Howard Herning, MD

Dr. Howard Herning was honored as the first recipient of the Calegari Award at the first CANFP Conference for his distinguished service to NFP. In selecting Dr. Herning as the first recipient of this award, CANFP honors his profound and lasting contribution to the people of California his commitment to NFP. CANFP also honors a man whose faithfulness, generosity, and kindness have earned him a special place in the hearts of many.

Formed head of the OB/GYN Department at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco, Dr. Herning has long been an enthusiastic promoter of NFP, refusing to offer any kind of artificial means of family planning to his patients, and often teaching patients about NFP during office visits. He was instrumental in bringing the Billings to Northern California for the first Ovulation Method training, and he established the NFP Department at St. Mary’s Hospital in 1974. A graduate of Creighton Medical School, Dr. Herning also completed the Creighton Medical Consultant Program for Natural Family Planning.

Though he lost some patients and even experienced the ridicule of colleagues, he remained steadfast in his fidelity to Pope Paul VI’s call to physicians to further the spread of NFP. He has been a valued personal and professional resource to NFP users and providers.

Of the many awards Dr. Herning has received over the years, this is is certain to be a personal favorite, because of his valued friendship, based on mutual respect and affection, with Father Marc Calegari, in whose memory this award is being made. It was a special honor to be presented the award by his esteemed friends and colleagues, Drs. Lynn and John Billings. With Dr. Herning at the Banquet, to share in this honor, were his wife Dorothy, his daughter Liz, her husband Greg Vaughan, and granddaughter Caroline Dorothy Vaughan.

In his retirement, following 40 years of medical practice, Dr. Herning was founding Director of the Respect Life Commission for the Diocese of Monterey. Dr. Herning now resides in his boyhood home in his hometown San Francisco.