Luke and Eva were both born in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Luke’s dad was a Naval doctor and was stationed in Charleston during the first year of his life. When they were both toddlers, Luke’s dad wrote a Pro-life article from the perspective of a Catholic Doctor who taught NFP and had a big family. Eva’s dad read the article and reached out to Dr. Bleyer because he was also Catholic, in the military (Go Air Force, beat Navy), taught NFP, and had a large family. The Bleyer’s were invited to a monthly rosary group and immediately became incredibly close friends. When Dr. Bleyer retired from the Navy, he settled in Myrtle Beach, SC, directly 3 hours North of the Shahid’s. The families would visit each other infrequently and went on two family trips to the mountains of North Carolina together. The first was seven years ago and the second was four years ago. At the second vacation, Luke and Eva realized they were more suited for each other than the other’s siblings. Eva spent the trip finding rocks for Luke to skip, playing him back in Game Pigeon and finding every excuse to give Luke a fist bump or high-five. Luke spent the trip sending Eva Game Pigeons and wondering whether or not she was even allowed to date. They ended the trip by ‘falling asleep’ on each other’s shoulders and holding hands on a car trip back from a sunset hike. That night they prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet together and Luke asked Eva if she was “even allowed to date” to which she responded, “I don’t know”. Two weeks went by and Luke visited Eva in Charleston using his little sister’s swim meet as an excuse. They decided to start dating on Saturday July 17th, 2021. Fast forward four years, Luke and Eva both go to Ave Maria University in Florida. On October fourth, 2025, Luke took Eva to mass in the morning and then the Naples Botanical gardens “for her birthday” but Eva knew something was up because Luke was later than her for mass for the first time ever, and forgot the point of the date was for her birthday completely. She teased him the whole way to the Botanical Gardens about how maybe she would rather go back and take a nap or maybe they should go to Chinese food instead. Luke took it well and convinced her that she would enjoy the gardens and that it would be worth it. He took her to the top of a waterfall and proposed to her with the most beautiful ring from her Godmother and Aunt’s store, Skatell’s. He took her out to lunch at their favorite brunch place in Naples and then surprised her again with an engagement party.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, look upon those preparing for marriage. Send the Holy Spirit to open their hearts to your love so that, with honesty and selflessness, they may be strengthened to receive the Father’s sacred design. Through their spousal love, may they bear witness to your abiding faithfulness. Obtain for them the grace to live the gift of fertility and to reject all that contradicts it. May they honor the Creator’s plan that they be “one flesh” for the “whole of life,” and become generous stewards of new life. Make them and all married couples beautiful witnesses of faithfulness and harmony to renew the face of the earth. Amen.