The Infertility Companion For Catholics

One in every six United States couples experiences infertility but Catholic couples face additional confusion, worry, and frustration as they explore the medical options available to them. Filling a major void in Catholic resources, The Infertility Companion for Catholics is the first book to address not only the medical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of infertility, but also the particular needs of Catholic couples who desire to understand and follow Church teaching on the use of assisted reproductive technology. Authors Angelique Ruhi-López and Carmen Santamaría offer the support and wisdom gained in their own struggles with infertility. They describe the options that Catholic couples can pursue in seeking to conceive, many of which are not ordinarily presented by the medical community. In an encouraging and non-judgmental tone, they address both husbands and wives and help them recognize the emotional impact of infertility on their relationship. The Infertility Companion for Catholics presents a variety of spiritual resources including prayers, devotions, and the wisdom of the saints and provides suggestions for further reading of reference materials, Catholic documents, and Catholic blogs about infertility.

More than 1 in 10 couples experience infertility, finding themselves in a “desert”—lost and abandoned, hungering and thirsting, praying and waiting—for a child. Discover the direction, nourishment, and faith provided within this spiritual resource for infertile Catholic couples, their families, and friends. Personal reflections from Catholic women struggling with infertility evoke a heartfelt realism, while passages from Scripture and prayers from the Book of Psalms provide the comfort and hope to trust in God, the “Divine Physician.”

Infertility ranks among the hardest griefs a couple can face. Yet this painful issue is all too often neglected in both Church and society. Under the Laurel Tree traces one God-fearing couple's journey through the emotional turmoil of childlessness. By following the story of Saints Joachim and Anna, this book helps individuals and couples navigate the loss inherent in infertility amid the pain of shame, separation, anger, bargaining, and blamelessness. In walking alongside Joachim and Anna, we encounter not only a life-giving template for grief, but also the path back to ourselves, our partner, and our God-given vocation of eucharistic thanksgiving.

A poignant and powerful spiritual memoir about how the lives of the saints changed the life of a modern woman. In My Sisters the Saints, author Colleen Carroll Campbell blends her personal narrative of spiritual seeking, trials, stumbles, and breakthroughs with the stories of six women saints who profoundly changed her life: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. Drawing upon the rich writings and examples of these extraordinary women, the author reveals Christianity's liberating power for women and the relevance of the saints to the lives of contemporary Christians.

An instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from “the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction” (New York Times). Now an award-winning Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. In this multi-award-winning, bestselling novel, Margaret Atwood has created a stunning Orwellian vision of the near future. This is the story of Offred, one of the unfortunate “Handmaids” under the new social order who have only one purpose: to breed. In Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships, Offred’s persistent memories of life in the “time before” and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, and with Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit, and acute perceptive powers in full force, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning.

Endorsed by the Christian Medical Association.A Comprehensive Christian Guide to the Challenges of Infertility• Medical • Ethical • Emotional • Marital • Spiritual • BiblicalInfertility changes everything, shattering dreams and breaking hearts. But hope is available—today more than ever. The Infertility Companion draws on the Bible and on current medical knowledge, including the latest research, to shed light on such questions as:•Can people of faith ethically use high-tech infertility treatments?•How do we make moral, biblical decisions about medical treatment, third-party reproduction, stem cell research, and embryo adoption? •Is God punishing me? •Does God even care?•Will adoption increase our chances of getting pregnant?•How can we reduce the stress of infertility on our marriage relationship?•How can we keep sex from becoming a chore?These theologically trained authors have taught at a variety of conferences on infertility, pregnancy loss, and adoption, and they have helped thousands of couples to face the future through their message of encouragement. The Infertility Companion includes discussion questions and a workbook suitable for individuals, couples, or small groups. Full of practical tips and true stories, this book will guide couples past the ethical pitfalls of assisted reproductive technologies as they travel the difficult road ahead.An all-encompassing guide for the Christian infertility patient. Where other books fall short, this “companion” aids the patient not only with the physical and emotional aspects of this journey, but also helps answer the tough spiritual and ethical questions that arise in a couple’s desire to conceive.—Julie Watson, Conceiving Concepts

Introduces young readers to Catholic beliefs as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.