Second Day Of Christmas: Dawn Dishes On Online Dating

We're pleased to feature Dawn-58330 on the second day of Christmas.

What were the greatest blessings of 2010?

God has been so good to me in 2010! The gift of an abundant life really is the biggest blessing. Six of my CatholicMatch friends got married. My parents and the rest of my family are happy and in good health.

I was able to travel with friends to see other friends last summer, which is one of my passions.

And being able to share Christ in my classroom on a daily basis is a blessing that I try not to forget.

How has your approach to finding a mate evolved?

Initially I expected one day he would stumble upon my profile, be inspired, write me and we would be off on this romantic journey through the Internet, just the two of us.

But this individualistic approach now seems unnatural to me. The communal aspect of CatholicMatch (the forums, the chat rooms, and the events) provides a social context for couples to get to know each other. The prayer and shared Catholic faith help provide the social scaffolding for relationships to develop.

Whether I find him living close to my home or some distance from me, I know that I want us to have mutual friends, prayer support and a place together in the community of CatholicMatch.

My approach has evolved from being a passive to being an active member of CatholicMatch. I’ve learned that something isn’t really a relationship until we meet, but that meeting is quite possible and enjoyable. I’m much more outgoing, though far more discerning, than when I began.

What’s your CatholicMatch strategy?

I embrace the faith community of CatholicMatch. I participate in the forums, visit the chat rooms and attend events whenever possible. When I’m traveling I contact members I have come to know and we get together.

I regularly visit with my CatholicMatch Indianapolis friends; we get together at least every two months. I know that it is quite possible that I will meet my husband through these wonderful people.

I participate in the Oremus prayer room, 54-day rosary novenas with other CatholicMatchers, and the weekly rosary teleconference call.

I browse profiles of men who live within a day’s drive and send emotigrams to those who spark an interest in me.

Why do you stay on CatholicMatch?

I think it is the best possible place online that I may find my husband. It suits the man that my heart is looking for.

I stay because CatholicMatch has been such a blessing in my life already. Not only has it blessed me with wonderful friends, but my faith has grown and deepened.

I stay, too, because God keeps nudging me to stay. He’s got a purpose or two for me on CatholicMatch.

What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?

Attending Midnight Mass with my family at the cathedral. There’s nothing like singing Christmas hymns to giant pipe organs in a gothic-style basilica with massive stained-glass windows. The Glorias are just that more impressive!

What’s your hope for 2011?

I hope those who are looking for work and gainful income find it early in 2011. I hope 2011 will be the year we see a dramatic turn in our country’s view on the sanctity of life.

I hope to see many more of my friends find love on CatholicMatch and make plans to marry by 2012, and I hope to be among them!

Make a prediction for 2011.

I predict that Blessed Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II will be canonized on the same day in 2011. John Paul the Great will become the patron saint for online dating, seeing as he was the first pope to use the Internet, loved young people and promoted the sanctity of marriage.

I also predict that with the growing popularity of social networking and the universal Catholic Church, CatholicMatch will feature three-quarters of a million profiles in 2011.

Further reading

• The first day of Christmas featured Lisa.