As I walked to my classes, another Franny couple walked by, hand in hand, whispering to each other. I had already seen half a dozen this morning.

“How are there so many Franny couples? Why do so many date?”I asked myself as I hiked up the hill to Egan.

I began to grow curious as to the pros and cons of dating, specifically Franny dating. It seemed like a strange mix of Franciscan University spirit and regular college dating, and it left me baffled.

So, I walked around all day asking people this question: “What are the pros and cons of Franny dating?”

First, I bumped into my friend, Julia Skalniak, a freshman. She gave me some insight into the pros, remarking that Franny dating encourages people to “find the person who will help them grow close to God.” 

I went on to ask freshman Matthew Maloney as well, who added that, at Franciscan, “nearly everyone dates for marriage. As it should be.”

These were good points; each illustrating the unique faith-centered aspect Franny dating could be. I continued my search for answers and found out from senior Luke Maloney that he found “the accessibility of chapels make[s] it easy to build a prayer routine both individually and separately, crucial for married life.”

After hunting down these pros, I concluded that Franny dating seems to have the potential to lead to a beautifully faith-filled marriage. I was happy to learn this, but I still wanted to know if there were any cons to dating at Franciscan. 

Texting my friend Claire Perez, a freshman, I learned she felt that “most people only care about dating and not enough [about] discovering and visiting religious communities.”

Perhaps a potential downside is a lack of emphasis on religious vocation?

Returning to Julia and Luke, I found out some more possible cons to Franny dating.

Luke replied that there might be “too much discernment over if the other person is ‘right’ for you.” He went on to describe that sometimes people give up too easily on another because “someone else won’t have this problem and will be better for [them]” than their current girlfriend or boyfriend.

Julia touched on another aspect of Franny dating: “Ring by Spring.” She mentioned how this phrase is common on campus, as is the “emphasis on dating and getting married young.” Julia remarked how this can cause “unnecessary stress because people think they’re somehow behind.” 

After reviewing all the answers to the question, I realized that there is a very distinct dating culture at Franciscan, containing both perks and drawbacks.

Franciscan University provides a good, Catholic environment to date in a healthy way, but each person must also carefully discern with God. I think it’s easy at times to get swept up in a certain culture with no questions asked, especially if it promotes the good. We should also discern with God if that good is good for us at that time in our lives. 

I am grateful I asked this question because I learned so much about the beauty of dating at Franciscan and what to be mindful of in my discernment!