Two years ago, David realized he was tired of defending his faith on dates. There had been too many instances where the girl was nice and kind but not Catholic—and he couldn't see himself marrying someone who didn't share his beliefs.
Sitting at home less than a mile away, Sara had already decided she could wait for the man who would be her perfect match—even if it took a long time or he lived across the country—if it meant that he was a faithful Catholic.
David prayed for his intention at Mass in the morning; just a few hours later, Sara prayed for hers at the same parish. But neither met the other until a chance encounter on CatholicMatch...
When David first met Sara in person, he thought, “Oh, this definitely has potential." The now 37-year-old says he liked her “warm and genuine smile, beautiful curly, dark brown hair, and mesmerizing eyes,” and she also struck him as someone who wouldn’t give up her faith, who loved God, and who loved life.
Sara, now 40, thought the relationship had potential too. When she saw his profile, Sara especially liked one of his photos which showed him standing near a very large cow with a goofy look on his face. “Of course he is handsome,” says Sara, but she liked that his pictures showed “his silliness and his zeal for life.” She also appreciated that they had the same priorities—a love for the Church, travel, and the great outdoors.
They lived literally around the corner from each other!
Not only were they attracted to each other, but they soon realized they went to the same parish (but attended different Mass times), sometimes worked at the same hospital, and lived less than a mile away from each other in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Soon after meeting online in April 2015, Sara and David met up for beers, talking about “anything and everything” that they could fit into three hours before David had to leave to pick up his friend from the airport. David calls this informal meeting their first date, but Sara doesn’t agree. “The actual first date was a couple of meetings later when we had dinner and went to Eucharistic Adoration together to end the evening,” says Sara.
But, the couple adds, “Either way, we clicked from the start.”
Not having to defend their faith was refreshing.
Sara and David both joined CatholicMatch, because they were struggling to find a practicing Catholic to date, especially because they were looking for someone who didn’t push aside Church teaching to live a secular life.
“With an already seemingly small pool, it was even more difficult to find those that we each jived with,” adds David.
They turned to CatholicMatch to help them narrow their search to faithful Catholics, and they were successful. “We each could have settled down with individuals of other faiths,” shares the couple. “But we came across difficulties on that level that were too close to the heart, so we both chose to be patient through our young adult lives.”
Their patience paid off; they finally found the kind of relationship they were waiting for. “We were both so relieved to find a practicing Catholic who truly loved Jesus and Mary, and all the beautiful gifts given by God in our faith. We did not have to explain our beliefs to each other, nor compromise anything related to our beliefs. It was, and continues to be, refreshing, to say the least,” shares the couple.
Found! A natural fit—one never tiring of the other.
Not only were Sara and David were on the same page faith-wise, but they also immediately discovered that they “jived.”
They say they had fun every time they got together, spending time with family, hiking, eating and drinking, and listening to music.
David says, “We had no reservations about seeing each other about 5-6 days per week. After several months of this—getting to know each other and not getting tired of spending time together—we realized this was definitely going somewhere very good.”
And they could share their pasts without fear.
Of course, no one is perfect, so no relationship is entirely perfect. The couple found that open communication helped them work through issues that they had faced in the past and grow together.
“Everyone has a past, whether it was something you've done or something you've been through. No matter what that past entails, couples must face their pasts and work together to overcome any obstacles—to learn how to grow, change what they can change, and accept what they need to accept,” shares the couple.
They were able to overcome issues in their past and move forward in a happy relationship, because they trusted each other with their stories. “Neither judged the other, and even though it is difficult to bring up conversations that we would rather leave under a rock, this is what allows people to move forward in their relationships.”
A grace-filled wedding on the feast of St. Teresa
On April 24, 2016, David proposed to Sara after Sunday Mass after saying the Rosary in front of a
statue of the Blessed Mother. “I then turned, kneeled, and proposed, and she didn't reject me!” laughs David.
He says he kept his proposal simple because his brother-in-law proposed to his sister on the highest point in Utah. “Since I couldn't 'top' that, I asked her to stay after Mass.”
In October 2016, they were joined in Holy Matrimony by four priests—including three Dominican friars—who concelebrated the wedding Mass for their dear friends.
“It was the most beautiful day,” says Sarah, “The middle of October in Northern Utah can be
unpredictable as far as sun, rain, or even snow. In the midst of several days of rain, our wedding day, St. Teresa of Avila's feast day, was 70° F, sunny, and absolutely perfect.”
They felt God's grace pouring out in every part of the day, and family and friends helped make it a more perfect day than either of them could have hoped for. “That day, our good friends, who had been engaged for nearly two years, decided to move forward with getting married and recently exchanged vows,” adds the couple.
Learning to live together wasn't hard.
Marriage, says the couple, has been amazing.
“Perhaps it is because we are a little past the traditional age for marriage, or perhaps it is all God's doing, but we have had little trouble getting used to living together, and it has all felt quite natural.” The only small sticking point for them has been budgeting, which has been a touchy subject. “That's the smallest, and still necessary, thorn in our sides,” they say.
Excitingly, the couple is pregnant with their first child, who is due one month before their first anniversary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyWfbUW4l1A
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