Stories of Faith

Mitch and Christine

We met in the winter of 2019 here in Ottawa, while we were both Carleton University students. Our first date was actually attending a church service together, as we were both looking for a new church in the city. Our bond was built on faith right from the beginning. Christine was on a journey back to God, and back to the Catholic faith. Mitch had always been fascinated by the Catholic teachings and was solidifying his beliefs. Together we journeyed together in faith.

We shared a friendship for a little while and then soon after started dating. Mitch was a part of CCO (Christian Catholic Outreach) at Carleton and Christine joined him for many events, further deepening their faith as a couple.

Mitch was confirmed at St. Augustine’s at Easter of 2019. We attended a few Alpha sessions together, attended church socials and soon became a part of the church community at St. Augustine’s Parish. Mitch and Father Scott developed a rich bond, and Mitch joined the Knights of Columbus.

We got engaged in August of 2020. We took our marriage preparation course online, and we thoroughly enjoyed the process as a couple to learn more about each other, our faith, and marriage. After many changes to wedding plans due to COVID, we tied the knot here in Ottawa with a few local family members on New Year’s Eve day 2020. It was far what we envisioned for our big day, yet we definitely felt the presence of God and we felt very blessed to be able to get married in 2020. We were very blessed to have Father Scott helping us every step of the way in both preparing for marriage and officiating our wedding.

Christine is currently preparing to be confirmed at Easter of 2021, with her husband Mitch as her sponsor. This is truly a full circle moment, as two years ago, Christine was standing alongside Mitch during his confirmation. While preparing for confirmation, due to the COVID restrictions Christine did not have the typical prep classes, yet through a class offering (CCO Bible Study) and Father Scott’s teachings and recommendations, Christine feels prepared to take this next step of faith.

We feel very lucky to have found this beautiful church community, and happy we have been able to stay connected with the Parish virtually during the pandemic.