Our Story

Deo Gratias Apparel is founded, owned, and operated by Jesse and Joanna Racine, a Catholic couple with great devotion to their faith, marriage, and child. When they found each other and got married, they realized more and more each day that together, they were called to glorify God through the ins and outs of each day.

Jesse comes from a storied background when it comes to career ambitions, his experiences spanning a degree in IT and Entrepreneurship, sales, public service, and the medical field. Joanna, on the other hand, fostered some hobbies into work as a young adult, but always knew that her priority was God and His calling for her to be a wife and a mother. Witnessing Joanna infuse her faith into every aspect of her life inspired Jesse--he wanted to do the same with his work, whatever it might be. After trying his hand at a variety of careers and still feeling restless, Jesse was left with a big question to answer: "What can I do with all of the skills and experiences God has given me that means something?" In prayerfully and thoughtfully answering that very question, Deo Gratias was born. 

At the core of Deo Gratias is a desire to revitalize the Church with gratitude, hence the name of the company, Latin for "thanks be to God." Jesse and Joanna saw that parishes around them need more financial support in order for them to fully promote the beauty of the Church and bring people in. What better way to express gratitude to the Lord, aside from prayer, than to give what we earn back to the Church and support the Catholic cause? The pair decided they wanted to make a line of apparel that would give Catholics the opportunity to tithe with every thread. Once they set their hearts on Deo Gratias Apparel, the inspiration just kept flowing. They had no shortage of ideas for products and designs that they believed Catholics would be excited to wear, and even more excited to purchase, knowing that proceeds would be going back to their local parish. Combining Jesse's love of business, innovation, and service with Joanna's vast knowledge of the Catholic faith and eye for design, they created a brand with a threefold mission: to support Catholic causes, to spread the joy of Christ, and to offer high-quality apparel with a uniquely Catholic identity.