St. George's Catholic Church / Google Maps
In Jenkins, Kentucky, a small Catholic mission parish continues to quietly impact its community through what many consider extraordinary events.
St. George Church, located in a region marked by coal mine closures, poverty, and addiction, has become the site of several remarkable moments documented by Catholic Extension Society.
One such event occurred in the 1980s, when Father Edward Randall, a missionary priest assigned to the parish, reached out to Mother Teresa to request a Missionaries of Charity presence in the area. After months of prayer and uncertainty, a rose bush beside the church bloomed earlier than usual.
Fr. Randall saw this as a sign, and shortly afterward, Mother Teresa confirmed she would send her sisters.
The Jenkins mission became the order’s first rural location in the US, and the sisters remain active there today, ministering in homes, hospitals, and drug rehabilitation centers. More than 40 years later, their presence continues to be a source of stability in a region where Catholics make up less than 1% of the population.
Another striking moment came in July 2022, when catastrophic flooding struck eastern Kentucky. Jenkins was among the 13 counties declared federal disaster zones. Local residents, including parishioners of St. George, organized rescue efforts using boats to save neighbors trapped in their homes. One woman, nearly submerged, was pulled out through a window with her oxygen tank. Others were rescued by a man who broke down doors to reach the disabled.
Eleven people were saved that night, and no lives were lost in the town. In the months and years that followed, the Missionaries of Charity continued to assist with recovery efforts, coordinating volunteer groups from across the country to help rebuild homes still damaged by the flood.
Another account involves a woman identified as “Jill,” who stepped in to adopt her five grandchildren when her adult daughter, caught in addiction, faced losing custody. Not long after taking them in, Jill suffered a serious medical episode, flatlining in the hospital due to complications.
Jill later said she believed God had asked her to come back to complete her mission of raising the children and helping her daughter recover. At the sisters’ encouragement, she began attending their religious education courses and eventually had all five grandchildren baptized into the Catholic faith.
According to the Catholic Extension Society, Jill wanted to ensure her grandchildren received the same spiritual formation she saw in the sisters.
