| 1682 |
Missionary
priest visited Native American tribes
along Mississippi River near present-day
Newellton, Tensas Civil Parish |
| 1699 |
Missionaries
returned to Mississippi River area
Established headquarters at Natchez,
Mississippi |
| 1716 |
French
established Fort St. John the Baptist
on Red River
Settlement became known as Natchitoches
Catholic chapel had no permanent
priest; served from Pointe Coupee or
Los Adayes |
| 1717 |
Spanish
Presidio of Los Adayes founded with
mission chapel of San Miguel de Linares
Abandoned when war broke out
between Spain and France |
| 1721 |
Los
Adayes and San Miguel re-established
Chapel of Nuestra Seņora del
Pilar (Our Lady of the Pilar) built
for
soldiers and settlers
Spanish Franciscan priests from
San Miguel also assisted at Natchitoches
|
| 1728-1734 |
Chapel
at Natchitoches dedicated to St. Francis |
| 1734-1738 |
St.
Francis chapel at Natchitoches served
by priest from New Orleans |
| c.
1760 |
Mission
of St. Louis des Appalages established
near present-day Pineville
Served Native Americans leaving
the areas occupied by British, Spanish
and French |
| 1769-1774 |
Spanish
assumed possession of the Louisiana
colony
Los Adayes abandoned
Spanish Franciscan priests served
at Natchitoches |
| 1795 |
Chapel
built at Las Cabezas on Bayou Scie,
named Nuestra Seņora de Guadalupe, served
from Natchitoches
Priest from Natchitoches also
visited Cane River, Grand Ecore, Isle
Brevelle, and Rapides |
| 1796 |
Parish
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel established
in Avoyelles Civil Parish between present
towns of Marksville and Mansura
Left vacant 1804-1812 and 1832-1834
Served by traveling priests from
Opelousas 1812-1814 and 1818-1824 |
| 1806-1838 |
Church
of St. Francis at Natchitoches charged
with serving all missions
Parish vacant 1806-1812, 8122-1828,
1826-1828, 1837-1838
Sometimes served from Nacogdoches,
Texas, or Opelousas, Louisiana |
| 1817 |
Chapel
built at Alexandria; no resident priest
until 1840 |
| 1829 |
St.
Augustine Church built at Isle Brevelle
Served from Natchitoches until
receiving resident priest in 1851 |
| 1831 |
Church
of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary built at Campti
Served from Natchitoches until
receiving resident priest in 1851 |
| 1849 |
Planters
at Milliken's Bend, Madison Civil
Parish, requested resident priest
Chapel built and priest stayed
1849-1854
Abandoned in 1862 due to Civil
War |
|
Rev.
Louis Gergaud
First
resident pastor of church at Monroe,
1856 |
1851 |
In
late 1700s Spanish fort had been established
and served spordically by clergy from
Pointe Coupee, New Orleans, Avoyelles
(1803, 1828)
Priest sent from New Orleans
to built church at Monroe in 1851
Contractor failed with construction
incomplete; no funds remained
Priest returned to New Orleans |
| 1853-1857 |
Diocese
of Natchitoches established with resident
bishop and clergy
Included six parishes (one vacant):
Alexandria, Avoyelles Civil Parish,
Campti, Cloutierville, Isle Brevelle,
Natchitoches
Bayou Scie area served from Cathedral |
| 1854-1855 |
Missionaries
from southeast Texas and Natchitoches
Civil Parish began to visit Bayou Pierre
in DeSoto
Civil Parish, Shreveport, and
communities near present Bossier City,
Athens, and Minden |
| 1855 |
Priest
sent to establish parish
near Carmel on Bayou Pierre
in DeSoto Civil Parish;
Left to found Shreveport church
DeSoto Civil Parish Catholic
church served sporadically from Natchitoches |
Bayou
Pierre church built 1856
As it appeared in 1890
Used with permission of: Upper German
Province,
Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany
|
|
| 1856 |
Priests
sent to reside in Monroe and Shreveport |
| 1858 |
Clergy
from Nacogdoches, Texas, took over care
of all Spanish missions |
| |
|
Chancellor