Spring 2001 CANFP NEWS

	CANFP NEWS Spring 2001
	To view an article click on the title below: CANFP's Annual Conference Amazing! President's Perspective Director's Desk Ask the Expert Puente a la Salud 2002 CANFP Conference Calegari Award Recipient Clergy Corner Esquina del Clero Thank you, Donors! WANTED!!! - to view this newsletter in it's original layout - Download Here please allow a few moments for the newsletter to load CANFP's Annual Conference Amazing! Maureen Scagliotti, RN The focus of the 8TH Annual CANFP Conference, so aptly named "Bridge to Health", was on the spiritual, physical, and emotional health of marriage and family, and the future health of CANFP. Chris Lyford, Family Life Director of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, hosted the conference and welcomed us to this beautiful city and the Cathedral of St. Mary’s. The "Golden Gate" opened up to bring together the pioneers and the neophytes in an exciting and informative conference. Those who actively took up the cause decades ago to bring this awesome lifestyle to couples established the foundation for NFP throughout the State, and we were fortunate to have many of them in attendance. Today the fruits of their efforts have spawned not only recognition of the moral and spiritual dimension of NFP, but also the medical and scientific contributions to women’s health. Our fastest growing population in the state of California, the Hispanic community, was well represented at the Conference. Their presence and contribution was uplifting and enriching. John and Kathi Hamlon opened the English track by sharing how NFP enhanced understanding, respect, and patience with each other as they struggled through trials in their marriage. Interestingly, this couple was the first teaching couple of the first NFP Program at a Catholic hospital in California—St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco. The morning sessions continued with a presentation by Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, practicing doctor of Internal Medicine and author of the just released book, Breast Cancer: Its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill. His book and presentation are the culmination of 6 years of study on this topic, and he cited eighteen of twenty-one studies done since 1980 which have consitently shown that Pill users have a higher rate of breast cancer than non-pill users. Dr. Mary Davenport, practicing OB-Gyn, then gave a most hopeful presentation on alternatives to therapeutic uses of oral contraceptives. Much of what is available is cooperative to women’s health, rather than suppressive or potentially injurious. The luncheon provided opportunity to renew friendships, socialize with colleagues, and participate in shaping the future of CANFP through regional discussions of the goals for the coming year. This year we saw a change in leadership. Gregory Polito, MD, KM, who hails from Southern California, was inaugurated as our third President. Congratulations to Dr. Polito as he leads us into the 21st century with his vision for NFP in California. His first duty was to name Past President, Sheila St. John, as Interim Executive Director. As most of you know, Sheila has been the backbone and workhorse of this organization, developing it as a resource, support network, and educational tool for NFP. Much gratitude goes to you, Sheila. Another physician, Dr. Carlos Aldana, opened the afternoon sessions, speaking to the cultural considerations of teaching NFP in Latino communities. He reports the contraceptive mentality is alive and well in Mexico, with sterilization being the most popular method, and often without informed consent. Following this, two speakers from the California Catholic Conference spoke to the new law mandating that all employers provide contraceptive coverage in their health insurance. David Pollard gave an eloquent presentation on the moral imperative of Humanae Vitae. James Sweeney, the attorney representing Catholic Charities in their legal challenge of this mandate, discussed its implications. This has far reaching consequences, because of its First Amendment challenge, and those interested in the outcome represent a diversity of religions. The evening banquet again gave us some time to socialize, meeting old friends and making new. The Calegari Award was presented to Dr. Suzanne Regul. While well deserved, she was pleasantly surprised. Our keynote speaker, Father Robert J. Spitzer, SJ, PhD, President of Gonzaga University, wowed us with his address, drawing from concepts in his book Healing the Culture. He spoke to the issues of true love, freedom, and personhood as the bridge between personal and cultural health. This article, of course, cannot do justice to our speakers. See enclosed list of audiotapes if you were unable to attend, would like to "revisit" your favorite presentation, or perhaps wish to share with a friend, priest, or colleague a talk you found particularly insightful. President's Perspective Gregory Polito, MD, KM In the newspaper this week: Yahoo! finds that the only way it’s going to make money with its internet business is to be the search engine of choice for pornographic websites; native east Los Angeles lesbian artist Alma Lopez is surprised that her digital collage depicting the Virgin of Guadalupe wearing only a few sprays of strategically placed roses that is on display at the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Museum of International Folk Art has generated protests from fellow Latinos; the premiere episode of a satirical comedy, "That’s My Bush," includes President George W. Bush negotiating with the pro-abort and pro-life leaders—and the pro-life leader is a talking adult male fetus; a lady writes to Ann Landers because her "fiance" (no wedding date set yet) and live-in lover of five years wants her to abort her "surprise" pregnancy and she’s not sure what to do; and then there are the parents that brutally savaged their children physically and sexually with the seven month old receiving the brunt of it… Lord have mercy! Why do I bring up these unfortunately all too common examples of the abuse of the beautiful gift of human sexuality? Because, sisters and brothers, YOU are the antidote to it! Your willingness to support and/or teach NFP at no small personal expense gets the message of life out to those whose consciences have been overwhelmed by the incessant tide of untruth. God loves us. God wants to be in a loving relationship with each of us for all eternity, and he has given us noncontraceptive marital intercourse as a tiny preview, as just a little hint, of what that ecstatic union will be like for us. Wow! But he isn’t making any more personal appearances… and he needs us to do the spading, cultivating, and sowing of the seed of truth into the minds of others, especially the young. God never gives us a problem without the solution. Many of the young view children as a "problem" to be solved. You know better. You know that there is no limit to God’s generosity, that He cannot be outdone in generosity. So you can smile and give couples the tools they need to practice NFP, knowing full well that their willingness to go down this path is going to teach them more than they ever dreamed of about love, generosity, and true friendship. So I applaud you! Keep up the good fight, and be reassured that we here at CANFP are redoubling our efforts to support your endeavors. Please take a look at the goals in our strategic plan, summarized below by Sheila St. John. Please give us feedback via our website or toll-free phone number regarding issues you think we have not considered that would be of benefit to our members. And, of course, please continue your membership support and introduction of us to your colleagues and clients. Thank you, and God bless you for your efforts. Director's Desk Sheila St. John The Executive Board dedicated a significant portion of its time and energy this past year to the development of a five-year plan for CANFP. Our organization is indebted to Terry Maes, our founding president, for countless hours devoted to giving form to vision in this strategic plan for the continued growth of NFP in California. The plan outlines concrete goals as well as specific strategies for implementing them, but as a working document it will undoubtedly grow and develop with each year of implementation. The goals and strategies for the current year were presented to our membership for input and consideration at the business meeting of the annual conference held last month in San Francisco. The written comments from the representatives of the various regions validated that we are indeed on the right course, and were rich with additional insights and suggestions for implementation of the following goals for the current year: * Expand Executive Board to include 15 members of varied religious, ethnic, and methodological persuasions * Raise enough funds to hire staff * Establish an endowment fund * Form a development committee * Continue to network with NFP users, providers, and advocates throughout the state * Create awareness of NFP among women, couples, clergy, and healthcare professionals * Increase knowledge of CANFP resources throughout the state * Develop outreach to other constituencies, such as Engaged Encounter, Nurse Midwives, and Crisis Pregnancy Centers * Design a mini course on NFP for seminarians * Continue to promote abstinence education * Double our membership * Relocate office to larger facility Ask The Expert Answer by: Sheila St. John, CNFPP I am 16, and I have started having sex with my boyfriend. We have always used a condom, but I want to be extra safe by using birth control pills. I can’t talk to my mom about this, because she would flip... I was wondering how I could obtain birth control without her consent. I sense you know your mother would not approve, and that is why you are reluctant to approach her. Do you know the reasons she might advise you to abstain from sexual intercourse? She might be concerned because she knows there is no contracptive which is 100% effective. You are not entirely protected from disease, and pregnancy remains a possibility. She might be concerned because she knows that a young woman your age is actually MORE susceptible to contracting disease, as the cervix is not yet mature, and the pill only increses your vulnerability. She might be concerned because she knows there are risks to your health from the hormonal methods you seek She might be concerned because she knows that you are limiting your ability to make a clear decision about this relationship. It is very hard to make objective decisions about this young man, because with sexual intercourse comes a bonding that unites us to this person in a special way. This bonding is the glue of marriage, but when we have not yet freely chosen marriage we bond prematurely, in effect limiting our freedom to choose. It is confusing at best, clouding our judgment. We are not able to freely commit to marriage, for we are already acting married. Marriage for these relationships is sometimes no more than sealing the deal. Not very romantic. She might be concerned because if this relationship does become permanent, she knows it was built on a shaky foundation. She might be concerned because she knows that if this relationship is not permanent, your pain will be intensified, as will your sense of loss and betrayal. There is probably no-one who loves you more than your mom. She might indeed flip out.... at first. But maybe you need to give her a chance! Parents can be unpredictable, often surprising us with their ability to handle the big things, while they flip out over the smallest things. Maybe you need to hear her, and why she does not wish this for you. As for me, my personal advice is that the healthiest choice for you--- physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally---is to abstain from sexual intercourse until you are married. By choosing to do so now, you can reclaim your future! I invite you and your mom to attend one of our FACTS classes, where Family Accountability Communicating Teen Sexuality is the goal. You and your mom could explore together the benefits of abstaining now, and the freedoms and opportunities this will open up to you! Puente a la Salud Emma Trujillo CANFP mantuvo su octava conferencia anual, Puente a la salud, en la Catedral de Santa Maria en San Francisco el 24 de marzo del 2001. Los 150 que asistieron a la conferencia tuvieron la oportunidad de asistir a las presentaciones en ingles o español. El equipo de doctores esposo y esposa, Ana Luisa Aguirre y Carlos Aldana, presentaron sos talleres en español. Abrieron su presentación con Vocación Matrimonial y Castidad Conyugal y después la Doctora Aguirre hablo de La Relación entre el Cáncer Mamario y la Píldora Anticonceptiva. El Dr. Aldana tambien hablo de "Alternativas Superiores a la Pildora Anticonceptiva". En su presentación informativa titulada, "Las Consideraciones Culturales cuando se enseña PNF en Comunidades de América Latina" el Dr. Aldana dijo que: "Una de las razones la cual explica porque PNF no es muy usado en América Latina es porque mucha gente se aprovecha de la poca educación de nuestra gente para expresar la idea de que PNF es solamente para gente educada, de clase media, para blancos, etc. Siempre escuchamos la misma opinión que la gente analfabeta o con poca educación no pueden aprender, así es que lo único que ayuda es ponerles el IUD en su vientre y eso es todo. Esto es muy degradante a la persona, es tambien irrespetuoso para estas mujeres. Ellos confunden la poca educación con poca inteligencia. Esto es muy injusto para la gente. "Otra creencia infundada es que estamos pobres porque somos muchos. Antes de 1970, los Mexicanos tenían 6.9 hijos por familia, ahora es 2.2 por familia, pero el numero de gente pobre no a disminuido. Recientemente 70% de todas las mujeres en México usan alguna forma de anticonceptivos. Se les da la hoja de consentimiento para que firmen cuando están dando a luz y con dolores. Esta coerción y coacción en la gente pobre es muy injusta. Los Hospitales Públicos en México exhiben propaganda de control de la natalidad y programas de control de la natalidad, apoyados principalmente por Americanos o Ingleses, con la esterilización siendo el método mas común. La contracepción es tan aceptada que si este curso continua el aborto será legal en unos cuantos años porque de acuerdo con el Papa Juan Pablo II, ‘Contracepción y aborto son frutos del mismo árbol’." El Padre Marcos Gonzalez, miembro de la Junta Directiva de CANFP, se dirigió a las "Perspectivas Morales y Legales de el mandato de California de dar Cobertura para Anticonceptivos", seguida por una presentación en panel por los maestros de PNF Dolores Moreno, Rosy Ambriz, Lilia Morelos y Maribel y Ramon Alvarado. La tarde termino con la oportunidad para los maestros de consultar con el Dr. Davenport y el Dr. Aldana acerca de casos difíciles. Presentando los talleres en Ingles estuvieron Kathi y John Hamlon, Mary Davenport, MD, David Pollard, James Sweeney, y Chris Kahlenborn, MD., autora de Breast Cancer: its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill. La Instalación del Nuevo presidente de la Junta Directiva, el Dr. Gregory Polito, se llevo a cabo despues del almuerzo. Durante su discurso de aceptación, el Dr. Polito le recordó a la audiencia las palabras del Papa Juan Pablo II, "Estos tiempos requieren castidad heroica". La Misa fue en la Catedral, seguida por una recepción, banquete y presentación del premio Calegari a la Dra. Suzanne Regul. Después de la cena, el Padre Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D., presidente de la Universidad de Gonzaga, quien dio una conmovedora presentación basada en su libro Healing the Culture. 2002 CANFP Conference Winnie Neill You are cordially invited to Sacramento, the site of the Ninth Annual CANFP Conference. Here is your opportunity to: * Capitalize on increasing your knowledge and understanding as an instructor, user, medical consultant, or advocate of NFP I have attended all of the CANFP conferences and I have always been impressed with the quality of the speakers. * Capitalize on renewing your relationship with your spouse/family NFP is for couples who love to love. NFP is a way of life, which requires selfless giving of one spouse to the other and that giving often spills over to the family. Whether you come to the conference as an individual or couple, insights received and then shared can rekindle the love that binds you as a couple. * Capitalize on deepening your spirituality Spreading the good news of NFP can be challenging, but with God’s help nothing is impossible. Seeing what God is doing in other’s lives can deepen your own walk with the Lord. * Capitalize on making new friends and renewing old friendship Over the past 25 years I have been blessed to meet many wonderful people in the NFP community, and the annual conference gives me the opportunity to renew these friendships. And I have never come home from the CANFP conference without at least one new friend! * Capitalize on refreshing yourself with a little rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation NFP instructors are passionate, often working long hours and giving much of themselves. The CANFP conference reinforces that what you do is important and worthwhile. You deserve time to relax and be refreshed! For our NFP users, come and treat yourself to a mini vacation as a couple or a family. The Sacramento community is excited about hosting the next conference and we encourage you to start planning now to join us in your capital city of Sacramento on March 23, 2002! Calegari Award Recipient Anita Lucketti, CNFPP A very surprised Dr. Suzanne Regul was announced as the recipient of the 2001 Calegari Award at the banquet of the annual CANFP conference. The award is offered in memory of Marc A. Calegari, SJ, who labored over a lifetime gathering people together from all NFP methodologies. He saw NFP as a primary foundation of marriage, contributing to the dignity of each partner and their family. Our selection committee gives the Calegari Award each year to the person who best represents the ideals embodied by Fr. Calegari: fidelity, unity, dignity, and advocacy. Father Calegari was surely pleased at the announcement of Dr. Regul as this year’s honoree, for they were personally acquainted. He was undoubtedly doubly pleased to have the award presented by Dr. Howard Herning, the first recipient of the Calegari Award in 1993. Dr. Regul has lived and breathed these ideals in both her family and her medical practice as an OB/GYN at the Center for Life at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose. Retired since 1998, she and her husband Tom reared four children during those busy years. She is one of the founders of Center for Life and pioneers of NFP in California. Over the years her availability to NFP Practitioners for consultation and support has been invaluable. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for NFP, giving talks and seminars in a variety of venues, including radio and TV. Her dedication and kindness to all her patients and co-workers are still remarked upon by all. Our hopes and prayers are for a long and happy retirement and our gratitude for her continued service on the Advisory Board of CANFP. Clergy Corner Fr. Marcos Gonzalez Ideally there should be NFP classes provided in every parish. I have been blessed as a priest that in the parishes where I have been assigned I have always been able to find certified NFP teachers who will offer regular courses. Implement a program of regular NFP classes in the parish. Having these "in house" always work best. If this is not possible then parishes can "cluster" for these classes and rotate their location throughout the year. Have classes on a regular basis throughout the year. I have found that at least four courses annually serves all the couples getting married during the year Include classes in the predominant languages of the parish Promote the classes. This can be done from the pulpit, through the parish bulletin, flyers, etc. Esquina del Clero Padre Marcos Gonzalez Idealmente debe de haber cursos de PNF en cada parroquia. Yo he sido bendecido como sacerdote que en las parroquias donde he sido asignado siempre he podido encontrar a instructores certificados de PNF que empiecen cursos regulares. Implementar un programa de clases regulares de PNF en la parroquia. Teniendo estas "en casa" siempre trabaja mejor. Si no es posible entonces las parroquias pueden juntarse para estas clases y alternar su lugar durante el año. Tener clases regularmente durante el año. He encontrado que por lo menos cuatro cursos anualmente les sirve a todas las parejas que se están casando durante el año. Incluir clases en el idioma predominante de la parroquia Promover las clases. Esto puede ser del púlpito, por medio del boletín parroquial, volantes, etc. Thank you, Donors! Founders Gloria Gillogley Mary Ann Giacopuzzi Evelyn Eaton Friends Gregory Polito, MD, KM Robert Butler, MD Mary Davenport, MD Patrons Ann and Mike Briley Larry and Joanne Schott And Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital for funding five FACTS programs with a donation of facilities, refreshments, and $3,000. *WANTED!!!* All NFP professionals not listed in the recently released directory are invited to submit a request to be listed so they will be included on website and in next printing. Submissions accepted on an ongoing basis but must be received by June 1st to be in the next printing. Must currently be a professional member or upgrade to professional membership. - to view this newsletter in it's original layout - Download Here please allow a few moments for the newsletter to load
About CANFP
Adolescent Sexuality
Ask The Expert
Benefits of NFP
Calegari Award
CANFP Store
Coming Events
Conference
Exhibit
Membership
Mission Statement
Newsletter
Professional Directory
Regional News
Spanish Info
What is NFP?
Links

	Produced by: High Rise Designs 213-892-8252 webmaster@canfp.org