We met in Adoration at St. Patrick's Chapel. I had been going to the Catholic young adult group there for many years (this is Emily speaking!), and Matthew had just moved to Cedar Rapids to work at Collins Aerospace. I remember seeing him in the chapel the first night he came. Over the next few years, we crossed paths a lot at Catholic events, parties, and Adoration. He always made me laugh when we were in the same room, and I knew that he'd always get my jokes, even if nobody else would.

In October of 2023, Matthew asked for my number, and proceeded to ask me on a date! He took me to Saturday morning Mass and out to breakfast! We laughed a lot, and agreed on all the important topics. Neither of us could finish our breakfast because we were both so nervous!

We continued to date over the winter. Matthew signed us up for a dance class, we hung out with friends, spent time in Adoration together, and drank tea and chatted in the St. Pat's coffee shop. We created a bucket list of trying every coffee shop in Cedar Rapids and ranking them! Our dates were always sweet, joyful, and full of laughter. I found myself immediately drawn closer to God through dating him. After a few months, we were definitely in love. During the spring and summer, we continued to grow closer together, have even more fun, and become the best versions of ourselves.

Since our first date, we had discussed marriage. I knew that we wanted to date for at least a year prior to engagement. Since he asked me to be his girlfriend on November 4th of 2023, when November 2024 was rolling around I knew for a fact he would propose on the 4th! A few days before our actual anniversary, he took me out to dinner and then we went to Lavare, a praise and worship night at St. Pat's. It was originally after that same event a year prior that he asked me to be his girlfriend. So, there I was, practicing with the choir before it started when I was told to go see Matthew. I walked down to the pews, where Matt led me outside. In the front of church was a big light-up letter sign. I have always wanted to put the letters in one- it's been my only bucket list item in life! Matt brought me to the sign and said I could write whatever I wanted on it! I wrote 'Thank you Jesus', because nothing else was fitting! I still had no idea he was going to propose. After I wrote my side of the sign, he told me to wait while he wrote on the other side. After a few seconds, he called me around the sign. When I walked around, he was on one knee and asked me to marry him. There was a huge crowd of people hiding outside the church taking photos and celebrating. It was the shock of a lifetime, and the greatest thing I've ever said yes to.

Emily and I met at the Young Adult night at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. We rarely saw each other outside of catholic young-adult events, but while we were there we slowly grew in friendship. Both of us are strong-willed, so on the nights we had discussions, we each came ready to defend (argue about) our beliefs, no matter how trivial they were. While we differed in areas, it became clear that we were both seeking truth, and seeking God. It also became clear that we had similar senses of humor; Emily and I made each other laugh almost every time we saw each other!

During this time I had a few dates that led no where. One night after that, I was in the chapel reading a book on dating. The author, quoting a priest’s advice in confession, said “...I want you to run with [Jesus]; and when the time is right, glance to the side and see who is running with you.” I asked myself, “who is truly running with me and with Jesus?” Emily immediately came to mind. Over the next few weeks I thought and prayed about Emily, and paid as much attention to her as I could during young adult activities. I kept thinking, “well we always make each other laugh.” Eventually I worked up the courage to ask her on a date.

After asking for Emily’s number via Facebook Messenger (because I asked her out over SMS like a gentleman), we agreed to a Saturday morning Mass and brunch date. During Mass there was a sign of peace, a rarity at our church’s daily Masses, and I boldly went in for the hug! Afterward we walked to a small mexican breakfast cafe a few blocks away, where I quickly realized I was too nervous to eat any appreciable amount of food – I later learned that Emily was in the same boat. Over our largely unconsumed breakfast we began to realize that we shared a lot of ideas about what we wanted our futures to look like, and we both started to have the realization that “hey, this could work.” As we parted on the way back to our cars, Emily gave me a hug, and shortly after we agreed on a second date.

On the first Saturday of each month, our young adult group participates in a praise and worship night at St. Pat’s, and goes out for appetizers afterwards. Emily and I attended this the day of our second date, and afterwards I asked her to be my girlfriend. Clearly she was shocked, but also very excited.

I had good advice on dating from people I trusted: date for at least one year before proposing. I shared this plan with Emily, who was not ready to even think about a plan for proposing, but I wanted to get it out there and set the expectation.

Over that year we shared a lot of life. We went dancing, we had an (embarrassingly late for me) first kiss, and many kisses after that, including a mistletoe surprise that I am particularly proud of. We explored woods together, we read together, we slowly met and warmed up to each other’s friends, we traveled to South Dakota together for Easter to meet my parents (and Emily got the flu at the same time my Parents’ plumbing went out), we went to the national Eucharistic congress together, we shared our fears and dreams with each other, and we fell totally in love with each other!

Emily was nervous as we approached the one year mark, but both of us were ready for what came next. So ready, in fact, that I had to improvise a bit.

Due to some scheduling conflicts, my first plan for a proposal fell through long before it was ready. I was left with two options: propose several weeks after the one year mark, and leave Emily wondering why it hadn’t happened yet, or propose a few days early, and catch her off guard. Of course I chose the second option. This was very providential, as I could propose at the same praise and worship night where we had started dating twelve months prior, and involve all our friends. I designed a fun engagement ring, got a plan together to surprise Emily, and convinced her that we should go out to dinner in fancy clothes for an early one-year anniversary. Then we headed to the praise and worship night early so Emily could practice for the choir.

When we arrived there was a new relic in the church. It was of St. John Paul II. Several years ago, on a mission trip, I had prayed in front of another relic of St. John Paul II, entrusting my vocation to him. He showed up that night to wingman for me.

With JPII bolstering my courage, I pulled Emily away from the music rehearsal. Emily always wanted to slide the letters into a marquee sign, it was her one bucket list item. So I led her to the Church's sign, and told her she could put whatever she wanted. Little did she know the other side said “Emily will you marry me.” She was, as she would say, very bamboozled, and we spent the rest of the night celebrating with our friends. Neither of us could be more excited to marry the other, and start a life together!