Josh of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, had tried using other dating apps, such as Tinder and OkCupid, but had difficulty finding someone who shared his faith because the apps were very secular. After using CatholicMatch for about 7-8 years, he finally met Rae Ann.
For her part, upon seeing an ad for CatholicMatch in her church’s bulletin, Rae Ann of Biddeford, Maine, decided to give the app a try. After about ten years of using the app and going on two dates, Rae Ann had accepted that it might be God’s plan for her to remain single until she met Josh.
Josh previously pursued the priesthood, while Rae Ann was previously married.
Josh had tested a vocation to the priesthood, attending seminary from 1999-2001 before ultimately not pursuing the vocation. After returning home from seminary, Josh briefly fell away from the Catholic faith, returning to church sporadically before getting back into it.
Rae Ann was previously married for around ten years but was not treated respectfully in the relationship. After consulting with a parish priest, she decided her best option was a divorce, and the marriage was eventually annulled. Her first marriage, however, did bless her with two sons.
They started chatting and wore masks on their first date.
In January 2021, Josh sent Rae Ann a message on CatholicMatch because he thought she was pretty. Rae Ann, seeing from his profile that he was a good Catholic and lived just 15 minutes from her in the next town of Old Orchard Beach, decided to message him back. The pair hit it off, spending a few days sending each other messages back and forth, and about three weeks following that initial message exchanged phone numbers. A week later, they decided to take the next step and meet in person for coffee.
This was during the middle of the pandemic; they had to wear masks in the coffee shop. Josh arrived at the coffee shop less than a minute before Rae Ann. When she went inside, she noticed him looking around before he saw her. Despite wearing masks, they could both tell the other was smiling underneath. The date lasted over an hour as their conversation seemed to flow naturally. Rae Ann recalls calling a friend and telling her, “I like what I see.”
Their small worlds begin colliding together.
Throughout that first date, Josh revealed that his mother knew her father. Her father previously ran an adoration chapel that his mother would attend each week. In fact, they would later learn that back in 2009, as Rae Ann went through her divorce, her father told his mother, “Pray for my daughter. She is going through a divorce.”
As the couple continued dating, they felt it was easy to talk to each other. The pair often prayed and attended church together. He also introduced Rae Ann to the traditional Latin mass, which they still attend about once a month. Josh was introduced to Rae Ann’s young adult sons early on, and they quickly came to like him.
Rae Ann received a surprising birthday present.
In August 2022, the couple celebrated Rae Ann’s 50th birthday alongside friends and family with a lake cruise featuring dancing to 80’s music. She, Josh, her older son, and her friends had gone out to dinner beforehand. Once she stepped away from the table, Josh revealed to her friends that he would propose that night. They then worked out with the DJ how he would propose.
The event had a 50/50 raffle, so the DJ asked Rae Ann to pick the number. After the winner was announced, the DJ called Josh to the floor, where he proposed, and she said, “Yes.” Rae Ann recalled thinking it was strange that everyone was taking their phones out to take pictures of her pulling a number from a hat. “Well, that turned out to be the best birthday ever!” she recalled.
They were married in a chapel by the ocean on a cool day.
Josh and Rae Ann were engaged for about ten months. During that time, they took marriage prep classes, discussed handling disagreements in marriage, and, most importantly, prayed and attended mass regularly. On June 3, 2023, the wedding day finally arrived.
Despite the less-than-ideal cooler weather conditions, the day went beautifully. The wedding took place at St. Brendan’s Chapel, part of Rae Ann’s home parish and near the ocean. She had always wanted to get married close to the ocean because of the peace it brings. All of their families and closest friends made it for the big day. One great blessing of the day was that Rae Ann’s parents could attend amid declining health.
The couple are now adjusting to married life, and Josh is adjusting to being a stepfather. They live in Rae Ann’s childhood home in Biddeford. They consider each other’s feelings, and God is part of their decision-making.
Josh’s advice for anyone searching on CatholicMatch is to be patient, trust in the faith, and trust in the website. Rae Ann’s advice is not to give up and remember that God’s timing is different from your timing.
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