Such congressional action is now becoming possible due to the election of pro-life, pro-family members of Congress like Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), a sponsor of the legislation. Dr. Coburn has been promoting abstinence eduation for over ten years and continues to practice obstetrics and family medicine part-time.

Dr. McIlhaney likened the uphill battle abstinence proponents face—despite having all the medical evidence in their favor—to past medical breakthroughs won after years of denial of the medical evidence. For example, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian OB/GYN, was an early champion of sterilization procedures. In looking for the cause of high maternal morbidity rates, he discovered that attending physicians and medical students often went directly from examining cadavers to examining women in labor, without washing their hands. It was years before Semmelweis succeeded in convincing them to adopt the simple solution of hand washing. Abstinence is an obvious and scientifically-supported solution to the problems of STDs and unwed teen pregnancy, but it may require years of perseverance on the part of chastity educators before this truth prevails in the public square.

The Walking Wounded from the Sexual Revolution
David Hager, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., left no doubt that the sexual revolution has produced an explosion in the number, incidence, and severity of STDs. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans between 15 and 55 are now infected with a viral STD. Adding those infected by bacterial STDs, like chlamydia and syphilis, the number is probably 1 in 4. Estimates of new STD infections in the United States each year range from 12 to 18 million. Sixty-six percent of the newly infected people are under 25 years of age; 25% are teenagers. Teens are particularly susceptible because of two factors: the physiology of their developing organs and their tendency to engage in risky behaviors. Efforts to control the spread of STDs are hampered because many infections remain asymptomatic while they cause serious, sometimes irreversible, damage to reproductive organs and are being passed to other partners. It is extremely frustrating that the public is ignorant of this health threat to teens. STDs are potentially more detrimental to health than the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, all of which have enjoyed extensive media campaigns.

Thomas Fitch, M.D., a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center (San Antonio), presented conclusive evidence of why condoms cannot stop the plague of STDs. There is no evidence that condoms are effective against human papilloma virus (HPV), the cause of genital warts. HPV causes at least 90% of all cervical cancer which takes the lives of 8,000 American women annually. About 30% of American men and women have this virus; 3 million new cases are diagnosed annually. Condoms similarly offer little protection against syphilis or against herpes, an incurable virus infecting an estimated 30 million Americans. Condom ineffectiveness rates vary depending on the STD, but the intermittent condom use of most young people offers little or no protection. Women, and especially young women, are at greater risk than men for contracting STDs with or without condom use. A recent large study showed an alarming 69% effectiveness rate in preventing the spread of HIV (a range from 46% to 82%) with condom use. Patricia Ware currently serves as director of educational services for Americans for a Sound AIDS/HIV Policy. A long-time advocate of abstinence-only sexuality education programs, Ms. Ware presented evidence that the abstinence message is slowly getting through to teens. The percentage of unmarried women age 15 to 19 who have had intercourse dropped to 50% in 1995 from 55% in 1990. In a study of adolescent boys, the percent of those who experienced intercourse dropped to 35.5% in 1995, compared to 42.5% in 1990. Ms. Ware reported that the single highest predictor for a teen contracting an STD is having multiple partners. The second highest predictor is initiating sexual relations before age 18. Children in single-parent homes are also at greater risk because of reduced opportunity for parental supervision. Ware has concluded that the greater the incidence of two-parent families in a community, the lower is the incidence of HIV.

Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
While promoting the traditional family and a media campaign exposing the STD epidemic are two strategies for keeping teens safe from STDs, Thomas Lickona, Ph.D. has literally "written the book" on how to rescue future generations of American children and our society from the excesses of the sexual revolution. Lickona, a member of MISH's National Advisory Board, developmental psychologist, professor of education, director of the Center for the Fourth and Fifth Rs (Respect and Responsibility) at the State University of New York at Cortland, has authored five books on moral development and character education including what is considered the definitive work in the field, Educating for Character. Dr. Lickona promotes education that instills strong character in children, helping them apply core virtues (respect, responsibility, etc.) To all aspects of their lives, including sexuality.

Lickona has identified four needs of teens to enable them to save sexual intimacy for marriage: (1) knowledge of the dangers of sex outside marriage—physical, emotional, medical, and spiritual; (2) moral reasoning and values that help them draw the conclusion that sex belongs within marriage; (3) a vision of a positive relationship that is worth waiting for; and (4) the skills and strength of character to wait. Children, he maintains, need to be taught that sexual self-control, like honesty or any other virtue, is the key to self-respect and essential to a healthy society.

Many successful programs of abstinence/character education are described in MISH's National Guidelines for Sexuality and Character Education, available from MISH for $44.95. Other materials from MISH include a newsletter entitled Sexual Health Update (complimentary issue available), brochures entitled The Facts About the STD Epidemic and "Condom Sense": Is It Enough?, a 10-minute video Sexual Health in the '90s, and two slide programs—Safe Sex and Sex Education in the United States. Materials can be ordered from MISH, P.O. Box 4919, Austin, TX 78765-4919. Tel.: (800) 892-9484; Fax.:(512) 451-7597.

The Leadership Summit and the materials produced by MISH serve to demonstrate how medical science and sociology are in perfect sync with Christian teachings on human sexuality and marriage. In our secularized world, they are powerful tools for conversion.

1996 Welfare REform Act: $50M for Abstinence Education

During the abstinence conference there was an open panel and discussion on the 1996 Welfare Reform Act's $50M For Abstinence Education. This was an extreemely informative panel which provided the basic information on which programs would qualify for the funds. You should know that religious groups can apply as long as their sexual abstinence programs are written for students of all faiths. MISH has further details of the requirements in their latest newsletter. Contact: MISH, P.O. Box 4919, Austin, TX 78765-4919; 1-800-892-9484.

Dr. Fitch offers the following summary of useful statistics:

• Adolescents contract 25% of the STD's in America (approx. 3 million a year) although they make up only 10% of the population.

• 1 in 4 youth who are sexually active acquire an STD annually.

• 1 million teens get pregnant a year.

• teens are 10x's more susceptible to PID than adults and therefore subject to infertility.

• 77% of unmarried mothers go on welfare within 5 yrs of giving birth.

The contraceptive revolution has negatively effected many of the world's nations. NFPers know that especially young people are at risk of absorbing the wrong messages. But good people exist everywhere to teach the truth. This column will make you cheer for the leaders of True Love Waits in South Africa.

Forget sport or religion. The fastest-growing fad among young people in South Africa is True Love Waits, an American-inspired association dedicated to preserving its members' virginity.

The group is led by Dorothy Newlands, a headmistress and "proud virgin" who has six adopted children. It has attracted more than 120,000 members since its launch here three years ago.

"Virgins are normal, happy people," said Newlands, whose branch recruits 5,000 members each month and is the fastest growing of 76 True Love Waits groups around the world. She also welcomes young non-virgins if they are prepared to "start again" and become celibate.

"Sex is like a fire," she said. "If you take it out of the fireplace it can burn the house down." Promiscuity can lead to death, she added.

In tours of schools, Newlands tells young women that chastity is the best way of avoiding unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. A surge in applications to join followed a march in Durban in August by 2,000 young women chanting: "Virginity: it's worth it."

Men tend to disagree. "Sex is one of the few ways to have fun in this country if you have no money," said Hullet Gusi, 21, a student. "The people involved in this campaign are extremist killjoys." Opposition is reflected in a rash of car bumper stickers saying: "Virginity is a disease which can be cured."

Newlands started preaching the virtue of premarital virginity after hearing how the True Love Waits campaign caught on in America when it was founded in 1992 by a southern Baptist church minister. Welfare groups concerned at the high teenage pregnancy rate in South Africa have welcomed its arrival and growth.

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Reprinted from the London Sunday Times, 24 August 1997.

The following letter was sent by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family to the ordinaries of four East Coast dioceses: Cardinal James A. Hickey, Washington, D.C. ; Cardinal William H. Keeler, Baltimore, MD; Bishop James T. McHugh, Camden, N.J.; and Bishop Donald W. Wuerl, Pittsburgh, PA. A similar letter was sent to the president of Mothers' Watch, Judith Ammenheuser.

The Pontifical Council for the Family is aware that a group by the name of "Mothers' Watch" has been extremely critical of bishops and educators in the area of chastity education. Mothers' Watch publications repeatedly call for an end to all "sex programs" in Catholic schools. Their ad of November 11, 1996 in the Washington Times declares that any such program is in violation of Church teaching.

While we are all aware of the serious problems which certain types of sex education present, and of the need for parents to control all education in sexuality, the idea that our Catholic schools can play no role in assisting parents is a misrepresentation of Church teaching and of the document of this Council, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality.

An unqualified call for an end to any and every school program which provides collaboration with parents and attempts to convey the Church's teachings on human sexuality is also unfair to those who created and carry out such programs, with the norms clearly expressed by the Magisterium, and specifically by this Dicastery.

It is our hope that parents who present their concerns about these issues will do so with a proper understanding of The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality. We are grateful for your efforts to foster that understanding.

With every prayerful wish, your excellency, and with sentiments of distinct esteem, I remain,

Sincerely your in Christ,

Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo
President

April 26th, 1997 was a day of celebration for NFP in New England. The Saint Luke's Medical Guild, Archdiocese of Boston, held a morning session for physicians to update them on Natural Family Planning. The morning began with Liturgy at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center. Dr. Thomas Hilgers, Pope Paul VI Institute, gave a presentation on NaPro technology, followed by Msgr. Moran, Director, St. John's Seminary, Boston, who gave an overview of the theological aspects of NFP. Doctor Mark Rollo joined in with an informative question & answer session. The program was well received by the doctors and nurses present.

The New England Natural Family Planning Association held a day of celebrating twenty years of service and commitment. The Association is made up of members from the various NFP Programs of New England. Mercy Hospital, Springfield, hosted the day with Most Reverend Bishop Thomas Dupre giving the opening address. The Doctor William A. Lynch Award, established to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the advancement of NFP through service, education, and/or research, was presented posthumously to members of the late Eleanor Tabeek's, Ph.D. family (Instructor Award; Eleanor had also been the NFP coordinator for the archdiocese of Boston), and the late James Furlong's, MD family (Hall of Fame Award). Anthony Gawienowski, Ph.D., and Thomas Hilgers, MD received honorary awards.

Doctor Lynch, OB/GYN, a board member of the Human Life & Natural Family Planning Foundation, was dedicated to the life of the family and a pioneer in promoting Natural Family Planning. Doctor Lynch's wife, Mary, and several family members were in attendance. Larry Kane, a previous recipient, and the first director of the Human Life and NFP Foundation, also addressed the group, providing inspiration and encouragement. Doctor Hilgers spoke on "Strategies for continued success in promoting NFP", and graciously answered many questions from the group.

The spirit of NFP is alive in the New England area and celebrations were continued on July 9, 1997 at Assumption College in Worcester, MA., where a unique and refreshing seminar was held for NFP professionals. Hosted by the Institute for the Study of the Magisterial Teaching of the Church, the seminar gave NFP teachers an opportunity to gather with physicians from Massachusetts who support NFP and do not prescribe contraception. But the teachers were not the only ones to be inspired. The doctors, many of whom practice internal medicine, emergency medicine and family practice, took part in the Mass and sessions while enjoying the support of the NFP teachers. This seminar will become a biannual meeting.

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For more information contact either Fr. Stephen Torraco at the Institute for the Study of the Magisterial Teaching of the Church, Assumption College, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609 (508-756-7657) or Paul Carpentier, MD, at 250 Green Street, Gardner, MA 01440 (508-632-6444).

September 2-6, 1997: There will be a Teen STAR Workshop in Madrid Spain. Contact: NFP Center of Washington, DC, Inc., P.O. Box 30239, Bethesda, MD 20824; (FAX) 301-571-5267 or (Phone) 1-800-484-7416, Sec. No. 1001.

September 12-14, 1997: Billings Ovulation Method Association, U.S.A. is offering teacher training and recertification at St. Charles Pastoral Center in Romeoville, IL. Contact: Kay Ek, BOMA-USA, 316 North 7th Ave., St. Cloud, MN 56303; 1-888-637-6371 or 320-252-2100.

September 24-28, 1997: The National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers is holding its annual Conference, "Rising Tides, Shifting Sands" at the Marriot Hotel Crocker Center, Boca Raton, Florida. Contact: NACFLM, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-1514.

October 3-5, 1997: Holistic Sexuality Teacher Training will be offered at Georgetown Visitation Academy in Washington, DC. Contact: NFP Center of Washington, DC, Inc., P.O. Box 30239, Bethesda, MD 20824; (FAX) 301-571-5267 or (Phone) 1-800-484-7416, Sec. No. 1001.

October 4-5, 1997: A second World Meeting of the Holy Father with Families will take place in Rio de Janero. For more information contact: Pontificio Consiglio per la Famiglia, Segreteria Generale per il II Incontro Mondiale del Santo Padre con le Famiglie, 00120 Città del Vaticano; (Phone) 39-6-698-87254; (FAX) 39-6-698-87278; (E-mail) family-rio@family.va.

October 4 & 5, 1997: Fr. Daniel McCaffrey and Dr. Martha Garza will hold a parish mission at St. Catherine of Siena in the diocese of Erie, PA. On Oct. 6, they will speak to the priests of the diocese. Contact: Fr. McCaffrey, P.O. Box 32180, Oklahoma City, OK 73123; --800-NFP-6383.

October 10-12, 1997: Billings Ovulation Method Association, U.S.A. is offering teacher training and recertification in St. Cloud, MN. Contact: Kay Ek, BOMA-USA, 316 North 7th Ave., St. Cloud, MN 56303; 1-888-637-6371 or 320-252-2100.

February 25 to March 2, 1998: The Northwest Family Services, the Diocese of Orange, CA and the Archdiocese of New Orleans, LA will be hosting a Teacher Education and Certification Program in the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP at the Ave Maria Retreat Center in New Orleans. Contact: Rose Fuller, Executive Director, Northwest Family Services, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 N.E. Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97213; 503-215-6377.

Announcements

The Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the American Academy of NFP was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 16-19, 1997. The theme was "Science and Technology" and speakers included, Susan Rolance, Msgr. Robert Servatius, Dr. Stan Weed, and Dr. Thomas Hilgers. Audiotapes are available for all presentations. Contact: Michelle Keuten, CNFPP at AANFP, 3121 Loveland Drive, Lincoln, NE 68502-5934; 402-488-3013.

Materials

The Office of Laity and Family Life, Archdiocese of St. Louis has a new video entitled, The Truth About Natural Family Planning. The video is designed to encourage couples to explore NFP. It can be used with engaged or married couples. Contact: The Office of Laity and Family Life, 7800 Kenrick Rd., St. Louis, MO 63119; 314-961-4320, ext. 120.

The Diocese of St. Cloud's NFP Office has available professionally produced NFP videos including: NFP: The Spiritual Link; Simply Natural: Understanding Your Fertility & the Benefits of Breast-feeding; Natural Beginnings: A Refreshing Look At Parenting; Fatherhood Fertility; Simply Natural: Understanding Your Fertility and the Couple Relationship; and NFP: A Shared Value. Contact: The Office of NFP, 316 North 7th Ave., St. Cloud, MN 56303; 800-864-6225, 320-252-2100 or 320-252-2877 (FAX).

The Aware Center has produced a new video entitled, The Marital Embrace: Living God's Love. Recommended for marriage preparation and NFP classes. Contact: Central Bureau, C.C.U.A., 3835 Westminster Place, St. Louis, MO 63108; 314-371-1653.

The American Academy of NFP (AANFP) has a series of health brochures available. Titles include: Facts about Family Planning; Living with Periodic Abstinence; Infertility: An Approach using Natural Procreative Technology and The Emotional Roller Coaster of Infertility. Contact: AANFP, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center, NFP, 235 West 6th Street, Reno, NV 89520.

Mary Shivanandan, MA, STD, who received her doctorate from The John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family (where she is currently a professor) has produced 2 new audio tapes, Humanae Vitae: True Liberation and John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Contact 301-652-4536.

Other

1998 will commemorate the 30th anniversary of Humanae vitae. Please let us know about any activities you will be planning to celebrate this timeless encyclical.

If you have not planned something yet--why not consider a special event timed with National NFP Week (March 25, 1998)?

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One More Soul has completed its NFP-Only Physicians' Directory. This directory contains a listing of those doctors who do not prescribe, perform, or refer for contraception, sterilization, abortion or in-vitro fertilization. The doctors are both Catholic and Protestant, all are familiar with the methods of NFP and some are NFP teachers. Contact: One More Soul, 616 Five Oaks Ave., Dayton, OH 45406; 1-800-307-7685.

Memories of Pat Driscoll
August 15, 1997

Somehow I can't believe that Pat Driscoll is gone. I expect to pick up my phone and hear her deep, lilting voice filling me in on yet another project she had on the front burner. In fact, I had received a brochure on her latest project right before I left on vacation and had planned to talk with her about it in September.

Pat was a graduate of U.C. Berkeley in Fine Arts, a wife and mother of eleven, and founder of Christian Womanity. I knew her however, as a staunch supporter of NFP, a voice for the unborn, and one of the first to target teens with the pro-chastity, wait for sex until marriage message. Her little brochures with the cartoon drawings and snappy messages were often imitated by friend and foe alike. Pat had been called the Godmother of Chastity Education. Listening to her was an education in itself. Sincerity, warmth and real wit flavored all her presentations but, above all, Pat was clear. She put it together for me one time when I heard her speak at O'Connor Hospital in 1978:

God gave us this wonderful gift of sexual intercourse. If we use it properly within marriage, we will be happy, healthy and wise. If we abuse it, we will be sick in body, mind, and soul.

Over the years as broken marriages, abortions, STD's AIDS, teen pregnancy escalated, I often thought of her observation and how true it was.

Pat's faith and love for the Church, even when she was rebuffed by those in positions of authority, never waned. If one door closed, she found another one open and she never lost her sense of humor. In fact, at the age of 70, she became a stand-up comedienne. Her best joke, I think, is this gentle story about her husband:

"I know, Frank, let's do something different this Sunday morning. Why don't you get the children washed and dressed while I sit in the car and honk the horn?"

Pat had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother, giving each of her seven daughters the first name of Mary. It seems so appropriate to me, then, that the Lord would call her home on August 15. The doctors say she suffered an aneurysm and death was instantaneous. With her family, I only wish I had had time to tell her, "Thanks, Pat, for being you."

Terry Maes
Office of Pastoral Ministry
Diocese of San Jose, CA