Anita Draper
Catholic Herald Staff
Dating can be discouraging. Just ask Dan Kiselicka, a 55-year-old Medford man navigating the rural singles scene in search of a “like-minded Catholic.”
“One challenge is finding someone that’s in your locality,” he said. “Another would be finding somebody who you feel is compatible — finding the right one.”
There’s also a lot of diversity in how Catholics date. Some go the secular route. Others prefer courting.
His approach?
“It’s a trial-and-error thing,” he said. “I basically start out with friendships, and I get to know the person.”
Kiselicka is a parishioner at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Medford, and a member of CatholicMatch, the largest online dating site for Catholics.
He’s been a CatholicMatch member for two or three years, off and on. He joined “to find people with the same values, who were like-minded and of the same faith.”
Kiselicka agrees with Catholic teachings on the Eucharist, contraception, the sanctity of life, papal infallibility, premarital sex, the Immaculate Conception and holy orders.
When members join CatholicMatch, they are required to give their views on those seven faith questions, which then become part of their profile. Kiselicka, whose marriage was annulled, answered “yes” to each question, and he’s looking for a woman with the same beliefs who is eligible to marry in the church — another detail included in CatholicMatch profiles.
“You don’t get that kind of information on a secular website,” he added. “It’s easier to meet the criteria that I’m looking for in an individual.”
But the drawback to connecting with singles everywhere is the difficulty of meeting them here. Kiselicka doesn’t feel a lot of local Catholics are members, and he’s hoping to meet someone “on the same spiritual plane.”
“I haven’t found very many,” he added.
Drawing Catholic singles together is the aim of CatholicMatch members who have organized a day of bowling, dining and socializing in Medford.
The event begins at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, March 8, at Holy Rosary’s social center/cafeteria. The group will move on to the Sports Page for bowling at 12:15 p.m., then return for Mass at 4:15 p.m. and hold a potluck dinner at 5:30 p.m. The event concludes with an evening social in the fireplace lounge.
All Catholic singles age 18 and older are invited to come and bring a dish to pass.
“People who may not want to post themselves online can come and check it out,” he said.
Catholic columnists often comment on parishes’ lack of support for unmarried Catholics, but Kiselicka doesn’t feel that’s an issue at Holy Rosary.
“Our pastor (Fr. Gerard Willger) was really supportive of us holding this event,” he said.
Anyone interested in attending can call the parish office at 715-748-3336, ext. 254, to reserve bowling space and provide a headcount for the potluck.
Attendees should bring their own beverages; moderate use of alcohol is permitted.
