Her Spiritual Director Made Her Try CatholicMatch!

In the summer of 2019, Sofia’s spiritual director of ten years was fed up.

After years of listening to both her frustration at not finding a good Catholic spouse and her adamant refusal of his encouragement to try CatholicMatch, the priest put his foot down and instructed her in no uncertain terms, “Don’t come back here until you get online!” 

Her spiritual director wasn’t the only one to suggest Sofia try CatholicMatch.

For seven years Sofia’s family had been telling her the same thing. The extroverted Sofia, who serves as the Community Affairs Manager at a regional bank and is heavily involved in community service in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, was unequivocally opposed to the idea. She rejected the thought that “I’d have to pay to meet somebody,” and told her mom, sister, and her priest that CatholicMatch was “for losers and weirdos!” 

Needless to say, her ideas about CatholicMatch have changed a lot since then!

After the ultimatum, she received in spiritual direction, Sofia reluctantly created a profile in August. She capitalized on a promotion offering an additional six months free if she didn’t meet someone during a six-month paid subscription. While she initially limited her search radius, several weeks into the subscription Sofia expanded her geographic search parameters. To her utter surprise, just a week later she received an engaging, intentional message from Jonathan, a medical doctor who had completed his residency at Keesler Air Force base in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Far from being a “loser” or “weirdo” Sofia was impressed not only to read that Jonathan was currently the Chief of Residents at Keesler, but also was deeply devoted to his family, his work, and his Catholic faith. He even listed his love languages in his profile! He sounded too good to be true and Sofia was skeptical at first, but his joyfulness and ability to make her laugh melted her initial resistance. 

Jonathan, who is third-generation active-duty military and whose brothers are also in the armed services, signed on to CatholicMatch for a brief time in 2018.

He rejoined in 2019 shortly before meeting Sofia. The pair quickly progressed from in-app messaging to phone calls. They talked on the phone two or three times a week consistently, and after what Sofia calls their “values talk” in October, Jonathan told his parents, “This girl is so special, she’s different!” 

Over Veterans Day weekend, Jonathan flew out to Atlanta to meet Sofia….and her sister and best friend who adored him and noticed how kind and loving he was and how easily Sofia and Jonathan got along. 

For the next few years, Jonathan and Sofia put in the hard work of getting to know each other long-distance, despite their busy schedules and the pandemic.

In June of 2020, he moved to Maryland for a cardiac fellowship at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. When in-person, the couple spent much of their time outdoors, kayaking or hiking, or trying out new restaurants. Both are art enthusiasts and history lovers, and they explored many museums together. They also attended Mass together many times at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, a half-hour’s drive from Walter Reed. 

Over time, the couple found they didn’t just share a love of chocolate and a fear of horror movies. They were both passionate about their careers, close to their families, and committed to their Catholic faith. In May of 2022, Jonathan decided the time had come to propose, but not without throwing Sofia off the scent first! 

The pair had intentionally discussed marriage, but the timeline Jonathan shared was for the winter of 2022 or the spring of 2023, in anticipation of the end of his fellowship (and a move) in the summer of 2023. Sofia had even spied a Post-it note under some other papers in his apartment with a list of his goals that read “propose in October 2022”.

Little did she know, the note was a fake! 

On May 29th, 2022, while she was visiting him, Jonathan and Sofia attended Mass together at the Basilica. The day before, they’d walked over 10 miles exploring Washington, DC, and Sofia had gone to bed early, exhausted from their adventures. 

The vigil Mass for Sunday was at 4:00, and afterward, Jonathan suggested they pray together in a chapel at the back of the basilica. Sofia was hungry and reluctant to pray, but Jonathan knew how she was feeling, so he prayed for the Blessed Mother’s help!

At that moment, Sofia too asked for Mary’s intercession to calm down and be present, and she was given that grace. As he felt her relax, Jonathan got up and walked a few steps away.

When she turned toward him, she saw that he was down on one knee.

To her surprise, a photographer began taking pictures as Jonathan had wanted to document the experience for their families. Sofia joyfully answered “yes” to his proposal and the pictures from that day became their engagement pictures. Later while looking through the photos, the couple saw that on the wall over their heads in one picture in the church were the words “Behold your vocation.” They used that photo for their wedding website as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and love. 

The couple wed in February of 2023 in Sofia’s hometown of Atlanta. Jonathan and Sofia were surrounded by family and friends, as his father is one of 11 siblings and her mom is one of six. She wore a veil that her sister and her cousins had worn in their weddings. Getting ready with her mom, sister, aunts, and female cousins was special for her as she’s close with her family. Some of the wedding guests were not Catholic, and the couple was touched to hear afterwards how their guests experienced the beauty of the Mass and of the sacrament. 

In June of 2023, Jonathan’s fellowship ended and he began a cardiac imaging fellowship in Boston at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His demanding work and military schedule leave little free time, so for now Sofia remains in Atlanta for her work and near her family.

The couple looks forward to living together after this current fellowship ends in 2025. While they don’t relish the geographic separation, they are grateful for the graces of the sacrament of marriage, and the monthly visits where they spend time together.

Asked what advice they’d offer to singles hesitant to create a profile, Jonathan and Sofia encouraged “Go for it! It’ll be the best investment. Be patient. And make sure your profile is both very detailed and very honest, both about who you are and what you’re looking for.”