They Worked in the Same Building but Had Never Met

Ohio native, Mason, had been on CatholicMatch for three years and had even been in two relationships from it.

But, unfortunately, neither lasted very long nor led to an engagement. This led 25-year-old Mason to doubt any long-distance options. “I wasn’t going to date anyone further than the same city I was living in any longer,” he declared. However, he remained on CatholicMatch because his faith was what mattered most to him in a potential romance. But, was there really much hope for a third romance that would last?

26-year-old Julia, meanwhile, was waffling about whether or not to try online dating at all. Despite her initial hesitation, her desire for a faith-based relationship won out and she decided to join CatholicMatch. She explored the site for only one month before being matched with Mason. She was quickly attracted by how gentlemanly this guy was, as well as his love of Disney!

“It was a top-rated match! The website thought we were very compatible, so I was happy when Mason messaged me,” she recalls.

For his part, Mason had reached out through the Match feature because he liked that Julia loved animals and was a college graduate. Of course, both of them being believers in all seven faith questions was a must, too! The two messaged online for a fortnight before trading phone numbers, and another fortnight after that, they set up their first date.

They kept it simple and sweet, taking a leisurely walk around the mall.

“There is a high risk when meeting someone new from online,” Julia explains about their date in such a public venue. Aside from the safety precautions, both were excited to meet face to face, since they had been texting each other for a few weeks. 

“It was a feeling that told us both we were about to meet someone special!” Mason remembers. During their walk, they discovered an uncanny coincidence.

While they were both in college at the same time, they both worked for the same company . . . at the same location. The only reason they hadn’t met was because they worked in different departments! 

Their first date went so well that they decided to go on a second one . . . and then a third. Perhaps this was going somewhere after all!

But like every relationship, there were a few challenges along the way.

“Our largest obstacle was time at the beginning of our relationship,” Julia says. Their work schedules were opposite: Mason was working mornings, and Julia was working nights. This did not leave much time at all for them to talk to each other! Luckily, their weekends were usually free, so they could still go on in-person dates. (Since then, Julia has switched her hours!)

As time went on, they started noticing how each was helping the other become a better person.

“She gives me her attention to listen about my day and my struggles,” Mason explains. “It keeps me grounded and saves me from doing things I could regret!”

“Mason has helped me because he gives sacrifices to offer his time in service to others,” Julia reciprocates. The two also began going to weekly Mass together to help them grow in their mutual faith. They also devoted themselves to the Rosary.

“The Rosary affected us both at an early age, and it is a very simple devotion,” they say.

It wasn’t long before Mason took their relationship to the next level. On a beautiful February morning, he planned a special date across multiple locations. He and Julia visited different spots that all held personal meaning, including parks and their church. His final destination was the Franklin Park Conservatory. They walked around the greenhouses for a while, and suddenly Mason saw Julia standing next to a beautiful Julia Butterfly. Mason seized the beautiful moment. “I proposed to her in that very spot!” Julia excitedly accepted--she had been suspecting a proposal was coming, but the location and butterfly took her completely by surprise.

They are planning their wedding for the summer of 2021, at their local Catholic church in Columbus. Now being engaged, Julia says she most appreciates her fiance’s kind and loving nature. (And being a Disney fan is still a plus!)

Mason says Julia is caring to all and a good friend to many people. They hope to imitate good role models in their marriage, including Julia’s youth group leaders and Mason’s grandparents, both of whom had loving and God-centered marriages.

Mason is grateful he didn’t give up after two dead-end CatholicMatch relationships. Turns out, the third time really was the charm!