Gressa was hesitant about online dating, but after hearing Jason Evert recommend CatholicMatch in his Theology of the Body series, she decided to give it a try. While in Canada helping prepare for her sister’s wedding, she created her profile. One of the first people to catch her eye was Anthony.
Little did Gressa know that 19 months later, she would become Anthony’s wife!
Anthony, meanwhile, had been on CatholicMatch for over a year and was beginning to lose hope of finding the right person. Everything changed when he came across Gressa’s profile. Noticing that she listed St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body as one of her favorite books, he sent her a message about it. That first conversation quickly grew into something much deeper.
One of the most important questions Gressa had considered in discerning marriage was, “Who will help me get to Heaven?” She wanted a husband who would help her grow closer to Christ, and she soon realized that Anthony shared her priorities.
“One of the first things that attracted us to each other,” they recall, “was how seriously we both took our Catholic faith after years of wandering and even considering other Christian denominations.”
From the beginning, they approached their relationship intentionally, making time for meaningful conversations.
Although the distance was difficult, they came to see it as “an unexpected blessing.” It encouraged them to communicate well, grow in their understanding of one another, and learn “to surrender our timeline to God.”
Gressa was especially impressed when Anthony suggested working through pre-engagement questions together before they had even met in person. Their conversations helped them recognize their compatibility and laid a strong foundation for their relationship.
After about four months of messages and weekly video calls, Anthony traveled from Indiana to San Francisco to meet Gressa in person!
Their first visit included lunch with Gressa’s parents, exploring the city, visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, and attending Mass and Adoration together. They were relieved by how natural it felt to finally be together. During their third date, while driving to Half Moon Bay, Anthony officially asked Gressa to be his girlfriend.
As they began discerning marriage more seriously, Gressa shared how important it was to her that Anthony travel with her to Cebu, Philippines, to meet her grandparents, who had helped raise her.
Anthony made her wish come true. On January 19, 2026, after celebrating the Feast of the Child Jesus with her family, he surprised Gressa with a proposal on a beach beneath the starry Cebu sky.
Her parents and grandparents were all there. Anthony had subtly asked Gressa a couple of times whether she felt ready for marriage, and he had finally met the people she most wanted him to know. This time, she was ready to say yes.
They were married on August 22, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. The date held special meaning for them, as both credit the Blessed Mother with bringing them together.
During their long-distance courtship, Gressa and Anthony prayed the Rosary together and made a 33-day Marian consecration, entrusting their discernment to God and seeking Our Lady’s intercession.
Looking back, they recognize Mary’s hand in their relationship.
“What began with a conversation about TOB became something much greater,” they say—a relationship rooted in “prayer, chastity, discernment, and the desire to help one another get to Heaven.”
They now see how Our Lady was guiding them toward one another long before they understood her plan.
Anthony and Gressa describe receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony as a beautiful experience, made all the more meaningful by being surrounded by the family and friends who had loved, supported, and prayed for them.
“After a relationship that began online and involved months of virtual Rosaries, long-distance discernment, travel, and many goodbyes,” they share, “there was something surreal and beautiful about finally hearing the words of the marriage rite and realizing, ‘We are husband and wife now.’”
Their honeymoon in Italy included a trip to Rome, where they received the Sposi Novelli blessing for newlyweds in St. Peter’s Square. Now they are embracing the ordinary joys of married life: building their home, cooking, traveling, praying, and attending Mass together.
“There are misunderstandings, chores, responsibilities, and plenty of opportunities to practice patience,” they share, “but we are learning that those ordinary challenges are also where marriage becomes real. The goal is not to have a marriage without difficulties, but to keep turning toward each other and toward Christ when they come.”
After beginning their relationship with the question, “Who will help me get to Heaven?” Gressa and Anthony are now grateful to have the rest of their lives to help each other get there.
