After Each Losing Their First Spouse, God Brought Them Together Online

Healing from the death of her late husband, Amy turned to CatholicMatch. 

Struggling to figure out what the Lord had in store for her next, Amy, 60, felt open to embracing His greater plan. Amy tragically lost her husband of 27 years to Covid in 2022. In late 2023, Amy embarked on a 6-month subscription with CatholicMatch to explore the possibility of a new beginning. 

After spending a few weeks online, she noticed a kind-looking man whose picture kept coming into her feed. “He looked very sincere and authentic, but since he was a solid hour away, I think I must have passed him over more than a dozen times,” Amy admits. Because his picture kept coming up, she finally decided to examine his profile. “Turns out he was a widower and had been married for decades just like me!” After some careful consideration and prayer, Amy “liked” his profile.

Rick had been married for 42 years before lung cancer tragically took his wife. 

“CatholicMatch seemed like a good place to start,” says Rick, a widower in his 60s. Also losing his wife in 2022, Rick signed up for a 1-year subscription on CatholicMatch. “I was apparently not as optimistic as I should have been,” Rick laughs, since he ended up meeting Amy almost immediately.

Rick admits that when he approached CatholicMatch initially, he had an “ideal woman” that he was looking for. First by narrowing his search to only widows, knowing that it would be best to find someone who understood the loss he too had undergone. From there, he thought he would find someone who lived locally, with no kids living at home, was retired like him, and did not have any dogs. 

Interestingly enough, despite the number of times Amy saw Rick’s profile, Amy’s profile never came up on Rick’s feed. Though she was a widow, she was not yet retired and had two children living at home plus two dogs. Despite this, the day after receiving Amy’s “like,” Rick messaged her asking if she would like to meet for coffee. 

“Okay, yes, that sounds fine,” Amy responded. On December 30, 2023, they picked a halfway point to meet for coffee, and it did not take long to realize there was a strong connection. Before leaving, Rick asked Amy out again. 

Their second date took place in Amy’s town soon after, and it ended up lasting nearly 10 hours long! “We met at noon for lunch, and sat and talked for an hour and half before even ordering,” Amy admits. “I think we ended up staying at the restaurant for four hours!” 

Rick told his parish priest that he wanted his subscription money back! 

Early into their relationship, Amy and Rick realized they had a mutual connection to Father Andrew, Rick’s parish priest. Despite attending parishes an hour apart, Fr. Andrew had been assigned to each of their parishes over the years. In fact, Fr. Andrew even did both of the funerals for Amy’s late husband and Rick’s late wife in 2022. 

“I went up to Fr. Andrew after meeting Amy and told him I wanted him to pay me back for the money I spent on CatholicMatch,” Rick laughs. Fr. Andrew was exceedingly approving of their connection, and this was another sign which propelled their relationship forward. 

Many visits to each other soon followed as their relationship progressed quickly and seriously. “Suddenly, Annapolis didn’t seem quite so far,” remarks Amy. Amy even drove through a blizzard in late January to meet Rick at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Rick soon asked Amy what she saw as the point of their dating. “Marriage,” replied Amy emphatically. “If you want to be with someone you have to get married.” Rick heartily agreed on this, and their intentions became even more clear. 

Not long after the March for Life, Rick found himself telling Amy, “I love you.” Amy was taken by this, but was not quite ready to reciprocate the feeling. “I was still cautious, and wanted to take it a little slower,” she admits. Yet, only about two weeks later, all fears were quelled when Amy told Rick, “I love you too.” 

“We need to make this happen,” was Rick’s immediate response to Amy, and they soon took the next step towards marriage.

A wedding that was among 6 family weddings in 2024!

On March 3rd, 2024, during a visit to Amy’s son and his fiancé, Rick proposed to Amy. Though the speed of their relationship took their adult children by surprise, Rick and Amy knew that this was God’s plan for them, and eventually their adult children came around to trusting the relationship. 

Their engagement ended up being a short four months, with the blessing of Fr. Andrew. “When you were married for as long as we both were, you are certain of two things,” Rick shares. “First, you know what love is. And second, you know exactly what you do not want.” 

Though the engagement was quick, they still completed the necessary preparations, including a Pre Cana retreat. Rick and Amy were among 40 couples on the retreat, but by far some of the oldest, admits Rick. ”The other couples were probably thinking, ‘hey, who brought their parents?’”

On July 13, 2024, Rick and Amy were joined in marriage at St. Andrew by the Bay, with close family and friends in attendance and Fr. Andrew officiating. Both of Amy’s sons walked her down the aisle, and her daughter stood up for her. Following the lovely ceremony, they celebrated at a local piano bar in Annapolis with their guests. Their wedding was one of what would be six family weddings total in 2024, making it an especially remarkable year!

“If we didn’t share our faith there wouldn’t be much else.”

Looking back on how far they’ve come from the deep losses they both experienced just a few years ago, Rick and Amy are amazed at what God has done for them. “Never underestimate God’s plan,” shares Rick.

So far married life has brought travels and new adventures together, including a new house in a new city closer to family. They are preparing for grandchildren soon, and greatly enjoy living out their Catholic faith together. 

For those on CatholicMatch looking for authentic love, Rick and Amy offer a strong example and sound advice. “Be clear on your standards and values, and hold fast to those,” says Amy. Meeting someone with the right ideals is essential, they affirm. “If we didn’t share our faith, there wouldn’t be much else.”