Extension Magazine - Fall 2021

16 INSPIRE
Lumen Christi Finalist
RACHEAL JACOBY |
DIOCESE OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS
Restoring a church
for future generations
On Sept. 18, 1913,
Catholic Extension’s
president
and founder, Father
Francis
Clement Kelley,
issued a check of $500 to build a
mission church in Melvin, Texas.
Catholic Extension had confidence
that this small community
located near the geographic center
of Texas had a bright future. Today,
108 years later, there are still people
who see great potential in this
mission and the community it
serves.
Several years ago, Racheal
Jacoby, a young mother who had
just moved to the area, was holding
her newborn daughter while
attending Mass. Although her
spirit was warm, she noticed she
was physically cold. The propane
company had not come to refill
the church’s tank. Frigid drafts
were coming in through cracks in
the uninsulated walls.
Other parishioners looked at
the baby, sharing a common concern:
Is it safe for her to be in
here?
There was nothing more that
Jacoby wanted than to have her
daughter in that church. St. Francis
Xavier Mission is a beloved
and sacred place for the Catholics
of Melvin. It is especially important
to her husband’s family.
His parents, grandparents
and great-grandparents
had all grown up going to
the church, celebrating the
sacraments and life’s most
important milestones. She
wanted her daughter to be
able to do the same.
But there was no doubt
that the church was in desperate
need of repair. The
roof was collapsing. There
were holes in the walls.
Even insects and raccoons
had found their way inside.
Only one question remained: Who
would—or even could—take the
lead on such a daunting task?
Jacoby knew that this was
something she needed to do for her
community and growing family.
“I can’t sit idle when I know
that something needs to be done,”
she said.
FINDING HER WAY HOME
Jacoby grew up attending an
Episcopalian church in nearby
Brady. She developed a strong
Christian faith especially through
church camp every summer. She
went to Texas Tech University for
her undergraduate degree and
then pursued an accounting career
in Dallas.
Within a few short years, her
high school sweetheart reentered
her life, and they married. He convinced
her to move back to their
childhood hometown of Melvin.
“It was the best decision of my
life. It’s been the best place to raise
our family and be close to both
sets of our parents,” she said.
Upon settling in Melvin, she
made another life-altering deci-