Love Story Project – Louisiane & Emeric

February 14th is a day when love is celebrated by couples. We want to take this Valentine’s Day to honor “the icon of God’s love for us,” (Pope Francis) sacramental marriages! To display the beauty of a sacramental marriage, we are aiming to post one love story a day from our married brothers and sisters until we reach Valentine’s Day. May their stories draw you closer to the Source of their love. Happy reading!

Louisiane

I left my family to go to study in another city in our country. I had several contenders at that time. I noticed Emeric at daily Mass in the parish, he attended before going to work. We started to get to know one another thanks to a common friend. Afterwards, we got closer through services and activities of the parish. I felt a great peace in his presence and the love I had for him grew more and more.

I prayed, with the help of a priest, so that the Lord would help me to make a choice. This priest invited me to do so without taking into account the material situations of my suitors, to look beyond appearances. I had chosen Emeric and on February 3rd, 2007, we said yes to each other before God and men. The Lord has blessed us abundantly and gave us the gift of five wonderful children.

Emeric

Louisiane was introduced to me by a friend I knew in the parish. It was then that I noticed that, like me, she attended daily mass and participated in several other activities. One day, when they were broadcasting a film about Cardinal Romero in the parish, I asked Louisiane, who was next to me, if she wanted to tell me the end because I had another emergency. She agreed, and it was our first date. We had a second, and a third date and then we became attached to each. Our relationship was deepened, but I kept wondering what if the Lord was calling me to something else, such as celibacy for the kingdom. I found peace only on the day I realized that marriage would place me as much in service as other states of life, only, the person I was first called to serve would be called Louisiane.

I began to leave my plans to follow God’s. I proposed to Louisiane and she gave me her yes. Yet, everything was not settled because I had lost my job and I was unemployed. However, nothing has made me more determined to get married than the lack of financial means, because, for me, our Lord cannot limit the access to his sacrament to material questions. It is this faith in the supernatural virtues of marriage that still allows us to keep going, eleven years later. We hope to grow old in this confidence.

Louisiane & Emeric (MI)