In June 2013, when Eric saw Josephine’s CatholicMatch profile he was instantly attracted to her. “I thought she was beautiful; when we started chatting, I was delighted to find out that she and I share the same Filipino culture in addition to sharing the same religiosity,” says 50-year-old from Ohio.
Through messaging on CatholicMatch for a month, then talking on the phone and communicating through Facetime, the couple discovered, to their delight, that they were kindred spirits. They learned so much about one another as they discussed growing up in the Philippines, faith, and love experiences. “I was amazed at Eric’s generosity of spirit, his intellect, and his kind demeanor,” says Josephine, 41, from West Virginia.
Before joining CatholicMatch, both of them had tried other online dating sites, but on those sites, they never met anyone who cared deeply about practicing the Catholic faith.
First Date
On July 27, 2013, Josephine traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to attend the Columbus Marian Conference with Eric. “It was a rainy day, and I was excited and also a little nervous about meeting for the first time,” Eric remembers. They attended 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass at Eric’s parish and afterward they attended an open-air concert with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, which ended with fireworks.
Josephine remembers, “I immediately felt at home with Eric as we enjoyed the concert, which later left me awestruck with the Buckeye fans’ enthusiasm. Everybody was singing and swaying to “Carmen Ohio “ or “Hang on Sloopy.” I was obviously not from Ohio.”
On another date, Eric took Josephine to her first OSU game. “I saw the myriads of fans wearing scarlet-colored jerseys and shouting ‘O-H!’ and the corresponding ‘I-O!’ response. I asked Eric, ‘Is this a cult?’ In time, I began to understand football and its accompanying culture.”
Determining Friendship or Romance
Before Eric and Josephine pursued a relationship beyond friendship, Josephine had to consider whether Eric’s physical disability would be a problem for her. “Although I am independent, my disability was definitely a big issue that had to be accepted first by Josephine then by her family,” he explains.
Eric was diagnosed with a mild case of cerebral palsy as a child, which has mainly affected his balance and mobility, so he uses forearm crutches and a powerchair to get around. However, he has never let his disability stop him from achieving his goals. "Growing up in the Philippines my parents enrolled me in a regular school run by the Jesuits where we were taught Pilipino, Mandarin, and English. I immigrated to the U.S. at age 14. I obtained my Ph.D. in developmental biology and have over 30 years of academic research and teaching experience. I am also pretty active in various parish activities as part of various committees including Adult Enrichment, and the Knights of Columbus."
Josephine, who works as a Physical Therapist, considered Eric’s kind-heartedness, his generous service to the Church and to his family, and his inspiring presence in the academia as a research scientist. She saw that his many good qualities outshined any problems that might arise because of his disability. “I was smitten by Eric’s tenacity of spirit wherein he lived life fully and with such cheerfulness. By God’s grace, my family also accepted and fell in love with Eric too.”
They began to pray the Rosary together daily and they placed their relationship under Our Lady’s protection and guidance. “We made use of FaceTime to pray, to talk, and to get to know one another better,” she says.
Tabernacle Proposal
Eric was gearing up to ask Josephine to be his wife in April of 2014. He had sent letters to her parents in the Philippines, her brother and family in Kentucky, and her sister in Alaska to let them know of his intentions. “I thought about how I was going to propose to her and while in Adoration one day, it came to me to propose to her in front of the tabernacle at my parish. This place has become special for us. Before she drove back to WV on Mondays, we would go to daily Mass and then pray the Rosary in front of the tabernacle.”
For two months, Eric had been carrying an engagement ring in his pants pocket, so by now, he was getting pretty antsy to propose. Josephine was making the four-hour drive to see him. They had plans to attend a Lenten fish fry at a neighboring parish and then to head over to Eric’s church for the Stations of the Cross. Josephine arrived exhausted from the drive and wanted to take a nap
“I was getting nervous and anxious because we were on a tight schedule. After enjoying the meal, I introduced her to some women I knew from a charismatic prayer group I belong to. I had mentioned to them that we were headed to my parish for the Stations of the Cross. One of the women mentioned that they had Stations there too. Of course, I could not tell them what I was about to do,” he recalls.
Josephine adds, “I wasn’t much help as I was clueless that there was a proposal going to happen, so I did take the nap and threw Eric off from his timeline for the proposal. I also delayed him by having an extra serving of the fish and sides. Then, when we got to his home parish for the Stations of the Cross, I needed to go to the bathroom. At this time, I had an inkling that something was going to happen as Eric was so concerned about us being able to pray together before the Stations of the Cross.”
Eric says, “I asked her to pray with me at our usual spot in front of the tabernacle. After a short prayer, I started my proposal. I could not speak and don’t remember what I said to her. Anyway, she said, ‘Yes!’”
For Josephine, Eric’s proposal was the sweetest and most beautiful moment in her life. “The moment was between me, Eric and God who brought us together. Eric right away said a prayer, ‘Lord, I thank you for making me happy.’ and then he turned to me and asked, ‘If I would make him very happy…” Here, Eric paused and seemed to be at a loss for words, so I gave him a moment to continue. Then he asked, ‘Would I make him happy and become his wife?’”
He said this as he was giving her a cross necklace and an engagement ring. Josephine replied, “Oo” which is “Yes” in Tagalog.
Spring Wedding
A year later, they married on April 11, 2015, at St. Peter Church, Columbus, OH. “We had families and friends we hadn't seen for a long time. We also had the Color Guard of 4th degree Knights of Columbus,” says Eric.
Josephine adds, “We are the oldest children in our family and we were the last to get married, so our wedding was a celebration and an of joyful reunion among family and friends that have prayed and longed for our moment to be together.”
Josephine relocated to Ohio and gained employment as a physical therapist. “I left my comfort zone and ventured out in life away from what had been a constant in my life. The difference now is I am not alone; I have Eric and the journey has been faith-filled and joyful.”
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