The first thing that struck Julia about Brendan was what kind of Catholic he was.
“I was first attracted to Brendan because he was an Aggie Catholic,” Julia said.
As a fellow Aggie, Brendan had attended Texas A&M University, where Julia was still in school.
For both of them, the connection was about more than having a shared alma mater. “I hoped that we would have some common ground in that because we went to the same church and knew some of the same people,” Julia said. Likewise, for Brendan, “I was very excited to see someone who attended the same church as me, especially in a parish that was very heavy on student involvement in faith-based activities.”
Neither was a 2%er when it came to finding a spouse—so they tried CM
Brendan decided to use CatholicMatch after trying ChristianMingle, where he said he had “quickly discovered a disconnect between myself and many of my matches.” Brendan decided he wanted a relationship “built on the foundation of the Catholic faith.” Julia had turned to CatholicMatch after deciding she wanted a long-term relationship and after praying over it.
They found each other relatively quickly. Brendan was on for just a few months before an emoji from Julia hit his inbox—she had been on for just a few days.
Despite their proximity, summer vacation interrupted their plans. So they spent the time chatting via CatholicMatch and Facebook while Julia was back home with her family. When she returned they met within hours of Julia attending her first Mass at St. Mary’s, their local parish.
Love and basketball on a first date
After Mass, Brendan challenged her to basketball game as a first date since they were both San Antonio Spurs fans, Julia said.
“I agreed, but as I drove home I was getting really anxious for our date! I’m terrible at basketball!” Julia said.
Her fears about her performance turned out to be founded. “My first shot was so bad, it made it nowhere near the basket,” Julia said. Brendan, meanwhile, took the opportunity to impress her, she said.
They may have been mismatched as players, but they hit it off otherwise. They continued to date—and even play more basketball games, along with other dates attending Texas A&M football games, seeing movies, and once going on a drive-thru safari.
But one of the more memorable dates for Brendan was relatively low-key. “One night, the date I can’t remember, I think we stayed up late, talking about a wide variety of things until around 2 a.m. I was heading back to my apartment after leaving, I couldn’t help but notice how awake and excited I was about our relationship,” he said.
Moved by the Spirit at Aggie Awakening
Julia sensed early on that she loved Brendan—“almost from the first date.” But what convinced her was attending Aggie Awakening, a local Catholic retreat, with Brendan, who was on staff for the event.
“While in adoration, I watched as the priest walked with the monstrance out of the building and I saw Brendan. He was praying with such love in his eyes and I knew that this man was the one for me, even just two months after we were dating,” Julia said.
Like so many Aggies before them, engaged under the Century Tree. Whoop!
After two years of dating, the two got engaged on May 7, 2016.
Brendan decided to propose at the Century Tree—a massive, sprawling oak tree that was among the first planted on the campus. The location is a very traditional proposal site for students. So, to throw Julia off a bit, Brendan planned the event as family photo time, since her brother and her family just happened to be on campus.
But Julia still caught on quickly. “As we started approaching the location, Julia started remarking of how it looked like that someone was proposing, because of the people (family and close friends) gathered around the site,” Brendan recalled.
“As I got down on one knee and proposed, I knew that I was choosing to spend the rest of my life with the person that God meant for me to marry,” Brendan said.
“And, obviously, she said yes!” he added.
They were married on July 1, 2017.
“Our enthusiasm for each other and helping each other become the best versions of ourselves has always been a priority. She has always been there for me, even when I have been feeling down on myself, worried about the future, or vulnerable, and I am excited to have the opportunity to always be there for her in return,” Brendan said.
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