Jennifer had never been to Raleigh, NC before, and she texted Matt as soon as the plane landed. She wound her way through the Raleigh-Durham Airport to the baggage claim, looking forward to finally seeing Matt face-to-face again. She turned a corner, and there he was wearing a suit and holding a welcome sign.
She was so excited she ran up to him and hugged him, crushing the sign between them. When they let go of their embrace, Matt told her he actually had another sign he wanted to show her because his handwriting (which he often joked about) was so bad on the first sign. Without suspecting anything, Jennifer agreed to see the next sign. She was speechless when he held up the words, "Will you marry me?" He then dropped to one knee and proposed. She said, "Yes!" He placed a beautiful diamond engagement ring on her finger, as her hands shook with overwhelming joy.
In all their talks about getting married, Jennifer had shared her lifelong dream of having a picture of the actual proposal. Amazingly a photographer happened to be waiting on the same flight Matt was waiting on, and he offered to take the picture for them when he overheard Matt talking about it with another person at the airport.
Starting Over
Let's head back to the beginning and introduce Matt and Jennifer. Matt, 34, was divorced. He knew it was time to seek romantic love again, so he pursued an annulment through the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was an arduous 16 month process, but he wanted to be honest and stay faithful to the Church. "It was a long wait. But it was such an amazing feeling! A huge burden lifted when I received the final decision in the mail, opened up the envelope, and read what it said. I realized my prayers were answered, and I could now officially move on. I encourage anyone going through it to be patient and prayerful," Matt said. Getting the Church's annulment was confirmation to him that God had greater plans for him.
Matt went to CatholicMatch in hopes of finding a wife who was faithful to the Church. He started dating someone who didn't say "yes" to all the faith questions, thinking that the differences wouldn't matter. Unfortunately though, he reached an impasse with her, and they had to break up. After a while, he decided to go back to CatholicMatch, but this time he was certain that only a woman who took all of the Church's teachings as seriously as he did could be compatible with him.
Hockey + Customer Service + Spiritual Direction
Jennifer, 36, saw an ad for CatholicMatch in her parish bulletin about six years ago. She was skeptical, but she went ahead and signed up. She used the site off and on for a few years, and then let her membership expire. She eventually received an offer from CatholicMatch which seemed to make it worth the risk of trying the site again, but she felt indecisive. The offer lapsed, but it needled at her in the back of her mind. She went ahead and asked customer service about it. They made arrangements with her for an even better deal with a six month commitment. She decided to go for it and try a membership one more time.
When she logged on at the end of September of 2015, she came across Matt's picture on her home page. Being a hockey fan, she was intrigued that he had a picture of himself with NHL player, Eric Staal. She decided to check out his profile and liked everything she saw, including that he said "yes" to all the faith questions!
She recalled, "He, of course, got a notification that I had looked at his profile. So he checked out mine and wrote to me. I could tell he had actually read my profile, and his initial message was very sweet and invited a response. After a few shared messages on CatholicMatch, we were texting later that night."
Within a week, they moved on from texts to phone calls. They seemed to click right away. Matt said, "It was just the way we connected." They shared many hobbies and interests. They also wanted their Catholic Faith to be the foundation of their relationship. Jennifer, at first, was uncertain about Matt's previous marriage, but her spiritual director gave her timely insight. "He asked me, 'If the Church is okay with his annulment, why would you question it?' So, that ended that worry," she explained.
Crossing the Continent to See The Puzzle Pieces Come Together
They decided t
hey wanted to meet in person, but distance was a huge obstacle: He lived in North Carolina, and she was in New Mexico! Despite this, they chose not to date any other people as they waited to finally encounter each other face-to-face. At the end of October of 2015, Matt flew out to New Mexico for a four day weekend. "Matt and I had been communicating daily the previous weeks, and it just felt right to be with him. Even that first glimpse, when I picked him up in the airport, was easy and natural," Jennifer said.
The couple spent the long weekend sharing meals together, going sight-seeing, and worshiping together at Mass. "It felt like the pieces were connecting in the puzzle that God was assembling. It wasn't just our doing," Matt remembered. Jennifer agreed, "I think we both knew, at that point, that we were worth fighting for, and we wanted to make it happen." Matt went back to North Carolina, but they continued to communicate with each other every day.
It didn't take them long to decide that they wanted to be married. They began making wedding plans, although Matt hadn't had the chance to propose yet. When Jennifer went to North Carolina in February of 2016, she knew he was going to officially ask her to marry him, but she had no idea how he would do it. Well, his proposal right away at the airport definitely surprised her!
Prepar
ing for Forever
As they prepared for their wedding in September of 2016, Jennifer and Matt made prayer and communication priorities in their relationship. Family and friends had mixed reactions about their meeting online and moving forward so quickly, but the couple's happiness and commitment put fears to rest. Unfortunately, Jennifer hadn't had the opportunity to meet Matt's daughter from his previous marriage (she lives out of state from him). However, as the couple continues to stay the course in their love for each other, they know they can overcome anything together with God's help.
When asked if they have any advice for those who may feel frustrated while looking for a relationship on CatholicMatch, they both mention the importance of patience and trusting in God's timing. Matt also adds that it is crucial not to compromise your values as you look for a mate. He has found that you cannot expect someone who differs in their priorities to come around to your views. "Nobody can change anyone. I learned that," he said.
Both Jennifer and Matt are grateful to God for bringing them together on CatholicMatch.com. Being over half a continent apart has been challenging, but they are excited to be together forever thanks to the sacrament of marriage.
