Kathleen & Jesse Leblanc
It still astounds us that God plucked Jesse up from Nova Scotia, plucked Kathleen up from Ontario, and dropped us both off in Langley, British Columbia, where we would meet and begin the most incredible journey of our lives!
Rewind a few years, Kathleen spent her first few years after high school at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, in Barry’s Bay, ON, where the study of Church teaching sparked in her a passion for seeking truth, and gave her a deeper love and wonder for Christ and His Church. This love for truth motivated her to become a dedicated pro-life activist and youth minister.
Meanwhile, Jesse served as a @netcanada missionary and then staff member. Joining NET was an incredible journey for Jesse where he experienced a ‘reversion’ to his Catholic faith, discovered more deeply his gift for music, but also faced severe sickness from a condition called colitis. Praise God, he is now perfectly healthy and is so thankful for the closeness of Jesus during times of suffering.
For both Kathleen and Jesse, (remember, they still didn’t know each other at this point!), moving to BC for further study at Trinity Western University was a bit out of the blue, but both of them truly felt a peaceful pull from God to make the move. For Jesse, it was to begin studying to be a registered nurse (having heard God’s call on this just a month before!). For Kathleen, it was to continue her Catholic studies.
Studying at the same school, they met in passing a couple times, but it wasn’t until a mutual friend asked them to play music together for an upcoming event that they more intentionally became friends.
But before you get too excited, you must know that Kathleen was engaged at the time! So Jesse assumed his position in the friend-zone, despite thinking that this woman was pretty darn amazing.
On a journey of her own, guided by her spiritual director (a must-have!!) Kathleen discerned to break off her engagement. It was an incredibly difficult decision, but at the same time, was filled with much peace from the Lord, as He graces us with when we do His will.
Jesse and Kathleen’s friendship continued on during this time, and soon enough, Jesse opened up to Kathleen about his growing feelings for her. They began dating in the fall of 2013, started their band @guyandgirlmusic in 2014, got engaged in 2015, and married in January 2016!
God continues to remain close to us on our marriage journey, through struggling with fertility, facing loss in miscarriage, making a huge move back to Ontario, and welcoming their son, Noah, into the world!
As the Great JPII says, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” There are so many ups and downs, falling away and then returning to deeper conversion toward the Lord, all sustained by His grace and His Holy will. Our journey continues on and we are excited to share a little window into all He is doing in our lives so far.