So have you heard the one about the Irish Catholic guy, the Catholic School teacher, and the priest?

Well--here's the story. . . .

Jeannine had been enjoying her life as a teacher and aunt for quite some time. She most recently has been teaching 7th and 8th grades at St. Mary School in Akron, Ohio. She always wanted to meet her knight in shining armour, but somehow he had been eluding her.

Denny had been enjoying his single life working and traveling to many places in the U.S. and Ireland as an officer and director of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He was also an usher at his parish, St. Bernard's in Akron. He just wanted to find a nice Catholic girl that would go to church with him.

In walks Fr. Chris into their lives. He became the pastor in charge of St. Mary's Parish, St. Bernard's Parish, and St. Mary's School in Akron. (He also was in charge of the Newmann Center at Akron U. and some other things. (Good thing he is young and energetic!)

Fr. Chris got to know both Jeannine and Denny. Eventually, he started mentioning that he knew a nice guy--to Jeannine. And he knew a nice girl--to Denny.

Well, older single people hear this type of thing a lot. Many people know "nice" girls and guys and like to play matchmaker. Jeannine and Denny had been dragging their feet on this opportunity.

Luckily for them, Fr. Chris is a pretty persistent guy. After about a year of "mentioning" and even setting up a meeting he finally sent them both an email with both of their phone numbers suggesting they set up a date.

One day in the latter part of November, Fr. Chris shows up at Jeannine's, I mean, Miss Spalvieri's classroom door. She is teaching 8th grade at the time. He walks up to her in the middle of the class and after waving at all of the "Hi Fr. Chris's" from the students, he leans over and whispers in Miss Spalvieri's ear. "So Denny Parks says he called you three weeks ago and you have totally dissed him. What's that all about?"

This surprised Jeanni, er, I mean Miss Spalvieri.

Wait, What?! Fr. Chris went on, "He said he left you a voicemail and you never called him back."

Jeannine did not typically answer her phone to unfamiliar numbers, nor did she listen to voicemails since people she knew did not typically leave them.

So, as soon as class was over, she rushed to her computer, looked up that email from Fr. Chris, found Denny Parks' phone number and found his message in her voicemail. She texted Mr. Denny Parks and after rejecting many possible dates -- because it was Christmas program and Choir concert time for school and nieces and nephews, -- and Hibernian meetings and activities, --they finally made a date for December 19, 2019.

Almost four years later, on August 20, 2023, (The feast of St. Bernard) Denny proposed in the Birch Alley on the grounds of Stan Hywett in Akron.

Thanks Fr. Chris!!

Q + A coming soon!