After the end of his first marriage, Brian fully embraced online dating. He tried a slew of conventional dating apps, and went out on a bunch of dates. Unfortunately, the key ingredient seemed to be missing: The Catholic Faith.
So he turned to CatholicMatch on April 20, 2020.
“I thought it was an amazing opportunity to meet someone that had a lot of the same values, views, and personality,” he says.
Little did he know how quickly this decision would pay off. Within twenty-four hours of subscribing, Brian, 45, began chatting with Veronica, 44.
She too had been married previously, and like him, also had children. And she was also looking for a faithful Catholic man! They chatted online for a couple of weeks before talking on the phone and connecting via text. Soon, they set up a first meeting at Brian’s temporary townhome residence in Richmond Hill, Georgia. Veronica drove up from her home in Miami, Florida, on May 13, 2020.
They hit it off immediately!
They ended their first date with a trip to Saint Augustine together before Veronica headed back to Miami. Brian was entranced by Veronica, but leery of the 472 miles between them.
But love knows no boundaries!
“We both equally put in the work and made 39 trips (driving approximately 36,816 miles) over [the next] year and three months!” Brian says. They navigated various obstacles together, including COVID lockdowns and travel restrictions. They worked hard to communicate their feelings and process expectations, especially in comparison to their previous marriage experiences. Brian’s previous marriage had lasted 18 years, and it had ended gradually.
“I truly believe I married the concept that I had in mind more than the person, and I neglected my faith and the church in the process and began sacrificing things I wanted out of life,” he explains. He and his previous wife grew apart over faith differences and desires for raising their shared children. Now, he found the shared faith with Veronica to be a solid foundation for their relationship, as well as a necessary part of helping their respective children accept their parents’ newfound love.
Besides all this, they both had careers, as well!
Brian is a retired Army Officer and worked as an emergency management specialist at a local Army hospital. Veronica was an administrative assistant. Needless to say, their schedules were very full, and planning trips was a bit of a juggling act!
Nine months of dating later, on July 30th, 2021, Brian proposed to Veronica! She was delighted to accept.
“We both had always wanted to marry in the church–it was a dream for both of us. Neither of us had been married in the church prior (both us married once through Justice Of The Peace prior),” Brian says.
They started their Pre-Cana classes, finding on the questionnaire that they were over 90% compatible! This meant a lot to Brian, specifically.
“I wish I had the opportunity to have had that questionnaire (the first time I was married), because I believe it would have steered me clear, but nevertheless, I feel God allowed me to make my mistakes so that I could truly appreciate and be with the one I was always meant to be with and that’s Veronica,” he says.
Their Catholic Church wedding was their dream come true.
They married at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Richmond Hill, Georgia on November 12th of 2022.
“We think so much alike that it's scary and fun at the same time!” Brian says of their new marriage. “We owe a lot to CatholicMatch for bringing us together!”
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