Exploring love, family, and faith across the stages of marriage

by Lisa Fletcher

Marriage is a journey of love, faith, and grace. Across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Catholic couples have been discovering that the true beauty of marriage lies in more than companionship: it is a living sacrament, a daily opportunity to grow in holiness together. True partnership means supporting one another through life’s joys and challenges, celebrating God’s blessings, and leaning on faith when times are difficult.

From young couples just beginning their sacramental journey, to parents navigating the demands of family life, to longtime spouses sharing decades of wisdom and service, the following stories shine a light on the depth and richness of a faith-filled marriage. They show that marriage is not only about staying together but also lifting one another closer to God every day, in ordinary and extraordinary moments alike.

Tyler & Kaitlyn Goecke
Faith, family, and first steps together

Tyler and Kaitlyn Goecke’s story began at Wright State University, where they crossed paths through mutual friends and shared athletic circles. “We both competed in athletics and saw each other regularly,” they recalled, “until we finally got to know one another.”

That connection deepened through Wright State’s Catholic Newman Center, which became foundational for both their relationship and faith. Raised Catholic, Tyler shared that he had remained connected to the Church, but meeting Kaitlyn marked a turning point.

“I started taking my faith more seriously once Kaitlyn and I met,” he explained. “The Newman Center played a big role for both of us. We met other Catholic couples who inspired us to live more virtuously, and our lives have definitely improved since that change. I’ve loved re-discovering the beauty of our Catholic faith.”

Kaitlyn’s journey was different but no less profound. Baptized Catholic as an infant, she did not actively practice the faith until Tyler invited her to Mass.

“I completed OCIA and received the rest of my sacraments after Tyler brought me to Mass,” she shared. “I began to fall in love with the Mass, the other Catholics I met, and how our relationship changed. I think being baptized as a baby gave me just enough grace to come back, and I’m very thankful for the journey I’ve been on.”

The couple married on July 20, 2024, at St. Brigid Church in the St. Michael the Archangel Family of Parishes. They welcomed their first child, a daughter named Lucia, in May 2025.

Like many young couples, Tyler and Kaitlyn faced challenges early, most notably a season of long-distance dating when Tyler transferred to the University of Illinois during Kaitlyn’s OCIA process.

“The FaceTime calls and lack of time together were tough,” they admitted. “But it gave us both a chance to grow closer to the Lord as we prepared for marriage.”

Today, faith is central to their marriage and family life. “Living our faith is the only way to survive marriage,” Tyler reflected. “God’s grace has saved us more than a few times. We push each other, hold each other accountable, and keep each other on the path to Heaven.”

They’ve embraced daily Mass when possible, family prayer, monthly confession, and intentional spiritual habits—knowing their daughter will one day look to them as examples.

“Our priest told us during marriage prep that the greatest gift we can give each other is salvation,” they said. “Holding fast to that advice has helped us every day.”

To newly engaged couples, their advice is simple but countercultural: “Care more about your marriage than your marriage day. The wedding is just the beginning.” 

Courtney & Kelley Brown
Marriage shaped by grace and perseverance

Courtney and Kelley Brown, members of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Taylor Creek (Mary Queen of Heaven Family of Parishes), met during a college new-student welcome event—a meeting that Courtney still recalls vividly.

“At the first moment I saw her, I wanted to meet her,” he remembered. “But I was discerning religious life, so I decided to pursue a holy friendship.”

Kelley, however, had a different first impression. “I ignored him,” she said frankly. “I thought he was cocky, and I was ending a relationship.”

What began as friendship slowly unfolded into something deeper. They married on June 14, 2003, and are now parents to ten children—eight on earth and two in heaven.

Baptized Catholic, they both experienced personal conversions in their youth—Courtney in high school and Kelley in college. Since then, faith has shaped every part of their lives.

“Our faith is the center of everything we do,” Courtney explained. “It’s the lens through which we see our marriage, our children, and the world.”

Their marriage, like many, has not been without hardship. “Challenges are inevitable,” Courtney acknowledged. “Some we’ve overcome. Others we continue to walk through.”

A particularly difficult season came about ten years into their marriage, when busyness and exhaustion created distance. Through prayer, honest conversation, and the grace of the sacraments—especially confession—they began a journey of healing.

“It was messy. It was hard,” Courtney said. “But it was holy.”

That experience shaped both their marriage and their ministry. Courtney now serves as executive director of Ruah Woods and has spent years, often alongside Kelley, helping couples navigate their own struggles.

Their family rhythms—shared prayer, family meals, confession followed by pizza, and intentional time together—anchor their home in faith.

“Marriage is incredible, even when it’s hard,” Courtney admitted. “Pray together. Look each other in the eyes. Do something fun regularly. And remember—your spouse is the person God placed beside you on the path to Heaven.”

Greg & Stephanie Schutte

Decades of marriage lived with faith

Greg and Stephanie Schutte met as students at the University of Dayton, where both were active in campus ministry. Their paths first crossed through the 7 p.m. Sunday Mass choir, an introduction that soon grew into a shared vocation rooted in faith. Married on October 16, 1993, they now celebrate more than 30 years of marriage.

Raised Catholic, both Schuttes credit campus ministry with deepening their faith and shaping their understanding of marriage as a calling. Surrounded by other young couples committed to living out Church teaching, they found early support that carried into married life.

Natural Family Planning strengthened that foundation as it challenged them to integrate faith more fully into their relationship. “It really changed how we understood marriage,” Greg said. “Not just as an idea, but as something we had to live.”

Their marriage also faced seasons of difficulty. Different communication and conflict management styles—combined with the demands of raising a growing family—created tension, particularly about a decade into their marriage.

“We were busy and functional, but not always connected,” Stephanie shared.

That season became a turning point. Through prayer, honest self-reflection, and the sacrament of confession, the Schuttes found healing and renewed purpose. “God shifted our focus from blaming each other to looking inward,” Greg said.

Their experience eventually led them to marriage ministry. Greg, a licensed clinical social worker, now serves as senior director of Marriage Works! Ohio. Together, the Schuttes speak at marriage retreats and formation events, sharing candidly about struggle, grace, and growth.

For them, being missionary disciples begins at home. Parents to seven children—one in heaven—they learned to balance ministry with the daily realities of family life.

“Our first responsibility is to our marriage and our family,” Stephanie said. “Everything else flows from that.”

Their advice to young couples is simple but demanding: protect your marriage.

“Marriage is your path to holiness,” Greg emphasized. “Give it time. Be present. Let everything else serve that vocation.”

More than three decades in, the Schuttes’ witness points to a quiet truth of the Sacrament of Marriage: lasting love is not sustained by ease, but by grace, commitment, and the daily choice to walk together toward Christ.

A Shared Witness

Though their journeys differ, these three couples share a common truth: marriage is lived out through daily choices—to pray, to remain, to forgive, and to trust that God is at work even in the hardest moments.

In their faithfulness, these witnesses offer hope, not just to one another but to the entire Church.

This article appeared in the February 2026 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.