Catholic Dating Websites

Catholics are founded on faith and values.  For a single man or woman of the Catholic faith who wants to have a harmonious relationship and marriage, the most basic criteria a potential partner needs to meet is sharing that same faith.  So, here are some pieces of Catholic dating advice:

Choose

Obviously, one must choose the person he is going to date out.  But this is not only a matter of liking the person, it is also a matter of making sure that she shares the same faith and the same values.  This can be determined beforehand without being offensive.  As for online dating, one can start by choosing sites that indicate a person’s religion or belief.

Be guided

It is quite certain that in one way or another, the priests or elders in the local church give the church youth and young adults some good old fashioned Catholic dating advice.  It is best to heed their teachings, and if one is unsure, by all means, he can always ask.

Get to know the person

Before two single Catholics go out together (or any two people, for that matter), it is recommended that they get to know each other as friends first.  This will deepen the foundation of their relationship, and would allow each other to make an assessment of their compatibility.

Opt for group dates

Two people need not go out on a date by themselves to get to know each other better or to enjoy each other’s company.  Group dates, picnics, church activities – these are just examples of ways two people can get together without putting themselves in the way of temptation.

Dress appropriately

Contrary to popular opinion, being fashionable doesn’t have to be daring.  One can be classy and attractive without baring too much skin.  One age-old Catholic dating advice worth following is that a woman should be careful about putting both herself and her Catholic date in a compromising situation, just because of clothes that are too revealing and tempting to resist.

Have fun

Just because both guy and girl are Catholics and are careful to keep themselves on the right track doesn’t mean that the date should be boring.  There are lots of ways to have a good time without overstepping the boundaries.

A man and woman will be able to enjoy each other’s company more if they can support each other’s faith and belief, and the foundation of their relationship will get stronger if they can grow together spiritually as well as emotionally.

Dating sites have sprouted and grown on the World Wide Web over the past decade or so, and those who aim at providing services for Catholics are no exception.  The following are Free Catholic Dating Sites, meaning, these are those which members can access everything on the site without paying a single cent.

Free Catholic Dating (www.freeonline-catholicdating.com)

This site gives a visitor access to search for people he might want to become friends with, or get into a serious relationship with later on.  It has basic and detailed search functions where one can choose to specify the characteristics he is looking for, as well as the kind of relationship he wants to eventually get into.

Catholic Dating for Free (http://www.catholicdatingforfree.com/)

Catholic Dating for Free is just that… free!  It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of E Dating for Free, Inc., a dynamic online dating service provider.  This catholic dating site allows one to filter his search in the basic or advanced mode.  He can try to be just email buddies with someone, or try a long-term relationship.

Catholic Passions (http://www.catholicpassions.com/)

Passions Network is a free social networking site whose primary thrust is online dating.  The site caters to a variety of people, and accommodates a wide range of interests.  Catholic Passions is a part of this network.

Within Catholic Passions itself, one could either log in directly or start browsing the directory for people that arouse his interest, or he could search through a number of groups such as “Attends Church Weekly” or “Lifelong Catholic.”

Catholic Matchmaker (http://catholic.matchmaker.com/)

Matchmaker.com was established in 1996 and is currently the longest running online dating site.  It offers free membership for anyone who is interested in meeting someone for a relationship.  Within its site is Catholic Matchmaker, its free Catholic dating site, aimed at people looking for possible partners who share the same faith.

Below are other Catholic dating sites that provide their basic service for free, but many of the benefits they offer can be accessed only through subscription.

• Catholic Match (www.catholicmatch.com)
• Catholic Mingle (www.catholicmingle.com)
• Catholic People (http://www.catholicpeople.com/)
• Catholic Singles (www.catholicsingles.com)
• Catholic Singles Agency (http://www.catholicsinglesagency.com/)

As the free Catholic dating sites listed above receive hundreds or thousands of membership a month and do not do extensive background checks, it is always advisable that one exercise discretion when divulging personal information and making contact.  Other than that, one can always enjoy the experience and have fun meeting new people, making friends, and maybe, finally finding that Special Someone.

Catholics value the sanctity of marriage and believe that the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony binds husband and wife for life.  Catholic singles dating sites are a good place to start looking for that special someone who shares the same belief.

Ave Maria Singles (www.avemariasingles.com)

“Reason for Hope”

Their service is about “the vocation to marriage, the establishment of solid Catholic families…” A lifetime membership fee of $179.00 (one-time payment) or $60.00 (3-month installment) allows one to post a profile, a photo, conduct searches, and send or receive messages to or from other members.  To avail of other services, one must need to order an Option Pack normally worth $49.00/year.

Catholic Mingle (www.catholicmingle.com)

“Meet Catholic Singles”

Catholic Mingle is one of the leading Catholic singles dating sites that are available for those who are looking for friendship, romance or marriage.  Although registration is free, one needs to pay $19.99/month to take full advantage of the other services such as live chat and instant messaging.

Catholic Match (www.catholicmatch.com)

“Grow in Faith!  Fall in Love!”

By far, it is the biggest Catholic singles dating site with half a million members.  It has unlimited free trial, but to avail of their premium services, one need to subscribe; the prices are at $74.95 (6 months), $49.95 (3 months), or $24.95 (monthly).

Catholic Singles (www.catholicsingles.com)

“For Faith, Friendship, and Love”

It is one of the few singles dating sites that are wholly Catholic-owned.  It has a free trial option, but in order to enjoy the full benefits of the site, one must choose from one of the following membership plans:  $19.95 (monthly), $39.95 (3 months), $59.95 (6 months), or $99.95 (one year).

Catholic Singles Agency (http://www.catholicsinglesagency.com/)

This site has the SuperMatch Wizard, a combination of 4 distinct types of matching criteria: psychologically, sexually, those who share the same interests, or those whose star signs match!  Joining is free, but in order to enjoy all the benefits that the site offers, one needs to upgrade his membership to Silver, Gold or Platinum.

Catholic Unattached Directory (http://www.cathud.com/)

“This service is run by practicing Catholics for practicing Catholics.”

They have postal membership as well as internet membership, and those two are completely integrated.  Internet members need to pay $8.94/year, Silver postal members pay $117.12 annually, and Gold postal members pay $185.83/year.

Catholic Introductions (http://www.catholicintroductions.com/)

“Relationships are based on compatibility, not just chemistry.”

They are recognized as one of the oldest and largest private membership organizations for Catholic singles worldwide.  Their service is highly personalized and they even offer one-on-one mentoring.  Membership for this singles dating site is $595 (3 months), $895 (6 months), or $1,495 (1 year).

Nobody is perfect.  No one can please everybody.  And so it is on the web, choosing the best Catholic dating site is a matter of personal opinion and individual preference.  Each site has different elements that might be considered as its best features.  However, one can make an assumption that the one preferred by a lot people offers the services that many are looking for.

That being the case, then Catholic Match (www.catholicmatch.com) can be considered as one of the best Catholic dating sites around—if not the best.

The site had its beginnings in 1998 when two Catholic young men, Brian Barcaro and Jason LaFosse, decided to put up a community environment website where men and women could meet.  In 1999, St.Raphael.net was born.  Later on, with another friend, Mike Lloyd, joining the team, the website began to flourish.  In 2003, the team decided to change the name to Catholic Match, a move that proved strategically beneficial.

With the team’s inventiveness, ingenuity, and awareness, the site continued to develop in terms of design and features.  They added an exclusive test called Temperament Test & Quiztique™ which members take to get to know themselves (and potential partners) better.  The test indicates a person’s temperament, which can either be Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic, Phlegmatic, or a combination of these.  As explained on the site as to why single Catholics should want to learn their temperament: It is said that one’s temperament is a God-given present.  This being a gift, it can bring about weaknesses or strengths.  Being gift, it is an important aspect of our human nature that brings with it certain strengths as well as weaknesses. Therefore, it’s best to know one’s self so that one could act accordingly.

Catholic Match has half a million members to date, is endorsed by many prominent members of the church, and has more than 10 years of experience in the business.  It has also previously acquired other online dating sites (CatholicDaters.com and SingleCatholics.com), and continues to grow.  Even though the business is moving upward and the membership is continuously rising, the people behind the site stand by their belief:  “Catholic Match, unlike many websites which target Catholics, is faithful to the teachings and values of the Catholic Church… Catholic Match strongly believes that holy marriages are best formed through discernment and providence.”

Being firmly founded on its values, being intent on providing excellent service, and maintaining a clean and safe social environment are perhaps enough reasons to nominate a Catholic singles online community as the best Catholic dating site around.