J & A

It all began on a cool November morning at St. Mary's Catholic Church in German Village. Like many Sunday mornings before, Anthony was simply attending the 9:00AM Mass as part of his usual routine. Julie, on the other hand, woke up that morning with one mission in mind: hearing one of Father Vince’s famous homilies. What she expected was wisdom and inspiration. What she got instead was a passionate political speech ahead of Tuesday's election. Little did we know, though, that the real reason we had both been called there that morning had nothing to do with the homily at all. Julie sat quietly in the back left pew while Anthony sat midway up on the right side of the church. During Mass, Anthony noticed a new face and thought to himself, “Hmm… that is a new face.” As Mass ended and conversations filled the back of the church, Father Vince suddenly called out, “Anthony, meet Julie! Julie, meet Anthony!” A simple introduction, a quick handshake, and a brief conversation about our shared connection to Father Vince became the very first page of a lifelong story neither of us saw coming. Now, to be fair, Father Vince’s matchmaking history had apparently experienced a few rough patches before us — but this match stuck like glue. After we met, Anthony’s curiosity was officially sparked. Naturally, he texted Father Vince to let him know he was interested. Father Vince’s advice? “Slide into the DMs.” So Anthony did exactly that. An Instagram message turned into exchanged phone numbers… and then complete silence. Julie left Anthony on read for an entire month. She insists it was because she was deep in her busy season at work, but Anthony still enjoys giving her a hard time about it to this day. Then one day, after what felt like endless waiting, Anthony finally received a text from Julie apologizing for the delay and saying she would love to get together soon. Our first date at Ohio Brewing Company was effortless — good conversation, no expectations, and the comforting feeling that we had known each other much longer than just a few hours. Anthony always says we were “cut from the same cloth,” only with one difference: he was city, and she was country. Ironically, both of us were sick during our first two dates and nearly canceled each time. But something — maybe fate, maybe the Holy Spirit — kept telling us to go anyway. As the months passed, our relationship grew through the simple joys of life together: conversations that never seemed to end, shared faith, laughter, quiet nights in, and the kind of comfort that only comes when you find someone who truly feels like home. Then one evening, over a romantic dinner on the couch consisting of Chipotle, Anthony casually said, “I’m not really one to make things official… but I’m not interested in seeing anyone else.” And just like that, we were. About a year and a half later, on June 30, 2025, Anthony brought our story full circle. Under the guise of attending a casual birthday celebration for his niece, he surprised Julie with a proposal at the very place where we first met: St. Mary's Catholic Church. Julie never saw it coming — and according to Anthony, “I got her good.” It was a night we will both remember forever. Now, on October 24, 2026, we are overjoyed to celebrate our marriage surrounded by the people we love, back at St. Mary's Catholic Church — the place where our journey first began. God is good, and we feel incredibly blessed to have found one another. We cannot wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you.