Bill, now 62, had grown frustrated with dating because he wasn’t meeting women he wanted to date on CatholicMatch, and he was ready to give up. After being single for some time and on CatholicMatch for three months, Bill told God that if he didn’t meet someone soon, he would go forward living life serving God as a single man and stop searching for a wife.
He chose the date 2/14/18—which happened to be both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day—as his deadline for finding a wife. At the same time, he realized that his profile was partially to blame for his lack of dates.
“After looking at the profile my friend had posted for me on CatholicMatch, I realized it didn’t accurately portray my true self,” remembers Bill. He updated his profile and added some pictures.
God worked right up to the deadline...
Paula, who had been on CatholicMatch for over a year-and-a-half, had experienced more success on CatholicMatch, but she hadn’t met "the one". A relationship that started on CatholicMatch had recently ended, and she updated her status to available. Bill didn’t pop up as a match for Paula, but she noticed him anyway.
“I noticed a handsome man in the photos with a Denver Broncos jersey,” recalls Paula. “I read his profile and immediately liked his devotion to family and desire to live in the mountains.”
Paula, now 56, didn’t hesitate to make the first move and she sent Bill a smiley face emoji. Bill—struck by Paula’s mind, morals, intelligence that he saw reflected in her profile—sent one back.
On Valentine’s Day 2018, Paula sent Bill some interview questions, and Bill responded he wanted to answer them after Mass. Paula recalls that she appreciated his response, but what she didn’t know was that God was working right up to the deadline that Bill had set.
A chilly first date!
After daily texting and conversations, Bill and Paula planned to meet in person between their homes—Bill lived in Denver, Colorado, and Paula in a mountain town 160 miles away—to see the Dillon Ice Castles. Bill recalls being nervous for the date—double-checking everything before the meeting—but Paula felt only excitement.
“The date went well via amazing ice castles, great Mexican food, great conversations, and many laughs. We connected and kept talking until Starbucks closed and kicked us out,” shares Paula, noting she was attracted to Bill’s love of family, personal relationship with Jesus, and fun-loving attitude.
They navigated relationship roadblocks and loss.
Paula and Bill had both been married before, but they had both received annulments. Paula had been married for 25 years and has six children. She shares that she found the annulment process “healing,” which “promoted [the] spiritual and emotional health” needed to move forward with her life. She found the process so impactful that Paula became an advocate to help others with their annulment process in the Diocese of Denver.
The couple connected immediately, but they faced a series of roadblocks. Paula’s youngest child was high school-aged and living at home, so they had to navigate her responsibilities as a single parent. Her children felt very protective of their mother, and they took time to accept Bill.
The couple also dealt with the distance between Denver and Glenwood Springs, particularly in the winter when snow made mountain roads treacherous. Since Paula had children at home, the first few weeks were filled with phone conversations, texts, and only a few dates.
Two months after they met, Bill’s father was hospitalized. Paula supported Bill as his family said goodbye to their patriarch. She remembers it as a unique opportunity to learn about each other and celebrate the beauty of family.
“Let’s do this.”
After meeting each other’s families, the couple started spending every weekend together. By Thanksgiving 2018, Bill was ready to propose, but he wanted to get her family's blessing. Bill discussed proposing marriage with Paula’s children and asked her Dad for his blessing in January 2019.
In February of 2019, Paula and Bill returned to the Ice Castles for a date where their relationship began.
“I was sweating and nervous walking through the ice fabricated rooms,” says Bill.
He asked to stop and rest in the Waterfall room, and he pulled out an engagement ring. He got right to the point with a simple proposal.
“Let’s do this,” he said to Paula. Paula recalls excitedly saying yes.
A wedding with family and friends!
On October 5, 2019, family and friends joined the couple as they said “I do” at St. Stephen Church in Glenwood Springs. Their friend, Father Bert Chilson, officiated the wedding. Bill remembers the highlight of the wedding being the moment when he saw Paula for the first time in the church. The couple also cherished the time alone they scheduled in before the wedding taking pictures.
“We loved having our families and friends together for our celebration of love,” adds Paula.
Bill moved to the mountains to be with Paula and her family. The couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary amidst Covid-19.
“The first year of marriage has been full of love, getting to know each other, moves, job changes, and crazy 2020 events,” shares the couple. “CatholicMatch was the tool to connect us— two people who valued their spirituality above everything else when searching for a life mate.”
Celebrating one year amidst a pandemic...
Since being married, the couple has found more things to love about each other.
“I appreciate Bill’s loving and generous heart,” says Paula. “He makes life amazing. I love having my best friend to share life with always and going to bed each night being able to review the day together.”
Bill says he appreciates his wife’s loving heart. He’s enjoyed spending time with her on their honeymoon and camping in their RV during their first summer as a married couple.
“I enjoy doing everything with Paula,” gushes Bill. He adds the caveat that while he wanted to move to the mountains, he hasn’t enjoyed shoveling snow all winter.
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