eMatrimony.org

Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community

  News - Local

Rochester/Buffalo, NY Area Lovers' Ball

David & Claire Hall

2005 Lovers’ Ball Honors Pat & Pam Clark

On April 7th, 2005, Pat & Pam Clark celebrated the fifth Anniversary of their Marriage Encounter Weekend. Since their weekend, Pat & Pam have dedicated themselves to Marriage Encounter, and as Core leaders of St. Michael’s they embody what it means to be members of a Christian community.

Pat & Pam have a deep belief in community and in members watching out for each other. They care deeply about their Core and each couple holds a special place in their hearts. Pat & Pam do what it takes to lead a vibrant and dynamic group of committed Marriage Encounter couples. From scheduling bi-weekly meetings, to making sure couples who aren’t able to make it are well, to planning activities for the Core, Pat & Pam give 100% of themselves to their job as Leaders. To them their leadership is a joy, not a job.

At this year’s Lovers’ Ball Pat & Pam were honored for the love and dedication they give to Marriage Encounter every day. Following is the story of how Pat & Pam met, fell in love, and married.

Pam had just moved into a new condo in Greece. She had a next door neighbor, Helen, who knew everything about everyone. She told Pam about this great guy, an engineer from Kodak, who happened to live across the street and that she wanted Pam to meet him. Pam was hesitant because she had just left another relationship. She told Helen she wasn’t interested in meeting anyone just then. One day, Pam’s sister Penny saw Pat and said to her “you’ve got to meet him, he’s really cute!!” In the meantime Helen had already gone over to Pat to tell him how wonderful Pam was.

Pat was into running, and was an excellent baseball player. One day Pam was outside relaxing and Pat came over and said, “Hi, I’m Pat Clark, I just came over to meet you.” The next Saturday Pat came over to Pam’s place. As Pam tells it, Pat had had a little bit to drink. He came over to tell her he had just won a golf tournament. He then invited her to go to his baseball game. Pam agreed, but told him that she’d rather drive herself. Pam wound up driving herself to the game and after the game, went out with Pat and his teammates for wings.

In the next couple of months or so Pam went to several of Pat’s games. After more than a few Baseball dates, Pat mustered the courage to ask Pam to go on a real date; out to dinner and a movie. Pam remembered they went to the Ground Round and to see “Dead Poet’s Society.”

Pam’s mom had prayed for a long time that she would meet a good man. Her mom loved Pat the moment she met him and in the early days of their relationship Pam would often say to her “Mom, I think you love Pat more than you do me.”

Within four months after they met Pam knew “Pat was the one.” On December 17, 1989, Pat cooked dinner for Pam and planned to propose to her. At the last minute Pam called him from work to tell him that she needed to stay late to be with the family of a patient. Pat was almost certainly quite disappointed. Little did Pam know what Pat was up to that evening. Pam finally made it to Pat’s place and you know the rest of the story.

Pat & Pam were married on October 20, 1990 at St. John’s in Brockport. For the reception, Pats’ sisters baked 1000 Italian cookies. They had so many that they brought some to Pam’s patients in the hospital. The cookies are akin to a metaphor for the abundance of love Pat & Pam bring to each other and to everyone they meet. They are a shining example of God’s love and His sacrament of holy matrimony.

Click here for a printable version (PDF, 8KB)