I want to convey to you the incredible thanks we have for the help you have provided to us over these many years to do research and provide Education Programs. 

During the course of this current year, we have been celebrating the 30th anniversary of the new women’s procreative health science of NaProTechnology. Where would we be without NaProTECHNOLOGY? Also, where would the Institute be? Where would donors such as yourself be if we didn’t have something so substantial to tell you about this work? 

Below is a biographical sketch of Ann Prebil, RN, BSN, CFCE, former president of the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals, a nursing instructor, full-time member of the four-person team that developed the Creighton Model system, for over 41 years, a dear friend and close associate of this effort from the very beginning. 

I also want to take this opportunity to say a prayer for you, that your thanksgiving was especially meaningful this year and of course with the upcoming Christmas Season celebrating the birth of Christ who is truly our Director. 

Because you share a passion for the work and mission of the Saint Paul VI Institute, I humbly and prayerfully request your financial support. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support this blessed and vital work.  

Sincerely Yours, 

Thomas W. Hilgers, MD
Co-Founder & Director


RECOGNIZING ANN M. PREBIL

Not long ago, I began writing to our donors a biographical sketch of the co-developers of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System. The first of these letters went out a few months ago and featured K. Diane Daly, RN, CFCE. this month, I want to feature Ann M. Prebil, RN, BSN, CFCE. Ann was one of the original members of the four people who have worked together to develop the Creighton Model FertilityCare System since 1976. At the time I brought her into this effort, she was an instructor at a nursing school in St. Louis, and teaching was one of her first loves. 

Ann was one of four people (including K. Diane Daly, Sue Hilgers, and myself) who worked many long and extra hours in the development of what become known as the Creighton Model System. This is an incredibly important system and one that I think has a tremendous future. It is a methodology, completely cooperating with the natural cycles, which has no side effects and is as effective as the oral contraceptive but without the ugly side-effects. 

Ann and I, along with the entire team, worked closely together since 1976 until the present time (although, Ann died a few short years ago, and she is missed immeasurably). 

Ann was responsible for giving me the most insight into the methodology upon which we could conduct a scientific assessment of the observations that women make during the course of their menstrual and fertility cycles. This was in 1976 and 1977. during this period of time, we examined 157 patients through 444 examinations to correlate the appearance of the cervical mucus discharge from the cervix (the opening to the uterus) and associating it with the patient’s own observation at the opening of the vagina. this has never been done before in the history of natural methods or obstetrics and gynecology; although, the cervical mucus discharge itself has been associated with a variety of different natural methods including the Billings Ovulation Method. 

This project conducted over approximately one year gave all of us the opportunity to see the development of an objective assessment of these observations and a universal language. this universal language of these observations produced an objective language (which previously were subjective before this research was undertaken), and has now been used throughout the world. It is the first universal language that has ever been developed in this field, and it has been the most significant research accomplishment (of many that have been accomplished through this work effort in the last 75 years of research in natural methods). we are very proud of this effort that has led to the development of the “Picture Dictionary” of the Creighton Model FertilityCare system which has been universally taught by our teachers, and for doctors who are interested and willing to become involved in this, it has given us a whole new way of looking at women’s procreative health issues. 

Ann was the third president of the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals and worked for many years as the Chairman of Accreditation Commission of that Academy. She and I, along with our entire team, worked closely together on many of these issues including the standards upon which Creighton Model teachers work and teach. 

This includes the life-affirming procreative healthcare network that we have established with the development of NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology).

Nobody has ever done this effort before, and it seems amazing when you think about it, but this universal language has allowed us to definitely move in this direction. It has truly “opened the door” to this whole new way of evaluating and looking at women’s healthcare. 

In the upcoming years, I anticipate this work to continue to expand and grow. Words cannot express really the degree of significance that I give to the discovery of this language, and it was Ann Prebil, RN, BSN, CFCE who gave to me the methodological idea to be able to do this and really only now, many years later, we can say that it is so significant and is the result of the research that we have done at St. Louis University School of Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine, and or course, for the last 36 years the Saint Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction. Thank you, Ann! I pray that God will continue to bless you in your new Home!