The July-August issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for the feature stories in this issue is "the gift of sexuality," with a focus on the 50th anniversary Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life). The digital edition of the magazine is available at http://faithdigital.org/Sacramento/CH0718/
In the cover story, Dr. Gretchen Marsh (in photo above), a family practice physician in Yuba City for the past 20 years and a member of St. Isidore Parish, speaks about how her faith and love for science inspires her work as a doctor and shaped her practice as a physician. She was received into the Catholic Church in 1997 and subsequently studied the theology and philosophy of church teaching in Humanae Vitae. She learned the science and medical aspects of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System of Natural Family Planning (NFP), making her more aware of authentic Catholic teaching on human fertility, in particular regarding women's reproduction. She became certified also as a medical consultant in a women's health science called Natural Procreative Technology (NaPro).
Other stories in this issue include a feature on three new priests ordained for service in the Diocese of Sacramento (Father Jesus Hernandez, Rene Jauregui and German Ramos); how two teachers at Catholic high schools and a youth minister guide teens to an appreciation of Catholic teaching on human sexuality; how Dignity Health Women's Services advances knowledge of women's health and provides NFP education and training; how treating infertility is a "labor of love' for physician John Gisla; and how married couples teaching NFP call it an eloquent language of love.
Bishop Jaime Soto is the publisher of Catholic Herald magazine, which is published six times each year and includes moving faith stories and high-quality photography about Catholics in the diocese, as well as news and events of the local church. Individual faith stories are the cornerstone of the magazine and columns also explore the Catholic faith and education about church teachings. To donate $15 per year to receive Catholic Herald, call 916-733-0266. To view the archives of past issues of Catholic Herald magazine, visit https://www.scd.org/catholic-herald-magazine