Historical Roots On July 1, 2004, the Family Life & Respect Life Office and the Office of Natural Family Planning combined creating the Office of Marriage & Family: Family Life ~ Respect Life ~ Natural Family Planning. Previously, in January 2002, the Family Life Bureau and the Respect Life Office combined and became the Family Life & Respect Life Office. The Family Life Bureau was established in 1946 by Bishop Bartholome to support families of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The first program offered was the Marriage Preparation Course, which began during Lent 1946 and was the first of its kind in the United States. Since that time, the following programs were added Catholic Family Parish Retreats (1953) "Becoming a Person" program - education in human sexuality involving parents and their children (1970's) Natural Family Planning (1972) Mothers Mornings, TESA (Teens Endorse Sexual Awareness), and the Remarriage Course (1980's) Minnesota Common Policy for Marriage Preparation (1989) "Two by Two" and "Family Life News" were expanded (1991) Sponsor Couple Program (1992) International Year of the Family - Diocesan Family Conference (1994) which became an annual event for the remainder of the 1990's Honoring Marriage Day (1996) Catholic Men's Conference (1997) Mother/Daughter Breakfast (1997) The Respect Life (formerly known as Pro-Life Office) was initiated in 1970 with Father Paul Zylla as its first director. In 1978, Fr. Zylla wrote the first pro-life column and the first pro-life poster was distributed in 1983. The Respect Life Office has had a long history of providing necessary materials and speakers as well as collaborating with various pro-life agencies to promote a consistent ethic of life, from conception to a natural death. Natural Family Planning (NFP) began as a ministry in the Diocese of St. Cloud in 1972. Under the Family Life Bureau at that time, Kay Ek, (who retired in May of 2004) was the first director. In 1992, the Office of Natural Family Planning was established as a separate office and was located in the Pastoral Center Annex across the street from the Diocesan Pastoral Center. The NFP staff has inspired countless couples to plan their families in accord with the Church’s teachings and to draw them closer to Christ. The office also provided a model for other dioceses throughout the country. To accommodate its combined services, the Office of Marriage & Family expanded its library and web site, both of which offer materials and resources to parishes and individuals on a variety of topics. Among its resources are: Bishop John F. Kinney's pastoral letter, Marriage in Christ: The Sacrament of Faithful, Lifelong Love, and its study guides for the newly married, married couples and/or senior high school students; a parental resource packet, What Should Your Kids Know About Sex . . . and When, and the Spiritual Adoption Program manual.