Neither Paula nor Josh had ever tried online dating before, and they were only on the CatholicMatch app for less than a month when they found each other! They were both cantors at their churches and lived only 30 minutes apart from each other in New Hampshire, but they had never crossed paths before.
Paula was drawn to CatholicMatch because she wanted her next relationship to be with a man who would attend Mass with her and live the Catholic faith. She was deeply and happily involved in her church and wanted her partner to share that with her.
She thought that she’d never find anyone that she wanted to date, but this was definitely not the case!
Josh, whose wife had passed away, had looked at several Christian dating apps, but wanted one that was exclusively Catholic. He knew he wouldn’t find someone at a bar, restaurant, or at work. However, an issue he had faced with his church was that there were not a lot of single people in their 40s, and not a lot of events that allowed for meeting others in a romantic way.
Josh had reached out to Paula first, and when she initially looked at his profile, she was attracted to his smile, the fact that they were close in age, and that they were both cantors at their churches. She also liked that he’s a teacher, they both have the same degree (M.Ed.), the same car, and the fact that they’re both left-handed. She found his devotion to faith very attractive, as well as his voice and his responsiveness to her. In her pictures and on their first date, Josh noticed her eyes right away. He was also attracted to their similar backgrounds and that they had both grown up in NH in the 90’s.
Paula continues to appreciate how Josh lives his life with trust in God.
He has experienced some hardships in his life, but has always remained faithful. She also appreciates his acceptance of her children and her dog as part of his life. She enjoys looking over at him and seeing him smile. Josh appreciates Paula’s devotion to Mary, the way she cares not only for him, but for her family and children. They share a concern for attention to detail, and they always go to weekly Mass together.
Paula had been married previously and has three adult children, and Josh was married for 17 years until his late wife passed away from cancer the year before he met Paula. He was lost; he never lost faith, but he had no idea what he was going to do with his life, or where he would find someone in their area. He knew he wanted to marry someone Catholic, but that wasn’t going to be an easy task. He also had to find someone who would understand his struggles, as he had been going to counseling for quite some time, before and after his wife’s passing. He had so much love left to give, and he wanted desperately to find someone to spend his life with.
They chatted for four days before meeting in person.
Prior to their first date, they had spoken on the phone and shared a video chat. Paula was ready to go on a first date when she found out that Josh had been her son-in-law’s favorite high school teacher. Once they discovered this connection, they felt it was safe to meet in-person. Josh said that they instantly clicked the first time they video chatted each other, and he was excited to meet her.
She was also very excited to meet him, but she didn’t really know what to expect. He gave her a hug as soon as he stepped out of the car, which calmed her nerves right away. They walked around town on an unusually warm February day, Josh gave her a beautiful rosary, and then they went to dinner. She was very nervous about what to order, so they ended up splitting an appetizer.
After they finished eating, she shared that she knew she was not interested in talking to or dating anyone else. Josh then asked if she wanted to see his house, which was close by, because he didn’t want the date to end. She agreed, even though looking back, it was kind of a crazy idea to go to the house of a man on a first date, but she felt that she had known him for a while, and her son-in-law said he was a good guy. She drove over, checked right away to see how his house looked, and was very relieved to see it was clean and organized!
They chatted for hours before she headed home.
She didn’t see him the next day, but he sent her a text asking if she would be his girlfriend, “yes or no,” like a note he might have written in high school. Josh was home on school vacation for the week, and they seized that opportunity to spend most of the week together. They ended up spending all of their free time together after that, which included attending Mass together on Saturdays at a church neither of them had previously attended. Now, they attend his church primarily and sing together once a month at her church.
After a few weeks of dating, they had a few nights where they couldn’t see each other due to prior commitments. One morning, Paula texted Josh at 5am to look outside, since she knew he got up at that time. She was there to spend an hour with him and have coffee before they headed off to work! This was the turning point for Paula, the moment she realized she didn’t want to spend any more time apart.
They were engaged after just nine months of dating, and are now married.
Before the proposal, Josh spoke not only with Paula’s mom, but also with the three adult children. He wanted them to know his intentions and how much he loved her. Paula was at a conference at the Mount Washington hotel (a very famous and historic hotel), where Josh was supposed to go with her, and where he had planned to propose to her. However, he got the flu and had to postpone it until the night after she returned from her conference. When she returned, she went upstairs to work in her office. Josh yelled up to her that he had an email for her that he couldn’t understand, and that she should look at it. In the email, he shared some beautiful thoughts that led her to go downstairs, where he was waiting for her on one knee!
The pair got married on August 30, 2025.
On their wedding day, they danced a special, choreographed dance that they had worked on and became very good at after 8 rehearsals. It was so much fun, and they did a great job! They plan to attend more ballroom dancing classes in the future.
Over the course of their relationship, they had a few obstacles to overcome. Paula’s adult daughter struggled with their relationship, since Paula had left the parish where she had been part of the folk group with her for 15 years, and this impacted the bonding between her daughter and Josh. It was also somewhat difficult for Paula to be in a relationship with a man who had lost his spouse, but she has been able to share her thoughts and feelings whenever they simmer to the surface, and Josh listens and hears what she is saying, which validates her as his wife.
One struggle that they still deal with is judgment from others.
Some of Josh’s late wife’s friends don’t understand, even two years later, that he wasn’t “moving on,” but was instead “moving forward.” God had a plan, and He brought Paula to him. They both struggled in their lives, and now they have each other. The priests at both of their parishes have been amazing, they can see the love the pair have for each other and that they are very happy. They see that God is in their daily lives.
So far, the highlights of their married life have included going on vacations together and seeing a few Red Sox games, but Josh says that his favorite times have been spending nights together at home, watching TV and enjoying each other’s company.
The hardest part has been the four months their house was being renovated. They had only one tiny sink, no kitchen, and no laundry. They are about to sell their individual houses and move into their first home that they both own. There is a lot of paperwork and packing yet to do!
They are forever grateful for the opportunity to connect through CatholicMatch, and they know that God connected them in their journey to find a devout Catholic to marry.
For current CatholicMatch users, they would say to trust the process, answer the questions honestly, and let God guide the way. It’s in His hands!
