"While not spoken out loud, it was love at first sight,” says Stephen, 26, a high school science teacher from Lansing, Michigan.
Stephen began talking with Jill, 23, from Mt. Clemens, Michigan, in January of 2014 after she messaged him. Almost from the beginning, thoughts of Jill and talking with her dominated most of his free time.
They hit it off right away because they shared so many things in common; they both were passionate about music, anime, and the gaming culture. They spent hours messaging each other back and forth.
“Thanks to CatholicMatch we didn't have to struggle with the awkward waltz that generally comes with meeting new people: ‘Oh, so you're Catholic? (phew) Awesome, me too! What are your thoughts on the Transfiguration? (Talk about a great question to ask on the first date!)’ There can be quite a few assumptions a person makes when hearing someone is Catholic. But because of Jill’s profile, I not only knew she and I were of the same background, but we were both at a similar spot in our lives with regards to our faith,” Stephen says.
Before joining CatholicMatch, both Jill and Stephen had bad experiences dating people who lacked a solid Catholic foundation. Consequently, they both were looking for someone who knew the faith and who wanted to get involved within the Church community.
11-Hour First Date
In March 2015, they met for their first date in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which was the halfway point—and an hour and a half— from their homes. “We went on a simple 11-hour date,” Stephen recalls.
They met at Subway for lunch, with plans to wander around the city. “We stumbled into a free museum at the University of Michigan campus and also made our way to watch the latest Miyazaki film, The Wind Rises,” Stephen says.
They then enjoyed a dinner together at Chipotle. “We're the fanciest of people. We swear!” jokes Stephen. Afterwards, they went to watch the ICCA semifinals a capella competition. Finally, wrapping up the night in a Starbucks where they waited for Jill’s phone to charge—her phone ran out of energy before their date did.
Jill, who is a nanny by profession, says she was hopeful that they would hit it off on their first date because they had clicked so well in their correspondences. “One of my love languages is quality time, so it was wonderful that we spent so much time together in person that day.”
Stephen adds, “I don't think there was a single thing that could have gone wrong that day. I was with an extraordinary woman getting to do just about everything I love.”
From that first date, their relationship only got better. “After a year of precious time spent together meeting either at her place, my place or halfway; we then went on a one-year anniversary trip to Rome Easter 2015.”
Frightful Proposal
Stephen had plans to propose to Jill at the top of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. “Little did I know, at the time, just how scared of heights she was. Luckily for me, she was already in tears, so I didn't have to fumble too much.”
Jill was so afraid of heights that she couldn’t help crying. Like a gentleman, Stephen steadied her and encouraged her. He persuaded Jill to look out at the majestic view of the city before asking her to marry him. “The moment was more than I could have ever hoped for, even with my fears and stress,” she recalls. “It was a beautiful and emotional moment with much, much, humor.”
Getting engaged in Rome wasn’t a total surprise for Jill. “My mom had been asking me strange questions about ring size, but she tends to ask questions like that all the time. Stephen and I had previously talked about a timeline for engagement and future plans months before, but we had never solidified anything. I thought he would let me know that it was coming soon!”
For the rest of their trip, they had an opportunity to see the pope at his weekly papal audience, travel to Pompeii, and to meet up with friends. “It was a perfect pilgrimage full of wonderful memories and an adventure with stories that will last us a lifetime,” says Stephen.
Their Future
Stephen and Jill see each other about every other week on average. “Now it’s even more exciting, as we have a wedding and our future to plan,” they say.
The couple will be married at Jill’s home parish, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Mt. Clemens in May of 2016. “This wedding is going to be a big one because we have wonderfully large families and many close friends,” Jill says.
