They Got Married Within Ten Months: Here They Are Ten Years Later!

Back in the early 2000s, Markos tried finding love the normal way by going to bars and parties and looking for nice girls. But, he found himself meeting the same type of person over and over, and nobody shared his beloved Catholic faith.

“I wanted someone with my morals and values, and most importantly, had God as the center of their lives,” Markos, then 29, recalls.

So, he turned to a much-less-common option at the time: online dating.

He tried it for a couple of weeks, and though he met people who shared his faith, none of them really “clicked.” So in February of 2011, he decided to cancel his CatholicMatch account. Then he received his first ever message from a single woman on CatholicMatch.

“Call that godsend or what?” Markos remembers. Elsie, then also 29, had been married once before (and engaged twice) and was now a single mom living in Corning, New York City. She had a lovely 7-year-old daughter named Alexis, and she also happened to be a massive history buff. Markos, a special education history teacher himself, was not terribly far away in Fairport, NY. The two communicated for about one week on CatholicMatch messaging before arranging to meet in person. Their romance quickly bloomed from there! Markos was most impressed by Elsie’s love of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Finally, here was someone who loved the faith as much as he did!

“The first time Elsie and I went to church, I watched her sob as the priest entered into transubstantiation with the Eucharist. She loved the most precious body and blood of our Lord more than anything; I knew she was a keeper!’ he says.

The two frequented Confession during their dating relationship, as well.

These spiritual experiences together helped them not only grow closer as a couple but also to recognize each other’s normal human flaws and faults. Markos knew quickly that marriage was inevitable! So in August of 2011, just six months into their relationship, Markos popped the big question.

“I proposed to her in my apartment; I got down on one knee in my living room, which was the first spot Elsie told me she loved me,” Markos fondly recalls.

Of course, Elsie said yes!

They decided on a short engagement and got married four months later on December 18th in Elsie’s town of Corning.

After a blissful honeymoon, they settled into their new life together in Fairport. Newlywed life brought a tough set of challenges, as Elsie left her life behind in her old city to start afresh with Markos. Her daughter Alexis also had to make this transition and get used to a new father figure in her life. Finances were very tight, but the couple managed to buy their daughter some Christmas presents that year with some of their wedding money.

Then, shortly after the new year, they got another surprise: Elsie was expecting their first child together! The couple was overjoyed and also a little stressed out with all these changes. After that baby came, a second followed closely in 2013. Within a span of eighteen months, Markos found himself a father of three. He was up for the challenge and was ecstatic to be a dad! 

As their marriage continued, Markos was continually touched by Elsie’s giving heart.

At the time, his grandmother was ailing from Alzheimer’s and dementia and needed daily help. Elsie, while raising Alexis, toddler Antonios, and baby Allythea, stepped right in to offer care . . . for four straight years. Elsie’s fearless dive into helping her new extended family is a testament to the couple’s faith and service-oriented mindset. 

Nowadays, their life is very busy but extremely gratifying! They have their three children together and make sure to always make time for each other. Their favorite way to connect is 5AM devotionals together at the kitchen table, before the kids are awake. This lovely spiritual habit has helped them overcome tragedies such as Elsie’s good friend committing suicide, the loss of Markos’s grandmother, and the financial difficulties early marriage brought them. Faith triumphed through all the obstacles! They have also succeeded in becoming debt-free and are looking for their first official house together.

They enjoy cooking, hiking, reading, playing guitar, and of course, spending time with their beloved children. They love their home parish in Fairport, and their two younger children Antonios and Allythea are in faith formation there.

Their eldest daughter Alexis is currently a senior in high school and doing multiple sports; next year she plans to attend college for architecture and interior design. Markos continues to teach history, and Elsie has picked up a beloved job as tech support at a nearby university. 

After ten years together, what would these two tell singles and dating couples?

“Dating and marriage need to be God-centric. You must work on it not only together but also as individuals. Faith takes work, just like marriage...and you need to put in the effort every day. When my faith has been weak or fractured, my dating life was a mess; heartache, depression, and loneliness. Let Him lead you to your soul-mate,” Markos advises. And also…

“Also, try CatholicMatch.com!” he adds with a laugh.

The couple celebrates their ten-year anniversary on December 18th.

Here’s to the decades ahead for this wonderful couple!