What led Daniel to CatholicMatch in the first place?
“I was so tired of sacrificing morals for my significant other!” Daniel says of how he was led to CatholicMatch. He knew it was absolutely vital for a future wife to share his faith principles and love of the Lord. In today’s culture of declining morals, that was becoming hard to find, even with conventional online dating sites. He also wanted someone who would make him a better man.
“That is exactly what I found through CatholicMatch,” Daniel, 31, says of his experience here.
Whereas conventional dating sites he had put in years of effort: “This site (took) just a few months!”
In July of 2021, he began chatting online with Shen Shi, age 30. Because she was in Metro Manila Philippines, and he was in Springfield Illinois, they started out thinking they would be just friends. (Raise a hand if you’ve heard that before!) They soon switched from CatholicMatch to Facebook Messenger to keep in touch more regularly. As the months passed, they started noticing how much they relied on each other. Daniel felt that Shen Shi was helping him through a particularly difficult time in his life, and began to wonder if they should reconsider the “just friends” label.
A full year later, the two were able to meet in person.
Daniel flew to Shen Shi and they finally greeted each other in the airport in Manila. Of course, they both were eager to officialize their relationship and start dating for real! Since they knew each other so well already, they felt comfortable and happy together immediately.
During their long-distance dating, Shen Shi made Daniel a hand-drawn birthday card. The thoughtful gesture meant a lot to Daniel, and Shen Shi realized his deep appreciation for her. She felt they had reached a turning point in their relationship, based on Daniel’s deepening love he expressed.
“Sometimes, a man is just sure of something,” Daniel says. He felt their connection was genuine, pure, and totally centered on Christ. These were the exact words he used to propose to Shen Shi only three months after that first airport meeting! It was simple and meaningful, and she of course said yes.
The engagement ring was sent in the mail!
Being on opposite sides of the globe has always been the biggest struggle of their relationship. It’s so hard being an ocean away from your beloved! Often, both of them would feel sorrowful being separated so far from each other. “But we always remind ourselves that good things come to those who wait!” Daniel says. On their visits back and forth, Daniel recalls his favorite date was taking Shen Shi bowling. She had never tried it before, and he was excited to introduce her to the fun! It was a memory he’ll treasure forever.
Now, they're waiting to get married in The Church...
“We had our civil wedding on 26th of May (2023),” Shen Shi remembers. Due to Daniel’s short stay and the different citizenships, they had to have a civil ceremony in the Philippines. They then were able to solemnize it in the Catholic Church after but they plan to have a Catholic church wedding as soon as possible. However, the civil ceremony was witnessed by Shen Shi’s family and close friends, who are supportive and excited for the couple.
Currently, Daniel works as a housekeeping facilitator at a Catholic hospital, and Shen Shi works at a DME provider company. They strive to be as holy as possible and look forward to when they can finally live together, start a family, and perhaps share a hobby farm.
“Not only are we best friends and soulmates, we keep each other motivated in our faith,” Daniel says. They pray a Rosary together daily, and find their cultural difference pale in comparison to their mutual love of Christ.
“Anyone interested in finding a serious spouse for the rest of their lives should look no further than CatholicMatch,” Daniel recommends.
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