AQUINAS COLLEGE HOSTS RENOWNED NFP SPEAKERS
Members of the Pontifical Academy for Life to speak on the “Culture of Life”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 28, 2009)—On January 27, 2010, Aquinas College will launch its spring-semester lecture series with the visit of two members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, who will speak on natural family planning. Dr. Maria del Pilar Calva Mercado, a medical doctor who teaches genetics and bioethics, and Mercedes A. Wilson, appointed by the late pontiff Holiness John Paul II as a founding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in 1994, have organized and participated in various international bioethics congresses and United Nations conferences. Judith Leonard, director of the Office of Family Life and Natural Family Planning for the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, will also be speakin.
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is widely known in Catholic circles because it respects both the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage – a major ethical concern for Catholics. NFP is based on scientific research about women’s cycles of fertility and teaches couples to identify the fertile days in a woman's cycle so that pregnancy is avoided or achieved.
Since 1968, Mercedes A. Wilson has been teaching and promoting the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning, which is the most widely practiced method around the world. In 1986, she founded the World Organization for the Family, and in 1997 she established the Family of the Americas Foundation. At the request of Pope John Paul II, she organized 23 International Congresses for the Family in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Additionally, she has received three honorary doctorates and numerous awards for her work in the pro-life/family movement, most recently from Franciscan University at Steubenville.
“Mercedes Wilson has done the world a remarkable service in developing simple, clear NFP instruction that helps couples all over the world to be faithful to the Church’s teaching,” said Sister Mary Peter, O.P., president of Aquinas College. “The College is delighted to host someone who has had such an impressive influence on the establishment of a ‘culture of life.’”
Maria del Pilar Calva Mercado teaches genetics and bioethics and has been a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life since 2003. She serves on the Commission for the Family for the Bioethics Council of the Mexican Episcopal Commission and has written numerous articles and given international lectures on NFP.
“The Gift of Life vs. the Culture of Death” will be presented at St. Cecilia Academy Theatre at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 27. Reservations are recommended; please call (615) 383-3230 or visit www.aquinascollege.edu for more information.
ABOUT AQUINAS COLLEGE: Through a rigorous undergraduate curriculum that emphasizes the dignity of the human person, Aquinas College fosters the intellectual, moral, and professional development of students while preparing them for careers in the professions of education, nursing, and business. Faculty and students engage in a proactive teaching-advising partnership that enables students to cultivate rich interpersonal relationships in a Christ-centered, family-like environment. Personalized instruction in small classes ensures that each student achieves his or her full academic and personal potential. Founded in 1961 by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, Aquinas College is located on a scenic 83-acre campus in the heart of Nashville and is the only four-year Catholic liberal arts college in middle and east Tennessee. For additional information, please visit www.aquinascollege.edu.
In Christ,
Kim
No comments:
Post a Comment