He contacted her just before her month-long trial subscription ran out...
In May of 2021, Jesseca from Maryland was wrapping up a one-month trial subscription on CatholicMatch, with no plans to re-subscribe.
The divorced and annulled mom of a son in elementary school had tried other dating sites before Googling ‘is there a Catholic match website?’ because she recognized that she wanted to find a man who similarly sought to live a Catholic-Christian life. Still, she hadn’t met anyone during the trial period, so she planned to let her membership lapse.
But then she heard from Matt.
Matt from, New Jersey, had joined CatholicMatch several months previously, but also planned not to re-up his membership after meeting a woman who “was very nice but just not a good fit for me.”
And then he came across Jesseca’s profile. The divorced and annulled dad of three children, two daughters in middle school and a son the same age as Jesseca’s, had experienced a significant reversion to the Catholic faith in 2020. He too was determined to find a spouse who wanted God at the center of their marriage.
When he read through Jesseca’s profile, she seemed “loving, caring, and we had similar priorities in life. It was obvious that she was doing her best to be a good mother and that she was trying to rely on God.”
As Jesseca scrolled through his profile, “He had a great story about wanting to follow God, and it showed that God was first in his life.”
She wanted to find a man who also had a child or children.
Jesseca was glad to see that Matt was already a father.
After the divorce, she’d dated several men who didn’t have children, and found that even those who said they loved children were unprepared for the reality of dating a woman who was already a parent. She sought a man who would be willing “to hang out with the kids, to do the mom-and-dad thing.” When she met Matt, Jesseca was happy to find that he was on the same page.
They connected right away.
After just two weeks of talking, Matt drove to meet Jesseca in person for a low-key dinner and drinks.
They connected right away in-person like they had virtually. Over time, they found they had much in common. Both love dogs and coffee, and they enjoy working on puzzles and watching movies together.
Additionally, they both volunteered for 40 Days for Life prayer vigils outside abortion clinics.
He told her he wouldn’t go to her church!
They’ve also challenged each other to grow. At the time they met, Jesseca was gradually returning to her practice of the Catholic faith, attending a nondenominational church on her own and then also Mass when she was with her family. As they got to know each other better, Matt, who characterized his manner as “blunt and to the point,” told her straightforwardly “I’m never going to that church with you!”
While she was truly grateful for the love of learning about God and reading the Bible that she received from the Protestant church, Jesseca gradually realized that God was calling her to return and commit fully to the Catholic faith of her childhood. Now, Matt and Jesseca enjoy praying the rosary together, attending Mass together on Sunday, and learning more about the Faith.
And just as iron sharpens iron and Matt’s accountability helped Jesseca come full circle with her faith, he shared, “Jess has helped me along the way as well.”
They married a little over a year after meeting on CatholicMatch!
The couple dated for several months before getting engaged, and they were married in August of 2022, just 15 months after meeting online.
For the time being, in acknowledgment of their custody arrangements, children’s sports schedules, and other extracurricular commitments, plus his frequent travel for his medical sales job and her work as the manager of a gymnastics facility, the couple maintains his and her homes.
During the week, she lives in Maryland with her son and he lives in New Jersey with his children. Each weekend, one spouse travels to the other’s home to spend time with them and their child(ren). Within the next few years, they plan to merge homes and lives fully.
For a marriage to be successful, God has to be at the center.
When asked what advice they’d offer to another divorced man or woman considering signing up for CatholicMatch, Jesseca urged, “I know from previously being married and not having God in the relationship, God has to be in the marriage. You have to learn to have God in your life individually and then at the center of your relationship.” Matt concurred, “Anyone who wants to have a relationship that’s meaningful has to have God in it. With other dating sites, there’s something missing, and you’ll keep searching for it until you incorporate God.”
Both Jesseca and Matt are grateful to CatholicMatch for helping them find a like-minded spouse.
Continue Reading
