Within a week of messaging each other on CatholicMatch, Aaron, 50, asked Charlotte, 53, to have dinner with him at The Victor Café in Philadelphia.
It's a romantic Italian restaurant where the waitstaff sings opera. "Every 20 minutes or so one of the staff puts down their serving tray and breaks out in song," explains Charlotte." I was familiar with this spot and I thought, 'Okay, great plan. If we don't hit it off at least we can enjoy the entertainment.'"
The couple, who both reside in Philadelphia, made plans to meet on August 11th, 2019.
She liked his dog!
On the way to meet Aaron, Charlotte recalls sitting in her Uber thinking, 'Here we go again.'" For too long she had suffered through her fair share of bad dates and bad dating sites. Trying to be proactive, she decided, in April of 2019, to give CatholicMatch a try after noticing an ad for it on the back of her church bulletin.
"I knew I wanted to meet someone who had a strong faith," she says. "So, I decided, what the heck. Let's try this again."
Charlotte felt impressed by the caliber of people that she met on the site. "I felt pleasantly surprised to discover that everyone I interacted with on CatholicMatch were high-quality people who represented themselves honestly," she explains.
After being a member for a few months, Charlotte noticed Aarons's profile. She felt instantly drawn to him because she saw from his pictures that he was an avid cyclist and a dog-lover—he has a dog named Angel.
"I'm fond of dogs and I could tell in the photo that he adored his dog. The picture of him with his dog offered a great ice breaker to begin communicating," Charlotte shares.
Their first date was perfect!
Any misgivings Charlotte may have felt in the Uber on the way to meeting Aaron at the Italian restaurant were quickly set to rest. Within a half-hour of meeting, the two were laughing and delighting in each other's company.
"I enjoyed the opera singing and Aaron's innate ability to order Italian food and wine—Aaron has traveled to Italy every year for the past 20 years," she shares.
Their date went so well that Aaron didn't waste any time asking Charlotte out again. He texted her the next day and made plans to meet Charlotte again in four days at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia for the Feast of the Assumption Mass.
Two days later, they had their third date. "I cooked dinner for her at her house, preparing a special Ligurian dish. I was super excited. It was the mystery of chemistry at work!" Aaron shares.
Every day is fun and interesting.
Among the things that attracted Aaron to Charlotte was her athleticism coupled with her feminineness. He also felt impressed by Charlotte's mission work and because she'd traveled the world.
"She has been to over 70 countries!" he shares.
Aaron also liked spending time with Charlotte because they enjoyed doing the same activities. "Every day is fun and interesting. We pray together, cycle together, and go to Mass together," he says.
Charlotte appreciated that Aaron was adventurous and sophisticated. Like her, he traveled a lot, and he enjoyed art. She felt overjoyed by how much they shared in common.
"Neither of us has children. We are both very healthy eaters and fitness fanatics—our Saturdays often include a 60-mile or more bike ride. We love music, theater, museums, and cooking together. Also, we pray together all the time, and it forms an incredible bond between us," she gushes.
He introduced her to the Latin Mass.
Aaron helped Charlotte strengthen her faith by introducing her to the Latin Mass and a deeper prayer life. Before meeting Aaron, Charlotte admits that over the years many traditional Catholic practices had diminished in her life. Aaron helped her to revisit and embrace those practices.
"Attending Latin Mass was a big change for Charlotte to get used to," says Aaron.
Now she happily attends Latin Mass with Aaron every Sunday.
A special engagement and wedding plans...
The couple—both annulled—are planning a summer engagement abroad. In August 2021, they have plans to visit Italy, where Aaron will buy an engagement ring and officially propose.
"He is very in touch with his Italian heritage," she says, "and he insists on buying the ring there!"
Later in 2021, they intend to marry in a Latin Mass at Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini, a Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) church. Aaron and Charlotte are members of St. Mary's in Philadelphia, which is also part of FSSP.
"Aaron has asked our pastor to help arrange the future wedding at this church in Rome," she explains.
Charlotte closes, "I feel so blessed to have met Aaron at this stage of my life. Although, I think there is a lot to be said about being older and wiser this time around. I'm really glad I flipped over the church bulletin and saw that CatholicMatch ad!"
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