Kevin and Sarah are both young professionals, ambitious and talented, but both were having problems finding the right person on today’s dating landscape. It led them to seek an online alternative that they would have preferred to avoid.
“My impression of online dating was quite negative prior to joining,” 27-year-old Kevin recalled. “A friend of mine encouraged me to at least look around on the site. When I did, I saw a lot of wonderful women and of course my opinion changed immediately.”
Sarah, two years younger than Kevin, didn’t have a high regard of online dating in general, but did feel differently about a Catholic site where the faith foundation for a relationship was encouraged. “I had joined after recently ending a relationship where I felt like I was dragging the guy to Mass with me and he struggled to accept that I was waiting for marriage to be physically intimate with a man.” Sarah didn’t have any expectations, but at least wanted encouragement that good Catholic men were out there.
It didn’t take long for that encouragement to come. Sarah was browsing profiles and Kevin noticed that she had clicked on his. He gave her profile a return look. “I was extremely interested,” he said. “I sent her a message and we went back and forth a few times. I asked her if she wanted to speak on the phone and she said she did.”
Sarah agreed to talk on the phone and when Kevin asked her out in that initial conversation—they live within an hour of each other in North Carolina—she also agreed. But she was also surprised at how quickly things seemed to be moving—she had, after all been on the site for a week when they met in person for the first time in the early part of this year.
“I was a little taken aback,” she admitted. “But it was refreshing at the same time to know he wasn’t playing any games and didn’t want to waste time in getting to know me better.”
For his part, Kevin firmly believed—correctly—that the CatholicMatch venue serves to set up face-to-face meetings and is not a substitute for actual in-person dating. “I wanted to take Sarah on an actual date as soon as I could.”
Kevin and Sarah were both impressed with the other’s faith commitment, and Kevin singled out Sarah’s ability to stay strong in today's hookup culture.
A graduate of Franciscan University, Kevin credits his years in Steubenville for helping him live as a Catholic after college. “I don’t think I would have turned out very well had I not been able to transfer to Franciscan and grow in my Catholicism,” he said. “Sarah never really had that. Even so, she has always been strong in her faith, that impressed me and still does.”
Sarah saw the same kind of fidelity to faith in Kevin, especially when they went to Mass after their first two dates. “We pray the Rosary together every time we are with each other,” she said. “He inspires me to grow deeper in my relationship with Christ.”
What’s more, Sarah loves Kevin’s sense of humor and thoughtfulness. He sent her flowers after their first date, something no previous date had done, he makes her laugh and she admires his closeness to his family. “It was important for me to see that side of him since my family is important to me,” Sarah added.
Perhaps it was appropriate then that Kevin and Sarah’s courtship reached its climactic moment at a vacation with his family, their annual trip to the beach during the summer. “Many of my siblings live throughout the country with their respective families, so it’s the only opportunity we have to see each other. I invited Sarah to join us and she happily accepted.”
Kevin had the idea of proposing on his mind. He wanted to ask Sarah on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15), which fell on the Friday of their time at the beach. Sarah thought something might happen, but wasn’t sure. “We had started to talk about future plans and the possibility of getting married,” she said. “I thought it would be nice to celebrate our engagement with his family.”
But the week went on—Kevin’s birthday was celebrated on Tuesday, they went out on a date on Wednesday and still no proposal—and Sarah wondered if now was going to be the time. “I’m not always the most patient person,” she admitted. “I started to ask Kevin questions about his plan. He stated he was waiting for the perfect time and that I didn’t need to worry.” This wasn’t reassuring—Sarah wanted a sweet and simple proposal and was a little nervous that Kevin might have a grandiose plan up his sleeve.
Kevin was wanting to make it to Friday to propose on the Assumption. “It reminds us of our hope to enter Heaven and that marriage is meant to help two people direct each other toward Heaven,” he said. But in trying to make it to Friday, he was getting a little nervous himself. By Thursday, he just waited until after midnight and then asked Sarah if she wanted to go pray the Rosary on the beach, as they had previous nights during the week.
The element of surprise was still there—in fact, Sarah was a little annoyed. “It was quite romantic to sit on the beach at night…but I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos every night! My legs were literally covered in bites.” She agreed to go with Kevin, and spent the Rosary scratching her bites and catching more from the swirling mosquitos.
They made it to the end of the Rosary. “I wished her a happy feast of the Assumption,” Kevin said. “I told her that I loved her and asked her to marry me.”
In a flash, the itchy legs and aggressive bugs were no longer a problem for Sarah. “I was so excited and of course said yes…I am so glad I agreed to go to the beach with him that night. It was sweet and intimate proposal like I had hoped and we were able to celebrate with his family during our last full day at the beach, then with my family the next day.”
Kevin and Sarah can now move forward with planning their wedding and their future. They are both currently in school. Kevin, after spending three years a nurse and then teaching biology for a year has gone back to college to get a mathematics degree. Sarah currently has a year left in her Master's program for Occupational Therapy. The foundation of their respective professional lives is being well-built.
But more than that, Kevin and Sarah have a strong faith foundation and not only love for each other, but real admiration. They kept to their standards and found someone right nearby, just an hour away.
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