Msgr. Charles Fortier

In the Jubilee year of 2000, at the 10th statewide CANFP Conference, the Calegari Award was presented to one already enjoying the beatific vision and reward of his labors, Msgr. Charles Fortier, who died on January 9, 1999. Msgr. Fortier was a founding Executive Board Member of the California Association of Natural Family Planning and a staunch advocate of NFP, especially in the Hispanic community.

Born in Quebec, Canada, in 1945 he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana. His priestly life took him from Louisiana to Guatemala and India. In 1975 he was responsible for establishing Marriage Encounter on an international level. In 1980 he came to the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and in this position was responsible for inclusion of Natural Family Planning in marriage ministry. He dedicated his life to the family, and to those preparing for marriage, as well as those in troubled marriages through the Retrouvaille Movement. Known as Padre Carlos by the Hispanic community he held so dear, his legacy lives on through the dedicated NFP teachers who continue his work.