A love we prayed for

When we first crossed paths, we were both in seasons of growth focused on living our best lives and strengthening ourselves individually. Kathryn was entering her final semester of PA school, balancing studying and clinicals while joining Scottsdale Run Club with friends. At the same time, Fernando had just started a new job and picked up running as a way to challenge himself, build friendships, and find community. We were both searching for something more an opportunity to build our own community and form relationships outside our normal circles. That search led us to Scottsdale Run Club. Little did we know that, through God’s providence, Run Club would not only gift us with an incredible circle of friends but would also bring us to the love of our lives. One evening at Run Club, Fernando ended up at Hundred Mile Brewing Co. with new friends. A group of Run Club girls who had also run that night came over to introduce themselves, and among them was Kathryn. We chatted for a bit, but the following week is when our story truly began. After another Run Club meetup at Hundred Mile, Fernando’s group was leaving when he spotted Kathryn’s group. He walked over, started talking, and turned on the charm. Before the night ended, we exchanged Instagrams. That night, Fernando tried convincing Kathryn to come to PHX Run Club the next day, but she had to work. The next evening, though, everything changed. After PHX Run Club, Fernando posted a photo of a pepperoni pizza at Fate Brewing Co., and Kathryn made the first move by sliding into his DMs. The playful banter that followed led to our first date: PHX Run Club, where Kathryn kept pace stride for stride, followed by an evening at Fate that lasted until closing time. By the end of the night, Fernando was so nervous asking for her number that he accidentally opened his calculator app instead of his contacts. We laughed, exchanged numbers, and soon began planning to see each other again. Fernando suggested that weekend, but Kathryn was heading to San Diego to celebrate her grandfather’s birthday. While there, she was so full of joy that she couldn’t stop telling her parents about “this amazing date” she had just been on. When Kathryn returned, Fernando planned an unforgettable all-day date. He pulled out all the stops, flowers, a drive in the convertible, something sporty at Popstroke, something elegant at the Global Ambassador Rooftop (where we would later get engaged), karaoke with his friends (who quickly became hers), and a slow drive home with the top down. That night, the sparks were undeniable, and neither of us wanted the day to end. From then on, our relationship blossomed through countless dates and conversations about life, love, and faith. We were both dating with the mindset of marriage, intentional about not wasting each other’s time, and often caught ourselves saying, “Wow, is this real?” God truly has a funny way of working things out. Some of our most cherished memories were simple yet profound, like going to Mass together, kneeling side by side in prayer, and realizing we had never felt such a strong bond so quickly. This relationship has brought us even closer to our faith. We’ve prayed together, watched Father Mike Schmitz’s homilies, and reflected on the Gospel asking how God is calling us to live, love, and become better disciples of Christ. These moments of prayer and reflection have been the foundation of our journey, strengthening our relationship with each other while drawing us nearer to Him. Both of us had been praying for God to bring someone into our lives who shared our same values, morals, foundation, and strong Catholic faith. Looking back, it’s undeniable that His hand has been present in every step of our story. This is not coincidence, not luck it is His providence. Today, as we step into marriage, we know we aren’t just writing a love story. We are stepping into a sacred covenant, bound together as one under God. This is the beginning of forever.