One of the fastest-growing segments of the Internet is online dating services, and included in that rapid growth have been religion-specific matchmaking services. In fact, there are dozens of Catholic and Christian services already operating on the Internet.
It makes sense: If you’re a sincere Catholic seeking a devout Catholic partner, why filter through the many thousands of people on the secular dating sites who don’t meet this criterion?
Of course, the popular, secular sites like Match.com and eHarmony.com do ask questions about religion when members join. But since religion is just one piece of the overall profiles that members complete, these sites have a tendency to match Catholic singles with people who have different beliefs.
Anthony Buono, the founder of Ave Maria Singles, said users go to Catholic matchmaking sites because they are assured of finding a larger and more concentrated pool of Catholics.
“On the secular sites, it’s always harder to get through all the others, and it is hard to really know if those who say they’re Catholic ’are’ Catholic,” Buono said in a recent e-mail interview. “I have heard of Catholics who went on a secular site and met their spouse. Certainly, God can use anything he chooses to help two people come together.”
Buono said he’s noticed that many singles in fact use both Catholic and secular services to “keep their options open.”
“But … to be in an environment that is Catholic, a singles site for Catholics is a must,” he said.
Buono’s site, Ave Maria Singles, is based in Front Royal, Va., and has been online since 1998. The service is set up with a heavy focus on marital matching. Membership is limited to devoted, marriage-minded Catholics. Divorced individuals are discouraged from joining until they’ve received an annulment.
Membership on Ave Maria Singles is a one-time $159 fee. College students and single parents may be eligible for discounted memberships. The site has about 11,500 members, more than 300 of whom live in the Mid-South.
The site also organizes cruises and retreats for its members.
Additional Options
Another popular Catholic Web site for singles is CatholicMatch.com, which is part of the 4marks family of Catholic sites based in Zelienople, Pa.
CatholicMatch.com has many thousands of members, with about 250 listed in Arkansas. The company points out that its sites are loyal to the Magisterium of the Church, and CatholicMatch.com members are asked when they join if they agree with some, most or all of the Church’s teachings. Members’ answers to this question become part of their profiles and other members can search based on this information.
The site says its focus is bringing people together for friendship, marriage and religious discernment. CatholicMatch.com memberships are billed on a monthly basis and plans start at $12.49 per month when pre-paid.
Another popular Catholic matchmaking site is CatholicSingles.com, which has been online since 1997. A recent search found about 150 Arkansans listed on the site. The site offers a seven-day free trial and memberships start at about $8 per month when prepaid. The site is operated by Catholic Sites Inc. of Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Buono said the Internet matchmaking sites are expecting even more growth in the near future.
“As (singles) hear about people who met online and see how great the couple is, they get more confidence in joining,” he said. “I have no doubt that online dating will become a much more accepted way of meeting someone, if not the norm.”
Sites mentioned in this column
Ave Maria Singles: www.avemariasingles.com
CatholicMatch.com: www.catholicmatch.com
4marks: www.4marks.com
CatholicSingles.com: www.catholicsingles.com
James Little, owner of the Web design firm Mmerse Communications, writes from Sherwood.
