Matchmaking! Three Catholic men and a serious offer from Alaska

Okay guys, Sundays -- even in Lent -- are days of rejoicing! Marriage and family are icons of the Holy Trinity, and I can't think of anything more joyful than watching beautiful Christian families form.

As some of you may remember, I've attempted a little matchmaking before, and so I thought that this lovely Sunday would be a good time to introduce you to more good Catholic men who were brought to my attention after my little plea (check out #6).

I'm going to profile three men today, plus post a special invitation/opportunity at the end. Please carefully follow the instructions if you are interested in contacting these great guys.

Disclaimer: I do not know any of these men personally.

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Josh, 28 years old

Josh

What his sister said:

Josh is 28, a firefighter, and former marine. He goes to mass every Sunday and would go more frequently if his schedule allowed. He has a devotion to St. Joseph. He's very much an all-American kind of guy. He loves history, has a very irreverent sense of humor, and is an AMAZING cook. He's not a theology wonk, but he's a good, orthodox, solid, prayerful Catholic. He's got a brilliant mind, but "intellectuals" irritate him. My brother is a catch. If you know of any young women who have a good sense of humor and are really, really laid back and cheerful, let me know!

What Josh wrote to me when I contacted him:

I am 28. I live in Baltimore. I am a career fire fighter and absolutely love my work. I have been doing it for five years now. I also spent 6 years in the Marines and deployed to Iraq and Africa a couple times. I am a every sunday type of Catholic and have a devotion to St. Joseph and St. Michael. I got hired on St. Josephs feast so I think that is pretty cool!! I am very regular sorta dude I guess you could say. I love cooking, bbq, soccer, hockey, fishing, crabbing, being handy, anything outdoorsy. I love history and would love to finish my degree in it someday soon. I love visiting historical sites and reading history books. Especially Naval history and The American Revolution. I love to stay active and work out. I gotta to be able to function well at work. I have a goofy sense of humor that gets me through work. I have to be around others who have a good sense of humor too. My family is hilarious, very close, and more supportive than anyone could ever imagine. 

As for my past: I had a bit of a rough and rowdy young adulthood. Occasionaly got into trouble and didn't always put my faith first. I had a girlfriend who got pregnant unexpectedly. Where we both were in our lives at the time and the fact that I was looking at depolyments and our future together was very uncertain we decided to place our son for adoption. It was the most difficult decision that I could ever have imagined to make. It was made out of love for him though. We placed him with a devout Catholic family who we became close with through the process. He is now 5 years old and has 2 brothers. I get letters and photos and keep in touch with his family. God was very evident in the situation. Even though I deeply miss him I have great peace over the decision that God led us to. I can answer and questions about my past very openly. So that is not an issue at all for me. I guess other stuff people need to know is that I have a decent collection of traditional american tattoos. I know that can bug people sometimes! haha. Wow that's a lot longer than I planned. Anyways like I said feel free to fire away with questions. Thanks again for putting my stuff out there! Take care!

If you would like to contact Josh, please send your message and a recent photo to littlecatholicbubble (at) gmail (dot) com, and please put "JOSH" in the subject line. I will forward all emails to him.

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Jim, 24 years old

Jim

My name is Jim, a 24-year-old hailing from the relatively small town of Monroe, Michigan. I am currently a graduate student in biblical studies at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. I am in my second year, aiming to graduate in August and move immediately into a Ph.D. program in biblical studies--still waiting on hearing about where! I never grow tired of learning theology; thankfully, the Church will always continue to provide!

Outside of theology, I have played cello for nearly thirteen years (I am not nearly as good as what that number might indicate!), though I primarily play it for Mass nowadays. As far as employment goes, I am a graduate assistant as well as a writing tutor. My other interests are what one might call "nerdy," so I have a weakness for science-fiction and fantasy. (This may or may not have had an effect on my interest in non-canonical scriptural texts...!) Really, though, I feel that any topic and any activity can be interesting, and so I'm always ready to have a good conversation in which I can learn something!

These sorts of things are always so difficult to write, but I hope that this gives you some idea of who I am. :)

If you would like to contact Jim, please send your message and a recent photo to littlecatholicbubble (at) gmail (dot) com, and please put "JIM" in the subject line. I will forward all emails to him.

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Pete, 33 years old

Pete

I live in the area of Princeton, New Jersey, and I grew up in Richmond, VA. I have no problem meeting people, but it's difficult finding single faith filled women since my transformation. I consider myself a fervent Catholic who has a very close relationship with God. I am involved in a charismatic parish, where I volunteer and mentor to teens. I give my witness speech to various Protestant and Catholic churches, and am working with an editor on a memoir. I'm a grad student who is working on a post-masters degree in counseling and am trying to better the world one person at time by empowering others just as I had done with myself with the help of God's love and grace. My ultimate goal is to open a private practice with other Christian wellness professionals such as a nutritionist and a chiropractor I know well. I do however, know that God might have another plan and I trust in Him. 

I'm an adventurous extrovert with a sometimes deep side who fits the description of the "Prodigal Son" to a tee. I love life, the outdoors and people. I'm driven and ambitious yet laid back at the same time if that makes any sense. I've been told I'm the first person people come to when they need something done, want to talk, or need a good laugh. I've done my share of partying when I was younger and got that out of my system. I enjoy some downtime too, reading, praying, and writing. I am into fitness and health, and love to mountain bike, kayak, hike, and hit the gym. I can tell you just about anything that has to do with nutrition, enjoy cooking, but also like to enjoy a good meal out. Between my job, classes, internships, and activities I still believe in having balance and take time for myself, family, and friends. I'm an honest man who doesn't play games and is on fire for God. I just have to say that if you aren't passionate about Christ, then we will not work out. Nice to meet you and God bless!


If you would like to contact Pete, please send your message and a recent photo to littlecatholicbubble (at) gmail (dot) com, and please put "PETE" in the subject line. I will forward all emails to him.

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And a special offer to go where the men are...

Finally, I received this intriguing email from a woman named April, in Fairbanks, Alaska:

I know it’s a long shot, but in Alaska there are plenty of good Catholic single men. As a matter of fact, I say the very opposite thing you said all of the time. I wish I knew a few good Catholic single women. An Alaska vacation may be in order. We are a missionary diocese in Fairbanks, so maybe your ladies would like to come up and enjoy the midnight sun and teach vacation Bible school or something. I know more than a few people who came here once and never left. This is a serious offer.

If any Catholic lady out there is interested in such an adventure -- where the single Catholic men and plentiful and looking for good women -- please email me at littlecatholicbubble (at) gmail (dot) com. I will put you directly in touch with April, who can answer all your questions.

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Now, wasn't that fun???

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