The success story archive at CatholicMatch is filled with examples of couples where at least one of the parties was able to make a match with the first person they corresponded with. That wasn’t the case for Alexandra. The 31-year-old preschool teacher from Spain was a part of the CatholicMatch community for seven years before she finally found her true love.
Alexandra started things by sending Miguel a “smile” emotigram, which eventually led to a live chat two weeks later, and soon after they decided to meet in person.
The couple chose as their meeting place the Cathedral of Our Lady of Pillar in Zaragoza. Alexandra was supposed to pick him, up “but I couldn’t find a parking place,” she recalled. “I kept him waiting for ages and he thought this wasn’t for real and that it was a joke.” But the 40-year-old hadn’t come 250 kilometers to give up, so the date moved forward.
Once the rough start was overcome that date went splendidly, complete with Mass at the Cathedral followed by dinner. Even though the restaurant was packed and a bit of a nightmare to deal with, they didn’t care. Miguel was hooked.
“He says it was love at first sight,” Alexandra said.
“When it was time to say goodbye he asked to see me again the next day,” Alexandra told CatholicMatch, recalling how delighted she was. She agreed, and both a second and third date came in quick succession.
Four months later it was time to celebrate Miguel’s birthday and he took his girlfriend out for a celebration dinner. It wasn’t his birthday per se, but his schedule prevented him from being available on the exact day. Which made it an ideal excuse for him to use the party to move forward with other plans.
“Everyone in the restaurant—my family and neighbors knew what was going to happen that day,” Alexandra said. “I was surprised when I saw the ring...and at first I didn’t know what to say, but after two hours of personal prayer I said yes.”
While two hours of prayer might have been a long time for Miguel to wait, it was surely no longer than the seven years Alexandra had invested to reach this point. She made sure she had it right—and then went to the movies.
Alexandra and Miguel were married this past September, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Torreciudad. She is hopeful of having the same kind of big family she grew up in, as the third of five children.
And for those who think the seven years Alexandra waited was a bit too long? Not to worry. Miguel balanced them out—she was the first person he made contact with on CatholicMatch.
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