Intentional Dating

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry Let me guess: You’re about to go on a first date, and you’re already anxious about awkward silences. What do I say? What do I ask? How do I keep the conversation flowing without it feeling like a job interview? I’ve been there. And after fifteen years of mentoring Catholic singles through Finding Adam Finding Eve, I’ve learned this: The quality of your questions determines the quality of your date. ...

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry Most people start dating the same way they start scrolling social media—without much thought. They download an app, swipe a few times, and see what happens. Then they wonder why “what happens” isn’t what they wanted. Here’s what I’ve learned after fifteen years of mentoring Catholic singles: The work you do before you start dating determines everything that comes after. If you go in without clarity, you’ll come out confused. If you go in without knowing what you want, you’ll accept whatever you get. If you go in without intention, you’ll drift—maybe for years. ...

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry Can we be honest for a minute? You’re probably exhausted. Not just tired of swiping—though you’re definitely that. You’re exhausted from the ambiguity. The “what are we” conversations that never happen. The situationships that drift for months without anyone naming what’s actually going on. You’ve done the casual thing. You’ve “seen where it goes.” You’ve kept things light and avoided the DTR talk because you didn’t want to seem needy or scare someone off. ...

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry Here’s a story I hear all the time: “We matched on Thursday. By Sunday, we’d texted for 20 hours total. We met Monday, talked until 2am, and I just knew. We were exclusive by the end of the week.” Six weeks later: “I don’t understand what happened. It fell apart so fast.” I understand the impulse. When connection feels rare and chemistry hits hard, you want to lock it down. You’re tired of dating. You don’t want to play games. You’ve finally found someone who seems right, so why wait? ...

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry Here’s a conversation I have all the time: “Katie, I’m just dating to have fun right now. See what’s out there. I’ll get serious about marriage later.” And I get it. Dating is hard. Marriage feels far away. Sometimes you just want companionship without the weight of discernment. But here’s what I’ve learned after fifteen years of ministry: There’s no such thing as “just” dating for fun. Not really. ...

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry You’ve probably heard of “Theology of the Body.” Maybe you’ve sat through a talk about it. Maybe someone mentioned it’s important for dating. Maybe you bought a book and never finished it. Here’s what I want to show you today: Theology of the Body isn’t just theological background for marriage. It’s the foundation for how to date well. The insights St. John Paul II unpacked across 129 Wednesday audiences aren’t abstract philosophy. They’re profoundly practical wisdom for anyone trying to navigate dating with intention and integrity. ...

By Katie Palitto | Finding Adam Finding Eve Ministry You’ve probably heard the term “intentional dating” thrown around. Maybe in a podcast. Maybe from a well-meaning friend. Maybe from an article that left you more confused than when you started. “Just be more intentional!” they say. Cool. But what does that actually mean? I’ve been mentoring Catholic singles for fifteen years, and I’ve noticed something: People use “intentional dating” to mean wildly different things. For some, it means having a first-date checklist. For others, it means discussing marriage timelines on date two. For others, it’s just code for “I’m taking this seriously.” ...