Dr. Thomas Hilgers
Dr. Thomas Hilgers and his wife, Sue, founders of the Pope Paul Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction – which has brought hope and healing to countless women and couples struggling with infertility – will be in attendance on Sunday when Pope Francis beatifies Pope Paul VI.
In a press release from the Institute, Dr. Hilgers traces the origins of the Omaha, Nebraska-based Institute to 1968 with the issuance of Pope Paul’s landmark encyclical, Humanae Vitae. The highly controversial letter reaffirmed the Church orthodox position on the issues of marriage, family life and birth control. Additionally, the letter included a specific appeal to doctors and health care professionals to seek solutions that “are in accord with faith and right reason.”
The former Pope’s unapologetic defense of the Church’s position on the issues resonated with the young Thomas Hilgers who, at the time, was a senior medical student at the University of Minnesota.
“It was like he was talking to me,” Hilgers says, recounting his experience with the Letter. “It changed my life.”
Soon thereafter, Hilgers began conducting groundbreaking research which led to the development of the
Creighton Model FertilityCare System a nd NaProTechnology, two groundbreaking technologies in reproductive healthcare. These technologies currently serve as the cornerstones of the Institute’s outreach efforts, which serve thousands of women and families on six continents.
The growth of the Institute since its founding in 1985 has been remarkable. Today, the Institute has a medical clinic in Omaha, Nebraska that offers obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive medicine and surgery for individuals needing regular or high-risk care, as well as a hormone laboratory.
The Institute also coordinates a variety of educational programs targeting doctors and other medical professionals, clergy, as well as lay men and women from all over the world. Its recent educational program, for instance, which was held this past April, attracted 116 students from 20 different countries
and 32 states. Last year, the Institute held a two part education program in Mexico City. A few years ago, a similar program was held in Poland.
The October beatification will put an exclamation point on a year that has been one of the most special in the Institute’s short but remarkable existence, as earlier this year, one of the Institute’s strongest supporters, Pope John Paul II, was canonized a saint.
“I never imagined back in 1968 that I would be someday be a part of this great man’s legacy,” says Hilgers of Pope Paul VI. “He was such a staunch defender of the faith, and the courage he
demonstrated in Humanae Vitae continues to serve as a source of inspiration to both the Institute and to me personally.”
EWTN is featuring a two part series on the life of Paul VI with Part 1 to be aired at 8:00 p.m. ET on October 18.
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