Long Distance Was Worth It

Lauren’s smile stuck out to Joe when he viewed her profile on CatholicMatch. He was from New York and she was from Colorado.

“Typically I didn’t respond to people who didn’t live close to me, but Joe’s message was so different—genuine, kind, and thoughtful,” said Lauren. “Then I looked at his profile and saw he was a traditional Catholic, he was smart, and very handsome.”

The two chatted online for two weeks before having a phone conversation. They also Skyped before meeting each other. Soon after, Lauren flew to New York to see Joe and he picked her up at the airport.

“I was so nervous to meet Lauren face-to-face, almost scared,” he said. “I remember pulling up to the airport and seeing Lauren for the first time and just saying, ‘Yes!’ followed by, ‘Oh no...I hope she likes me.’”

Lauren had flown in just in time for Super Bowl XLVIII. “It was a last minute trip,” she explained. “Joe’s coworkers pitched in and surprised him with two tickets on Thursday.”

She arrived jet-lagged and very excited to meet the man she had been getting to know online. “Super Bowl was thrilling!” she said.

They went to church together and then took the train to the city for the game. “We were constantly go, go, go and had a very natural time together,” Lauren said of the weekend.

The two got a surprise on that following Monday when Lauren’s flight was cancelled due to snow. “That might have been the most fun day,” she said. “Just walking around the mall, grabbing a bite to eat at his favorite local place, and driving around.” In January of 2014, they become a couple.

For five months, they were in a long-distance relationship. They spoke on the phone and Skyped every day. Twice, Lauren flew to New York and Joe flew to Colorado for Easter. While they were a long-distance couple, they saw each other about once a month. “It was very, very tough while we were in the middle of it, but we knew it wouldn’t be forever and kept reminding ourselves this is the time to get to know each other better. We appreciate being together so much because of what we sacrificed in the beginning,” Lauren said.

During the long distance period, Lauren liked that she and Joe wrote to each other. “Joe and I were able to write, as my priest said, ‘very old-fashioned love letters,’” she explained. “We got to know each other’s personality and values before even seeing each other or hearing each other’s voices. I felt like I already knew so much about this man once we finally talked, and the sparks flew the first time we did see each other.”

Lauren and Joe married on August 23 in Baltimore. “I am a very traditional Catholic and my faith is extremely important to me,” said Joe. “CatholicMatch seemed perfect to try to find a great Catholic girl.”

For Lauren, her best friend had been suggesting CatholicMatch for months before she gave it a try. “I knew a Catholic website would be the only one I would join because I was only interested in dating other Catholics,” she said. Now, faith is at the center of their marriage.