Kelly, 24, says finding someone who shared her Catholic faith was her top priority in a relationship. After seeing an advertisement on the back of her church bulletin, she joined CatholicMatch. “I figured it never hurts to try something out of my comfort zone, and it was the best decision I have
ever made in my life,” says Kelly.
Troy, also 24, joined CatholicMatch for the same reasons: “I wanted to find a woman who put her faith first; a woman who I could build a relationship with Christ in the center.” CatholicMatch gave him the opportunity to communicate with women who shared his same values and moral standards.
After seeing Kelly’s profile, Troy sent her a message. He says he was initially attracted to her “beautiful smile” and “gorgeous hazel eyes.” But after talking to her, his attraction went beyond appearance. “I grew to love her amazing personality. Kelly is the most kind-hearted, humble, and caring person I have ever met.”
Kelly admits that when she first saw a photo of Troy, she decided that he wasn’t really her type. “I typically go for guys with longer hair who are at least six feet tall. But something about him just stood out.” Kelly, who loves sports, says that the thing that stood out about him was the fact that he was standing in front of a football field.
In addition to bonding over sports, Kelly says they share the same morals, values, and goals in life.
Taking Things Slow
The couple messaged through CatholicMatch for about a month. “It was casual conversation and we would respond about every other day,” says Kelly. After Troy asked Kelly for her number, they began to text each other every day and started talking on the phone.
“When we Skyped for the first time, we talked for five hours, which was literally all night. We just couldn’t stop talking and laughing and smiling. It was really nice video-chatting with the person I had been messaging, texting, and calling for the last several months,” shared Kelly.
After talking for four months, Troy and Kelly met in person. “We didn’t rush into meeting each other and I think that is why we were so successful.”
For their first date, Troy drove the three hours to Kelly’s town in Ohio and they went to dinner and a movie.
Kelly says that spending time with Troy seemed normal and natural for her, even though they had never seen each other in person before. “Meeting online forced us to build a relationship on proper communication, so meeting him in person was so exciting. He has the most beautiful blue eyes. It completely took me by surprise, because they didn’t stand out on the computer screen when we Skyped.”
The couple had so much fun together that the next day, Kelly drove to see Troy. “We have been
inseparable ever since, even with three hours and two hundred miles between us,” says Kelly.
“Meeting Kelly was awesome and solidified all the feelings I had for her,” adds Troy.
Long Distance
Kelly shared that the only real hurdle that they’ve had as a couple is the two hundred miles between their homes. “Long distance is for the strong. It has many challenges and there are things, like events or parties, which you miss simply because of the time it takes to get there. But he is worth it. We always say, ‘No distance is too far.’”
Because Kelly is in college and Troy works full-time, there were months where they were unable to see each other. Troy says this became a positive force in their relationship: “I found that this obstacle became our silver lining. Our communication grew stronger because our words were the only things we could hold onto.”
Proposal
Troy proposed to Kelly while on a hike through Hocking Hills, Ohio. Her younger brother came with them and was able to catch the moment on video.
“When we had hiked for a while, Troy took me off the path and said the most amazing things before he got down on one knee! I never knew how happy I could be until that moment. It was the happiest day of my life.”
A Mass Focused Wedding
Kelly and Troy will be married on November 5, 2016. “Our motto for our wedding is to have a Mass with a wedding, not a wedding with a Mass,” says Kelly. “The Mass is the highest form of praise and the most beautiful part of our faith. We are putting a majority of the planning into the Mass. We are getting married in a church that is between us, so neither family has to travel too far.”
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