John rejoined CatholicMatch in late November 22nd of 2017, after last being a member in 2005. Little did he know, he was just days away from meeting his future wife!
At age 46, Karen joined CatholicMatch for the very first time on November 24th.
In December, they crossed online paths and began corresponding online. Just like John, she too had joined CatholicMatch to make sure her dating life centered on her Catholic faith.
“We both had realistic expectations for an online dating site, but also realized how important our Catholic faith was in seeking out a future spouse,” John, then 43, recalls. After a short time talking online, they swapped phone numbers and began talking that way. Video chat soon followed, and they knew they’d like to meet in person. John resided in Indiana, and Karen in Seattle, Washington State, so their first date would definitely take some planning. Luckily, Karen worked as a flight attendant, and her job made traveling long distances very flexible.
It was 54 long days before they could finally meet in person.
They met on the Feast Day of the Presentation of Our Lord on February 2nd, and both felt the Holy Spirit present on their first date. They met in central Indiana, near where John lived in Greencastle.
“Our first date involved dining at Cracker Barrel and discussing Indiana politics, followed by a movie called Brooklyn at John’s apartment,” Karen recalls. The two ended their date feeling completely sure this was a relationship they wanted to exclusively pursue.
Thus began their long-distance dating. As Karen continued to fly to Indiana for their dates, they explored Indiana together. They attended performances of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and later, went to the Indiana State Fair.
“John showed me the beauty of the Hoosier National Forest, as well as St. Meinrad Archabbey,” she says, remembering how their dates often centered around their beloved faith.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, as they say.
No surprise when, six months later, they began talking about relocation to be closer together. Karen’s job allowed her to live anywhere and to commute by plane to her crew base on the West Coast. With this handy dandy work environment, she was able to relocate to Indiana to be closer to John. They were both excited to see whether their strong connection would lead them to more commitment once they were able to be a short-distance couple. They continued dating while living in the same state for six more months, Then John planned a proposal almost exactly a year from their first date anniversary. Of course, Karen said yes!
Originally, they chose May 9, 2020, as their wedding date, but with the worldwide pandemic, found themselves unable to have a wedding for another year.
They didn’t let this postponement discourage them, though. They celebrated their Nuptial Mass on May 15, 2021. It was mostly a family affair, and the couple was grateful for all the support! They also had spiritual guidance from the priest and deacon during marriage preparation.
“The priest who presided at our Nuptial Mass was a family friend of John's late parents,” Karen says.
Their wedding was small and beautiful. John’s cousin provided lovely vocals, and they presented gifts to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph during the ceremony. Now, their favorite things to do together are attending Mass, taking road trips to Chicago, and going on long romantic walks together.
“We would never have met had it not been for CatholicMatch, and the guidance it gave us in seeking each other!” John says.
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