Catholic Web sites for singles unite Catholic couples

Published: 2006-08-08

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The use of Catholic singles' Web sites has risen dramatically since the genesis of such sites in the late 1990s, helping many who are looking for friendship, a date, marriage or even support with religious discernment. Catholic singles who become members of these sites create profiles and can elect to meet potential partners or friends in a specific area or age range or according to other defining characteristics. Chris Jones, from Elizabethtown, Pa., and Marjorie Faia, from Williamstown, N.J., met as members of CatholicMatch.com, and they are getting married next May. After talking online for a month, Jones, with his friend, and Faia, with her sister, went on a bowling date. To "make sure we were normal guys," Jones said, he went to Faia's house with his friend before the date started to meet Faia's mother. Upon her approval, the group went bowling. The evening ended with ice cream at a Friendly's restaurant and a game of foosball at Faia's house. Faia, a student at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, was persuaded to use CatholicMatch.com by her mother, who saw an advertisement for it in Faith & Family magazine.

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