“Natural Family Planning, Designed by God, Guided by Love, Open to Life” is the theme of this year’s national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week (July 19–25, 2026).
As an educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), NFP Week celebrates God’s design for married love and the gift of life and raises awareness about Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods.
As the U.S. bishops have written, NFP is supportive of Catholic beliefs about married love because it “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being” (see Married Love and the Gift of Life).
The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, July 19–25, highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood.
Benefits of NFP
NFP research reveals that married couples who practice a method of NFP reap many spiritual and human benefits such as: improved couple communication, lower divorce rates, and more openness to life (see Is NFP Healthy for Marriages?). In addition, a woman can gain a deeper knowledge of her reproductive health when charting her fertility. This information can be used by physicians to catch root causes of negative issues that may harm a woman’s fertility.
The Diocese of Raleigh joins with the U.S. bishops in highlighting the benefits of NFP as ethical methods to help married couples live God’s design for their marriages.
Learn about NFP
The Diocese of Raleigh's Marriage and Family Life ministry offers resources on Natural Family Planning, including information on where to learn NFP. Please join the diocesan NFP team to spread the word about God’s design for married love and the gift of life as well as the methods of NFP! Contact us to get involved at 984-900-3184.
Videos
Hear about Natural Family Planning from couples in the Diocese of Raleigh:
- Beauty in the science behind NFP - Sean and Emily Kennedy
- The gift of NFP in our marriage - Caitlin and Thomas Zawistowicz
- Joint Responsibility with NFP - Joan and Kyle Mansfield
- Why become a NFP Instructor? - Emily and Sean Kennedy
Learn More
NFP Resources from the Diocese of Raleigh
Where to learn an NFP method in the Diocese of Raleigh
Catholic teaching on love and human sexuality (USCCB)
Catholic teaching on married love and the gift of life (USCCB)
What is Natural Family Planning? (USCCB)