In 2012, Vinny and Elizabeth, both in their early-20s, met on CatholicMatch shortly after signing up for a membership. They didn't let a long-distance relationship get in the way of falling in love. The two were married on February 15, 2014, and that same year they welcomed their first child, Mia, into the world on Christmas Eve. The couple shared why they joined CatholicMatch, about their relationship, and some tidbits of wisdom about online dating.
Why did you join CatholicMatch?
Elizabeth: I joined because I had just recently started taking Catholicism seriously, and knew that I needed to be with someone who would help me grow in my faith. I had always been a little skeptical of online dating, but one of my friends was on CatholicMatch and told me it was at least worth a try.
Vinny: I had just graduated from college and felt like I didn’t have many opportunities to meet women in places other than bars. On CatholicMatch, I would have the chance to meet someone who took the faith seriously, which is a quality I hadn’t found in anyone else I’d dated before. There was also a discounted rate being offered, and I figured I had nothing to lose.
What attracted you to one another?
Elizabeth: Obviously physical attraction is important so it was good that Vinny had a good amount of pictures of himself on his profile. When we started messaging back and forth, I could tell that we had similar senses of humor and he didn’t come on too strong. Some other guys asked about how many kids I wanted or if I planned to be a stay at home mom in their first messages! Vinny kept it casual, which I liked.
Vinny: I think the attraction came from not only her outer beauty but also her sense of humor, so reading her messages gave me something to look forward to. I also liked that we were spiritually compatible because we both took the faith seriously but knew we had a lot of room for improvement. Each of us was stronger in different areas, so we could help each other.
Where there any hurdles to get over in your relationship?
Both: The distance! Elizabeth had grown up in Northern Virginia and Vinny was in Columbus, Ohio, so we spent a lot of time on the phone. It was really tough, especially when things started getting more serious, but we were blessed because God made it clear pretty early on that Elizabeth was the one who would be relocating when the time was right.
Any funny or interesting dating stories?
Elizabeth: The first time we met in person, in March 2012, I flew to Columbus. On the plane, I noticed that there was a really pretty girl who was also a brunette. Even though we’d Skyped and had seen pictures of each other, I texted Vinny just to be safe and said, “There’s a really pretty brunette on this plane wearing pink shorts… THAT’S NOT ME.”
Vinny: Since Liz was an editor for AOL at the time, my mom was really worried that she was using me for a story she was writing about online dating. She got really nervous when Liz was coming to visit and told me to hide my wallet and all my personal information.
How did your family feel about your meeting someone online?
Elizabeth: My parents were thrilled—just because it was CatholicMatch and they probably never thought I’d be looking for a relationship there. My dad was actually the one who bought
my plane ticket to come meet Vinny (after heavily validating that he was who he said he was for safety reasons, of course). For the most part, everyone else was really supportive since online dating is so common these days.
Vinny: I had a lot of mixed reactions. My mom was skeptical at the prospect of meeting anyone from the Internet. My dad was excited that dating someone Catholic was a priority for me. Some of my friends viewed meeting someone online from a different state as basically giving up on finding a relationship the natural way but Liz eventually won them over.
Tell me about the proposal.
Elizabeth: Vinny did such an incredible job! He came to Virginia and we were planning to go to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in D.C. I had a hunch that he might be proposing there but before we left he said, “We can do something else today if you want to…” That totally threw me off.
Once there, we asked someone to get a picture of us walking up the staircase outside. When Vinny gave the guy his phone, he had actually put it on video mode so it recorded the whole thing! He got down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of his boot… I couldn’t believe he’d kept it in there all day!
Then when we got back to my house, I was shocked to find that Vinny had arranged for his parents and two best friends to come to Virginia and meet my family for the first time. It was an awesome day.
Any funny or interesting stories about the wedding or honeymoon?
Elizabeth: The week leading up to our wedding was emotional, to say the least. Vinny’s Aunt Patti, who was also his godmother, had been battling a rare heart disorder and passed away the Tuesday before our wedding on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. She was going to do one of the readings during the ceremony and her son, Vinny’s cousin, was also the best man. Her death was unexpected and it was difficult to determine how it would affect the wedding plans, especially considering more than half of our guests were traveling from Ohio.
All we could do was trust in God and as always, he came through even greater than we hoped. Everyone, including Aunt Patti’s sons and husband, made the trip five days after her death to be in Virginia for our wedding. We were so overwhelmed by their support and sacrifice, especially after the tragedy, and the ceremony and reception were so full of joy despite everything.
As for the honeymoon, we made arrangements to attend Aunt Patti’s funeral and then fly to the Dominican Republic for nine incredible days.
Is married life what you expected it to be? What have been the most difficult and joyous aspects of being married?
Elizabeth: So many people told me that the first year of marriage would be a huge trial, so I was prepared for a tough time. While there were some really challenging conflicts we had to address, especially since I had moved away from my family and friends, I wasn’t blown away by the difficulty like I thought I would be. The most difficult aspect for me has probably been accepting that we both have different priorities and occasionally have to make sacrifices for one another. The most joyous part so far came on Christmas Eve when our daughter Mia was born! I love that she’s a little piece of each of us.
Vinny: I didn’t really have any expectations about what married life would be like. I just knew that I was with the person God had sent for me and if we kept making the effort to grow closer to Him, our marriage would be successful and continue to increase in joy. The hardest part of being married was realizing that my days of being selfish were behind me and I now have someone else’s needs to consider. I used to let myself be lazy about things like faith and responsibilities, but now I’m with someone who encourages me to get better in those areas
instead of spending my time doing things that never really fulfilled me. The most joyous aspect, I agree with Liz, has been bringing a new life into the world together. I also love that my relationship with God has gotten better throughout our marriage.
Do you have any advice for members struggling to find someone?
Elizabeth: Look at CatholicMatch as opening another door for God to send you someone but remember that He works in all sorts of ways. Don’t rush anything or feel pressured. There is NOTHING wrong with being single! I wish more people realized that. Singlehood is such a precious time. It’s an opportunity to fall in love with God and become the person He wants you to be when he sends you your spouse. Cherish that time. It can be so valuable if you let it.
Vinny: Be willing to put the effort into a relationship but don’t force anything to happen by compromising your values or trying to change someone else. Trust in God’s work and timing.
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