Second in a continuing series

GENESEO — It took some work, but Darin Ries and Molly McKean have set their wedding date.

Darin proposed to Molly through an ad in the June 15 issue of The Catholic Post, and she said “yes.” She plans to say “I do” on Saturday, Nov. 8, at St. John the Baptist Church in Bradford.

“It was the only day we could find that would work between the family schedules and around harvest season and everything else,” Darin said, although the date has special meaning for both families. It happens to be the 13th birthday of Molly’s youngest brother, John Paul McKean, and the 39th wedding anniversary of Darin’s parents, Deacon Art and Cindy Ries of St. Malachy’s Parish in Geneseo.

“It seemed to work for his parents,” Molly said simply.

The couple has invited Father John Thieryoung, who was the pastor in Bradford while Molly was a teen and remains a friend of Peter and Mary McKean and their family, to celebrate the Mass. He is now pastor of St. Catherine’s, Aledo; St. Anthony’s, Matherville; St. John’s, Viola; and St. Mary’s, Keithsburg.

Their vows will be witnessed by the father of the groom, however, and Deacon Ries will give the homily. He also has been helping them with the marriage preparation process required by the Diocese of Peoria.

While many couples focus on the reception, Darin and Molly made it clear that the day is all about the sacraments for them.

“We want to keep it simple,” Molly added. “They say the devil is in the details, so we want to have as few details as possible.

Darin, 34, a project manager with Automatic Data Processing Inc., and Molly, 26, a labor and delivery nurse at Trinity Medical Center’s Moline campus, have just returned from their Engaged Encounter Weekend. They have also taken the pre-marital inventory required by the Diocese of Peoria, and a course in natural family planning.

Editor’s note — The Catholic Post will continue to follow Darin and Molly as their wedding approaches. More information about the marriage preparation process in the Diocese of Peoria and their experiences will be featured in upcoming issues.