James and Patricia, both 61, were drawn to CatholicMatch because they each wanted to find a Catholic spouse, and CatholicMatch had advertised in both of their parish bulletins. They were both new to online dating, so making best use of the platform, preparing their profiles, initiating communication, and transitioning to the first meeting was a learning experience for them.
They both learned that they had to be patient and persistent...
After 13+ years, James’s previous marriage ended in divorce. The annulment journey gave him the opportunity to reflect on the reasons it failed and seek God’s grace and forgiveness. Patricia was widowed, but, since she had three small children (boys ages 7, 3, and 2) she did not have time to dwell on it. Fortunately, all of her family lived nearby and stepped in to help raise her sons. Neither of them gave up on marriage and desired to find a practicing Catholic.
They were both CatholicMatch members for approximately five years before James made the first contact in February 2021.
They communicated for about two and a half months before meeting in person. In addition to being physically attracted to each other, they were both attracted to each other because they were in the same stage of life - they were the same age and both had children of roughly the same ages.
They were both very excited to meet in person. For their first date, they attended Mass at the parish where James’s parents were married in Georgetown, Washington DC. Then, they went out to dinner.
After the first date, they both knew they had found the person they wanted to marry.
Throughout their dating relationship, their biggest obstacle was distance. James was originally from Virginia Beach, VA, but lived in Mukilteo, WA when he started talking to Patricia. Patricia grew up in Cabaiguan, Cuba, but came to Miami, FL in 1980 as a part of Mariel Boatlift. However, they were able to see each other about every 4 weeks.
They also both had children in their respective homes at time of meeting, so they had to account for their activities and their commitments to them when making plans to meet. In both cases, their children were supportive of the relationship and pleased to see them get married.
James’s proposal was a complete surprise to Patricia!
He proposed in the evening at a park on the waters of Puget Sound. Patricia had no inkling that he intended to propose to her. He got dressed in a nice pair of slacks, shirt, shoes, and sport coat, took her to dinner, and then they went for a walk to the park, which was a few blocks from the restaurant. He proposed to her using his mother’s former wedding ring. She was surprised and embarrassed that she had not had her nails done for the occasion!
Their wedding took place on November 23rd, 2024 at St Patrick Church in Miami Beach, FL, where they both now reside. The highlights of their day were Faith, Family, and Friendships. Faith due to consecrating their marriage in the presence of God, family due to several generations who were present that ranged from age 96 to three weeks, and the presence of long time friends for both of them.
What they both appreciate the most in each other is their strong faith in the Catholic Church, and therefore all the good in their marriage that result. The highlight of their marriage so far is getting to be with spouses who place God first in the marriage. The hardest part continues to be the tedious details of integrating their personal routines and household possessions under one roof.
Their advice for Catholic singles...
Their advice to any current CatholicMatch users is to take the time to put together a thoughtful profile with some good pictures, know what you want in a future spouse, and be prepared to cast your net deep and wide.
