Nun-turned-influencer marries man training to become a priest
For two years, Laís Dognini was a cloistered Carmelite nun, and Jackson Dognini spent five years in the seminary, studying to become a priest. Now, they are husband and wife.
Laís was working as a Catholic missionary when she met Jackson, then a seminarian. They frequented the same missionary spaces but never spoke, reported Brazilian daily newspaper O Globo.
Eventually, Laís entered the convent as a Carmelite novice. Two years later, though, she left the religious life, having been diagnosed with dysthymia, a mild but long-lasting form of depression. Upon learning of her departure, Jackson sent Laís a message, saying he would pray for her return to health. That message became the first of many exchanges.
Sharing her experiences on her Instagram page, Laís said their conversations evolved into discussions about faith, doubts, and life in general.
Jackson later decided to leave the seminary. After then, the bond deepened between him and Laís.
The former seminarian quietly set the courtship in motion when he returned a book about Saints Louis and Zelie Martin that Laís had lent him. Prior to their marriage, both Louis and Zelie separately pursued the religious life. But neither ended up in an order, choosing instead to live as lay people.
When Jackson gave back the book to Laís, he dog-eared the page that held the story of the Martins' marriage.
Laís and Jackson became a couple in April 2024 and got engaged six months later. In March 2025, they married in an intimate ceremony.
Initially keeping their story a secret, Laís only recently decided to make a series of posts showing photos of her and Jackson both in religious clothing and, later on, in civilian clothes. She also included snaps taken on their wedding day—of her in a white wedding gown and him in a black suit.
"How did that happen? Start from the beginning. Everything, the whole story," she wrote on Instagram, telling their story in Portuguese.
"It doesn't seem like much, right? But let's face it, we're adults now and we know what we want in life," Laís continued in another post.
Now living in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil, Laís now earns as a digital influencer with 16,900 followers. Jackson, meanwhile, works as a philosophy professor.
