How He Asked | Jaclyn + Tony

Some love stories develop over a lifetime and some over a matter of months. After developing a friendship at daily Mass, Jaclyn and Tony started dating in March and were engaged by June, only three months later.

In Jaclyn’s Words: In December of 2018, Tony and I went to a holiday party at a friend’s house, but never spoke to each other. Later, after being asked to substitute for Eucharistic adoration and crossing paths at dinner parties through the Raleigh young adult group, we began talking. 

For Lent 2019, I vowed to attend Mass four times per week, not including Sunday. I switched churches and saw Tony during daily Mass at St. Raphael, where he'd been going for quite some time. 

We talked everyday after Mass, sometimes making him late to his next destination! Once we sensed a deeper connection, we continued to see one another. We prayed together at night on the phone, and loved to visit the Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of Lourdes parish.

Tony said he never wanted to view me as an "object," and from that moment I began to trust him more and more. We began dating in March and were engaged by June. It felt like we went from friendship to dating to becoming engaged in the blink of an eye! But we knew we were right for each other, and God is wonderful at bringing couples together. 

In fact, the month we started dating, Tony knew he wanted to marry me. Once, after daily Mass, I mentioned something about a zip line for children, and he shared his dream about a zip line he had been discussing with his uncle: a line from his house across the lake to the next house. We talked about marriage, children, and starting a family, but I told Tony he had to ask my mother for her permission, since my father was deceased. 

In May, at a family cookout, Tony asked my mom, "what do you think about me marrying your daughter?" and she didn't say no! She did advise waiting a little; we had only known each other for a few months. Nonetheless, Tony and I knew an engagement was bound to happen, so during a road trip together we discussed the type of ring I liked and how I envisioned a proposal. 

Tony says it was stressful coordinating a proposal with my family in Maryland, and he had them handle many of the details. At the end of June, we were set to travel to Maryland for our friend Father Jim Proffitt's last Mass at St. John's. Tony also had a secret lunch planned with my family. Once we arrived, my aunt asked if we were hungry and if we would join her and my mother for lunch up the street. I was a bit thrown off, but agreed. 

In the restaurant I saw other family members and was confused, but my mom explained that she invited a few other friends to lunch. Hugs and kisses were given, appetizers were ordered, and grace was said. Tony sat across from me, not eating. I looked at him to see what was wrong, but he didn’t reply, and I got nervous! 

Suddenly, he got up from the table and asked me to come over. Tony said he loved me very much, then knelt down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I paused for 30 seconds as he started sweating bullets, then looked at him in the eyes and quietly but excitedly replied, "yes!"

Since then, we know that through the mercy and love of God, we have authority over the enemy who would attack our family; he does not like beautiful marriages and holy, committed relationships. The attacks started coming after we got engaged, to try and separate Tony and I. But together we thank the Lord for sharing his authority, power, and strength that will protect and carry us in the days ahead as we prepare for the sacrament of marriage.

Photography: Something Blue Photography | Engagement Photo Location: Raleigh, NC | Ring: Diamond's Direct  | Flowers: The Skinny Vase