On a quiet evening at Christ the King Chapel, Vince Thomas ’23, DPT ’25 and Abby (Cowan) ’23 stood among friends, music echoing through a space that had become central to their lives.
It was here – between rehearsals for music ministry, shared conversations after worship, and time spent within the same close-knit campus community – that their relationship began to take shape.
“We saw each other after Mass and More, and we got to talking,” Vince said.
For Abby, who transferred her junior year to St. Ambrose from Western Washington University to complete her nursing degree, music ministry was more than an extracurricular – it was something that connected her to her family thousands of miles away.
“That was the first thing that made me feel really at home at Ambrose,” she said.
Vince, a Davenport native with deep roots at St. Ambrose – his parents met on campus, and several members of his family are alumni – found himself drawn more deeply into the same space as their connection grew.
“A big reason why I joined campus ministry was to get to know Abby,” he said. “I wanted to spend more time with her.”
Their relationship didn’t begin with a single defining moment, Vince said, but through a steady rhythm of shared experiences built into campus life.
“It was a slow transition just from friends to a relationship as we grew,” he said.
From friends to something more
Vince and Abby first met through a mutual friend in April 2022. While they initially remained friends, they reconnected more deeply in early 2023 through campus ministry and music ministry, where Abby played piano and Vince sang alongside friends.
“We both lived in McCarthy Hall, so we would study in the classroom downstairs, and we started spending more time with each other,” Vince said.
Their relationship became official on April 26, 2023, a date that fell between their birthdays.
“My birthday is April 25 and his birthday is the 27th,” Abby said. “He asked me out on the 26th – right in between.”
For both, campus ministry became the center of their shared life at St. Ambrose.
“That was where we gained our core group of friends,” Abby said. “It also allowed us to spend more time together and get closer.”
Vince agreed, noting that the broader campus community supported their relationship in natural ways.
A proposal far from campus – and a wedding that brought them back
After talking seriously about marriage, Vince proposed during a trip to Nashville – a carefully planned surprise that Abby didn’t see coming.
“I’m a terrible liar,” Vince said with a laugh. “But I was finally able to pull off this surprise.”
At a park outside the city, Abby’s parents suggested taking photos. As Abby turned back toward Vince, he was already on one knee.
When it came time to plan their wedding, the decision on venue felt obvious.
They were married at Christ the King Chapel on campus, the same place where their relationship had first taken root, with Rev. Ross Epping, former university chaplain, officiating. Friends from music ministry filled the chapel, with familiar voices providing the music.
“It was never really a question if it was going to be anywhere else,” Vince said.
“It was the one place that was special to both of us,” Abby added.
On their wedding day, surrounded by friends, family and fellow SAU alumni, the moment felt surreal.
“The colors in the world seemed brighter that day,” Vince said. “The stained glass in the chapel seemed to glow.”
Carrying Ambrose into what’s next
Today, Vince and Abby are building their life together in Washington state. Vince recently completed the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at St. Ambrose and is preparing to begin his career at an outpatient orthopedic clinic. Abby, a registered nurse, previously worked in the NICU at the University of Iowa and will soon begin a new role in the NICU at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Looking back, both say St. Ambrose shaped not only their careers, but the values they carry into their work and marriage.
“Our relationship with God was going to be really important to us,” Vince said. “And that being the cornerstone of how our relationship started has stayed true.”
Abby said the nursing program gave her both a strong academic base and hands-on experiences that helped her discover her career path in neonatal care.
“I wanted to do something pediatric, but I didn’t know exactly what,” she said. “During my last semester of nursing school, I got placed in the NICU for our preceptorship and I really fell in love with it.”
Though they’ve moved across the country, their connection to St. Ambrose remains strong – from friendships formed through campus ministry to a chapel that will always feel like home.
“We will always have a part of us in Davenport,” Vince said.
