A former nun-turned-influencer has secretly married a Catholic priest after the two fell in love while praying together.
Lais Dognini, who left the convent to pursue a career as an influencer, first met Priest Jackson Dognini when he offered to pray for her to help cope with depression, according to Brazilian outlet O Globo.
The couple tied the knot in March in a private ceremony and shared the news with their followers in an Instagram Story on Tuesday.
Ex-priest Jackson Dognini and former nun Lais Dognini have married after meeting in the church.
Both devoted years of their lives to the Catholic Church before crossing paths more than six years ago, when Lais was still serving as a missionary.
Although they often shared the same missionary spaces, the two had never exchanged more than a polite “hello,” according to O Globo.
Jackson spent five years training in the seminary for the priesthood, while Lais lived for two years in a Carmelite convent, dedicating her life to prayer and service.
When Lais fell into depression and left the convent to focus on her recovery at home, Jackson—still in the seminary—reached out to let her know he was praying for her.
Jackson initially believed Lais might one day return to religious life, but the two continued exchanging messages and eventually formed a close friendship.
After a long period of reflection on his own vocation, Jackson decided to leave the seminary.
In April 2024, the couple began dating. They became engaged in October and quietly tied the knot in March.
“It doesn’t seem like much, right? But let’s face it, we’re adults now and we know what we want in life,” Lais shared on Instagram, where she regularly chronicles her extraordinary life to more than 16,000 followers.
Their union has been met with overwhelming support from fans.
“It wasn’t an escape from their calling, it was a reunion with it,” one follower wrote.
“God writes correctly through lines we didn’t even know existed,” commented another.
