After striking out in relationships, Therese decided to overcome her feelings of despair and give online dating a chance.
“Given my past with relationships, I had gotten to a point where I didn’t think I would meet anyone or anyone would want to be with me. I sometimes felt like there was no hope in life, but I kept trying despite this,” Therese said.
By the time she reached her mid-20s, she decided to signed up for CatholicMatch, in July 2017. Four days later, she received messages from David, also in his mid-20s.
Therese said she was initially drawn to David’s profile photo. “Along with that, I could tell from his messages that he was sincere, very caring, and a strong Catholic. I was very comfortable with him,” Therese said.
David was charmed by her smile. “I was drawn in instantly,” he said.
But there was just one problem: soon, after exchanging a few messages, Therese learned that David was open to the priesthood. She decided to pull back so he would have time to discern his calling.
About 10 months later, on May 17, 2018 he reached out saying that he was not discerning the priesthood anymore. Therese was still interested and they began dating.
One hurdle had been cleared, but another remained: Therese lived in Orange County, California while David lived in England. They chatted on CatholicMatch for a month and then transitioned over to Skype and phone calls.
“As we started verbally communicating and eventually in person, we found that it was so easy for us to talk to each other. We could spend hours on the phone. I was also impressed with his confidence and drive to be the best he could be. Never before had I connected with someone like him!” Therese said.
After two and a half months they met in person.
“I’ll never forget when we met in person for the first time. I had been through a series of relationships that didn’t end well so I wasn’t sure how this interaction would go. I said a prayer to God that if it be His will for us to be together that He would fill my soul/heart with peace. But if it not be His will that He would fill my soul/heart with anxiety. It took a lot of faith to say this prayer, since I wanted things to go well,” Therese said.
David flew in to Los Angeles and Therese met him at the airport.
“I was emerging from the arrivals tunnel at the airport and I could see Therese at the end, with both hands extended upwards and waving, then holding her own face and then hands went back in the air again,” David said.
They walked around the airport for a bit and then spent the next 10 days together in California—what Therese calls a “10-day date.”
Over time, Therese says there have been positives to being in a long-distance relationship.
“We are willing to put extra effort into the relationship by talking everyday via phone or Skype, writing letters, sending gifts, and dealing with an eight-hour time difference. I think that can say a lot about how much we love each other and how committed we are. We have to be more creative in how we express affection and take every day as an act of faith,” Therese said.
David agrees: “The ability to keep it going is not the only major display of love we have for one another. We pray with each other and for each other every day. The support we offer one another from either side of the pond, in both earthly and prayerful forms, just goes to show how strong our love is.”
Both say they decided the other person was the one for them because of the sense of peace they had in their relationship. Therese said she noticed a change in herself in the relationship—she was less domineering and just accepted David for who he is. Given that they share the same values and goals, she says she is convinced David is the one for her.
“A deep and sincere feeling of peace washes over me every time we speak to/see one another. We have spoken about all manner of things regarding relationships and family life, etc. At no point have I felt overwhelmed with it all. I have full faith that God has brought us both together for the purposes of marriage and family life,” David said.
The day after Christmas 2018, David proposed—but not all went according to plan.
Originally, David had planned to attend Mass in the morning with Therese, say a rosary together, attend adoration, and then go to a walk in the grotto of a local church where he would propose. However, Therese’s family asked to join them at Mass and David—not wanting to let on what he was intended to do later on—welcomed them along.
His plans unraveled further from there. They went to one church to find out it was holding a Communion service not a Mass, so they had to go somewhere else. Then David brought Therese back to the original church and say the rosary together—except it was locked.
“So I thought, ‘Let’s just move on to the next step,’” David recalled.
So they headed to adoration but there were other people there, preventing them from praying out loud.
Finally, the couple made it to the grotto.
“We then prayed together a little more before I dropped down to one knee to reveal a little box from my coat pocket. The question was finally asked after much anticipation…and Therese said yes!” David said.
“After the proposal, I was so happy, nothing else in the world mattered at that moment. I was just staring into the eyes of my beloved and felt so excited about the times to come. At that moment, it was clear just how much we truly loved one another,” David said.
“It was a very peaceful moment from God. All the trials and crosses of the year left my shoulders! The ring he gave me was simple and beautiful at the same time. Our relationship entered a whole new level. It’s a journey I’m excited to make with David, as I love him very much and cannot wait to start a family with him,” Therese added.
They plan to get married on July 6, 2019 the Feast of St. Maria Goretti, after which Therese will move to England to be with David.
