The deliberations of the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals culminated in an accent that was very pleasant for us. The late Janina Filipczuk was honoured with an award that will be transferred to her family. The person that presented her achievements stressed very much her involvement in making NaPro known in Poland.
I still remember vividly her stay in Łomianki and our meetings, full of plans and projects. It is thanks to her that I have come to Omaha and that the extraordinary friendship with the Institute of the Pope Paul VI began.
Now both the institutes, the one in Omaha and the one in Łomianki, are bound by official cooperation and still we are so much more united by the desire to spread the good news about marriage and family. The beginnings of this fiendship go back to Janina. It is so good tat the organisers remembered this person who always acted with dynamism, enthusiasm and warmth, wherever she went.
We recommend Janina to God’s mercy but also we entrust to her care further developments around NaPro in our home country.
Still from New Orleans
Fr. Jay
Today we have been celebrating Doctor Hilgers’ 70th birthday. This is thanks to him that we are all here. If it had not been for his reading of “Humanae vitae” by the Pope Paul VI, we would have neither the Creighton model, nor NaProTechnology, nor the yearly meetings. So everybody wanted to celebrate this occasion in a special way.
Dr Hilgers has spent the last moments of the day with his nearest and dearest: among others, with the youngest of the family, Matthew, with his only daughter Teresa, who is also obstetrician, and with his eldest son Paul. The other sons: Steven and Mike, celebrated this birthday with their own families, but in telephone contact. n the same day 30 years ago also the daughter of Ann Prebil, the co-creator of the Creighton model, was born, too, so we celebrated altogether their 100th birthday. 🙂
I am happy to have been able to witness this family event. We owe so much to Thomas Hilgers. We pray for him and ask God to keep him for many years to come.
With my prayers and wishes of many happy returns for Doctor Hilgers.
Fr. Jay
The organisation that takes care of all the activities related to the Creighton model and NaProTechnology. Besides the co-creators of the model, the secretary and the theologian, in the Council there are representatives of different continents. A part of the meeting was devoted to the report on the development of NaProTechnology in the world. There followed a long discussion and searching for right solutions. This is my third meeting of this kind. It takes place only once in a year and each year there are more subjects to tackle.
Apart from the US, only Poland can boast such a development ans such a number of trainers and specialists in this field. We can be proud.
We can see at such a meeting how much we have managed to achieve. Just like with everything else: efforts made each day and obstacles conquered on the way add up to a concrete good that – if we see it in a perspective – can give us joy, fulfilment and strength to further work in every field.
Soon after the meeting another meeting began, this time of the American Academy for FertilityCare Professionals, that will last until the end of the week.
So I can admire New Orleans only from my hotel window.
Remembering about you
Fr Jay
Yesterday’s journey began at 1.50 pm and finished at 4 a.m. and all went well thanks only to the assistance of friends from the Poznan group. First Zosia and Ryszard and then Mariusz, who took us by car to Łomianki so that I could be on time for my flight. There was not much time for sleep byt today the journey continues and perhaps I’ll be able to sleep.
This time I’m going for the meeting of FertilityCare Centers International – an organisation that coordinates all world activities related to NaProTechnology. Apart from the creator of this method, doctor T. Hilgers, there are there the representatives of all the continents and some more people who form together the Board of Directors. The meeting take place oonce in a year and is very intensive. And just afterwards there is the meeting of the American Association for FertilityCare Profesionals. Everything comes to an end on Sunday. And I come back immediately after that. The meeting this year seems to be particularly important bacause new centres appear that require particular attention. A lot will be happening and I will keep you informed about everything.
Now the flight to New York, then several hours’ waiting for the next flight to New Orleans (although this is the US, there is very European and French atmosphere there). I ask my Guardian Angel to take care of me and lead me there.
I remember you fondly
Father Jarosław
Those were exceptional days. With several other persons (Sr Ewa, The Sister of Mercy of St Charles Borrmeo, and Margaret from our editorial team) we assisted Sue Hilgers during her meetings in Wrocław and Częstochowa.
It’s not the first time that I’ve been under the great impression of her devotion, her service and extraordinary enthusiasm which she brings into anything she does. For each person she met, she had her full attention. She noticed everyone, she had a good word for each of them, and found a unique personal gift of each person she spoke with. No matter if it was during a radio interview, or a meeting with a large group, or individual conversations. Someone who has served the culture of life and love for all of her life will be like that in all that she does.
Even though we were travelling across a large portion of Poland, from meeting to meeting, she never complained of being tired. Simple words, full of humor and respect for each single individual. No matter if it was a small baby, or an elderly lady, or a researcher with many degrees – all that is important is this very moment of the meeting and the good that can be brought about by it.
There was very little time for sleep, or for taking a rest, but the exhaustion is filled with joy that we were able to see so much good.
Today it’s the farewell time. For all of us the subsequent days will be filled with meetings and catching up on work. And in all that we’ll have new enthusiasm and the same mission – to see the beauty in each person we meet.
May today and tomorrow will be a gift for us. May our meetings bring into the lives of the others the joy of life which is God’s gift.
With prayer for each of you
Fr Jay
I certainly had to meet people whom I got to know, for the most part, in Omaha at EP 1 or EP 2 or Love&Life Unlimited Conference. 16 people came to the meeting and this was an opportunity to get to know each other, share experiences and make a short speech.
In the second part of the meeting we were joined by Bishop Carlos Briseno, bishop suffragan of the diocese of Mexico, reponsible for Vicario Episcopal, II Vicaria. In this administractive district pf Mexico 1.5 million people live and 250 are there to help.
Bishop Briseno is a great support for the development of NaProTechnology. His Bishop’s House has become a place for meetings and discussion. That’s why he’s invited us again for the meeting.
During this meeting and the following one, in a smaller group. I was able to present the assumptions of our Programmes. The Bishop liked very much the idea of permanent training for married couples and he decided to visit us during our TU+YO=NOSOTROS what you could read about in the entry after the Programme.
With my prayers,
Padre Jota
Today I had one-of-a-kind opportunity to spend the whole afternoon with one of the couples who had taken part in the first edition of the I+YOU=WE Program in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s Katie and Rick Brennan from St. Louis, MO. I met Rick during EP1 in Omaha several years ago, and Katie – first only via e-mail. Later we met again in person during the couple retreat for NaProTechnology doctors.
Rick, whom I nicknamed Rick the Rock from the very start, is an obstetrician-gynecologist and an exceptional man. He’s a father to two daughters and two sons, a wonderful husband and one of three doctors who are entirely at the service of life here in St Louis. He doesn’t prescribe contraceptives, is a NaPro doctor and… completely isolated in his environment. But happy. We always have a choice. With our Lord Jesus things may be more difficult, because the disciple is not above his Master, but with Him you have blessing and joy, and the peace of conscience which te world is not able to understand, but is surely envious of it.
In their home you feel as part of family. They’ve been my hosts during my stay in St Louis, but until today we had no time to be together due to my schedule, packed full. So we were left only with late night hours. Today, finally, we could meet at daylight.
We’re planning the I+YOU=WE retreat in St Louis, some time next year. And they will be the coach couple.
We could go on talking infinitely. So many stories to tell, so many experiences to share. Their friends joined us, too.
A wonderful family. Their son is a seminarian. Goodness multiplies itself and it attracts goodness.
For the last time from St. Louis,
Fr. Jay
“Be fruitful and multiply!”. How many people today are willing to take this commandment seriously? Well… we are!
I would like to unite in joy and prayer with all my brothers and sisters from Poland and throughout the world.
My name is Tatiana de Melo and I have just returned from the United States where I was taking Educational Phase II in the process of becoming a FetilityCare Practioner of the Creighton Model System. Getting to know this incredible Natural Family Planning method was a true blessing. It has already changed for better my life, my marriage and is about to change so many people’s lives too.
I had the honor to meet Mikal Godziev and father Jay (well you write your names correctly in Polish) and we were very happy for being able to help a little spread the culture of life in our homelands.
We have great challenges ahead of us but assisted by God’s Grace nothing can stop us!
Tatiana
All day yesterday passed by with the focus on the power of those words. After the week of such a hard work – they brought so much comfort. No one and nothing will defeat God’s love. His love is with me every day. How good it is to imagine that He is holding my hand.
Because of the great sense of tiredness, the whole day was passing by as if in slow motion. Except for the waking up part, as I got up very early to meet the Faculty members at breakfast, which we had together before they left – each to their homes. Impressions from the most wonderful moments, apperaciation for the great effort of all involved…
And the most important joy – that He gave us strength and His grace, and that all that is happening for His glory. God of love and life. And He is showing His love to us all the time – He is holding your hand and won’t let anybody snatch you out of it. He won’t let us part from Him even through our weaknesses.
Tired but happy to be able to take part in something bigger than us,
And always close to you
Fr. Jay
has completed the immersion course. That is always a very solemn day. After the evening Mass there is the closing ceremony and then – endless farewells. It is really difficult to part. Even though it happens repeatedly every year, each time it touches your heart. People who were strangers a couple of days ago, now find it so hard to say goodbye.
As one of the Participants noted on her blog, that is probably the only course in the area of medical science where the participants gather every day at the morning Mass. And they treat it very seriously. This is where all the proximity has its source.
Eucharist makes us closest to each other. Today Lord Jesus tells us again that He is holding our hands and will never let anyone separate us from Him. What a joy, what comfort.
With prayer from Omaha,
Fr. Jay
