Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches (Natchitochensis) is a titular see
of the Roman Catholic Church
. The former bishopric is no longer an active diocese.
—all the northern part of Louisiana above 31° N. lat., with an area of 22,212 square miles—when it was established on July 29, 1853. The diocese was headquartered in Natchitoches, Louisiana
. The see city was later relocated to Alexandria, Louisiana
and the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Alexandria
. Since that time the Diocese of Natchitoches has been maintained as a titular see.
Antonio Margil
was the first priest to minister within the territory now forming the diocese. From the Ays Indians
, west of the Sabine river, Father Margil heard of the Adayes Indians, and in March, 1717, he located them near Spanish Lake, in what became Sabine Parish, Louisiana
, founded the mission of San Miguel de Linares and built there probably the first church in Louisiana, for according to the historian Martin, when Pere Charlevoix reached New Orleans in 1721, he found there "about 100 cabins, two or three dwelling houses and a miserable storehouse which had been at first occupied as a chapel, a shed being now used for that purpose". Leaving Father Gusman in charge, Father Margil journeyed on foot to Natchitoches to minister to the French Catholics there, and then went back to Texas.
In 1718, during the brief war with Spain, Blondel, the French Commandant at Natchitoches, invaded the Adayes mission, plundered it and carried away the church vestments. Father Margil heard of it, and in 1721 came back, hunted up the Adayes who had taken refuge in the forests for fear of the French, rebuilt their church, which he dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the expedition. For many years afterward the Adayes mission was attended from San Antonio by the Franciscans, who attended also the missions of Nacogdoches and St. Augustin, Texas. In 1725 there were 50 Catholic families at Natchitoches. In 1728 Father Maximin, a Capuchin
, was in charge.
There is no record to show how the eastern portion of the diocese was evangelized; but the Catholic names given to villages and lakes contiguous to the Mississippi, show that priests must have visited that country, probably the Jesuits, who in the eighteenth century had charge of the Indians along the Mississippi under the Bishop of Quebec
. The records show that in 1829 Father Martin of Avoyelles attended the Catholics on the Red, Black and Ouachita rivers; that, in 1840 and after, Father J. Timon, afterwards Bishop of Buffalo, made regular trips from Texas to attend the north Louisiana missions, and that Father O'Brien, a Dominican
from Louisville
, attended yearly the Catholics along the Mississippi. The Catholics located on the rivers of the state often drifted to New Orleans on barges to have their marriages blessed and their children baptized, and come back cordelling their boats.
In 1852 the Fathers of the First Council of Baltimore recommended to the Holy See the division of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the formation of the Diocese of Natchitoches and the appointment of Father Martin, parish priest at Natchitoches, as its first bishop. Consecrated in 1853, he had four priests in the new diocese, three of whom returned to New Orleans, to which diocese they belonged, and one remained.
Bishop Augustus Marie Martin
(1802–1875), born in Brittany
, inherited the deep faith of the Bretons. A protege of Abbe Jean-Marie de Lamennais
, as a seminarian, he was employed at the great Almonry of France in Paris under Cardinal Prince de Troy and Vicar-General J.-M. de Lamennais. There he came in contact with Montalembert
and other disciples of Felicite Lamennais and acquired the polished manners that never left him. In 1839, while chaplain of the royal college in Rennes
, he met Bishop Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière
of Vincennes
, came to Indiana
with him, and for six years was his vicar-general. His health failing, he came to Louisiana, and in 1852 was vicar-general of Mgr. Blanc of New Orleans. Bishop Martin left a collection of unpublished letters that tel1 interestingly the history of his diocese, his struggles with poverty, his many trips to France to recruit his clergy. A fluent writer, his letters to the Propagation of the Faith were inserted in the "Annals"; the bishops of the Second Council of Baltimore and those of the provincial Council of New Orleans delegated him to write letters of thanks to the directors of the Propagation of the Faith for their generous contributions. Both letters were reproduced in "Les Missions Catholiques". Bishop Martin left an organized diocese with 20 priests, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart with one convent at Natchitoches, and the Daughters of the Cross with their mother-house and several convents in the diocese.
He was succeeded by Bishop F. X. Leray, also a Breton, the hero of several yellow fever epidemics, and the founder of the Sisters of Mercy in the Diocese of Natchez. He remained in Natchitoches only two years, being selected as coadjutor to the Archbishop of New Orleans. He died in 1887.
Bishop Anthony Durier succeeded him. Born near Lyon
in southern France, he came to this country in 1855, was pastor in New Orleans for 26 years and one of the theologians of the Second Council of Baltimore. Consecrated in 1885, he died in 1904, having finished the cathedral
and built an episcopal residence at Natchitoches.
Right Rev. Cornelius Van De Ven, born at Oirschot, Holland, 16 June 1865, who studied in the diocesan seminary of Den Bosch, was ordained 31 May 1890, and came to America the same year. After filling important posts in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he was consecrated Bishop of Natchitoches 30 November 1904. The most important act of his administration has been the transferring of the see from the inaccessible town of Natchitoches to the progressive city of Alexandria, a railroad centre with a large Catholic population. He went to Rome in 1910 and requested Pius X for the removal of the see. In August 1910, he received from the Consistorial Congregation the decree suppressing the See of Natchitoches and creating the See of Alexandria.
In the early 20th century the new See of Alexandria, with a Catholic population of about 32,431, numbered 26 diocesan priests, 10 regulars (Jesuits and Marists), the Brothers of the Sacred Heart
, the Daughters of the Cross with mother-house at Shreveport, the Sisters of Divine Providence and the Sisters of the Incarnate Word.
Category- St. Anne's Home for Unwed Mother's Sisters of St. Francis in Charge in Shreveport in 1971. I would like history on the home in as much detail as possible, the nuns who ran the home and any information about them.
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The former bishopric is no longer an active diocese.
History
Originally, the bishorpic of Natchitoches was the Catholic Diocese for the central portions of LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
—all the northern part of Louisiana above 31° N. lat., with an area of 22,212 square miles—when it was established on July 29, 1853. The diocese was headquartered in Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. The see city was later relocated to Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
and the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Alexandria
Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana
The Diocese of Alexandria is the Roman Catholic diocese for central Louisiana, based in Alexandria, with its see at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral...
. Since that time the Diocese of Natchitoches has been maintained as a titular see.
Antonio Margil
Antonio Margil
Antonio Margil was a Spanish Franciscan missionary in North and Central America.-Life:He entered the Franciscan Order in his native city of Valencia, Spain on 22 April 1673. After his ordination to the priesthood he volunteered for the Native American missions, and arrived at Vera Cruz on 6 June...
was the first priest to minister within the territory now forming the diocese. From the Ays Indians
Eyeish
The Eyeish were a Native American tribe from eastern Texas.-History:The Eyeish were part of the Caddo Confederacy, although their relationship to other Caddo tribes was ambiguous, and they were often hostile to the Hasinai...
, west of the Sabine river, Father Margil heard of the Adayes Indians, and in March, 1717, he located them near Spanish Lake, in what became Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Sabine Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Many. In 2010, the parish's population was 24,233....
, founded the mission of San Miguel de Linares and built there probably the first church in Louisiana, for according to the historian Martin, when Pere Charlevoix reached New Orleans in 1721, he found there "about 100 cabins, two or three dwelling houses and a miserable storehouse which had been at first occupied as a chapel, a shed being now used for that purpose". Leaving Father Gusman in charge, Father Margil journeyed on foot to Natchitoches to minister to the French Catholics there, and then went back to Texas.
In 1718, during the brief war with Spain, Blondel, the French Commandant at Natchitoches, invaded the Adayes mission, plundered it and carried away the church vestments. Father Margil heard of it, and in 1721 came back, hunted up the Adayes who had taken refuge in the forests for fear of the French, rebuilt their church, which he dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the expedition. For many years afterward the Adayes mission was attended from San Antonio by the Franciscans, who attended also the missions of Nacogdoches and St. Augustin, Texas. In 1725 there were 50 Catholic families at Natchitoches. In 1728 Father Maximin, a Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
, was in charge.
There is no record to show how the eastern portion of the diocese was evangelized; but the Catholic names given to villages and lakes contiguous to the Mississippi, show that priests must have visited that country, probably the Jesuits, who in the eighteenth century had charge of the Indians along the Mississippi under the Bishop of Quebec
Bishop of Quebec
The title Bishop of Quebec refers to more than one individual:* The Anglican Bishop of Quebec* The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Quebec- See also :* Bishop of Calgary * Bishop of Edmonton...
. The records show that in 1829 Father Martin of Avoyelles attended the Catholics on the Red, Black and Ouachita rivers; that, in 1840 and after, Father J. Timon, afterwards Bishop of Buffalo, made regular trips from Texas to attend the north Louisiana missions, and that Father O'Brien, a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
from Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, attended yearly the Catholics along the Mississippi. The Catholics located on the rivers of the state often drifted to New Orleans on barges to have their marriages blessed and their children baptized, and come back cordelling their boats.
In 1852 the Fathers of the First Council of Baltimore recommended to the Holy See the division of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the formation of the Diocese of Natchitoches and the appointment of Father Martin, parish priest at Natchitoches, as its first bishop. Consecrated in 1853, he had four priests in the new diocese, three of whom returned to New Orleans, to which diocese they belonged, and one remained.
Bishop Augustus Marie Martin
Augustus Marie Martin
Augustus Marie Martin was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Natchitoches, Louisiana ....
(1802–1875), born in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, inherited the deep faith of the Bretons. A protege of Abbe Jean-Marie de Lamennais
Jean-Marie de Lamennais
Jean-Marie Robert de Lamennais was a French Roman-Catholic priest, brother of the philosopher Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais, whom he influenced in their youth....
, as a seminarian, he was employed at the great Almonry of France in Paris under Cardinal Prince de Troy and Vicar-General J.-M. de Lamennais. There he came in contact with Montalembert
Montalembert
Montalembert can refer to:* André de Montalembert , French officer* Marc René, marquis de Montalembert , French military engineer and writer* Charles Forbes René de Montalembert , French publicist and historian...
and other disciples of Felicite Lamennais and acquired the polished manners that never left him. In 1839, while chaplain of the royal college in Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, he met Bishop Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière
Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière
Célestine René Laurent Guynemer de la Hailandière was a French-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Vincennes, currently known as the Archbishop of Indianapolis, from 1839 to 1847....
of Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
, came to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
with him, and for six years was his vicar-general. His health failing, he came to Louisiana, and in 1852 was vicar-general of Mgr. Blanc of New Orleans. Bishop Martin left a collection of unpublished letters that tel1 interestingly the history of his diocese, his struggles with poverty, his many trips to France to recruit his clergy. A fluent writer, his letters to the Propagation of the Faith were inserted in the "Annals"; the bishops of the Second Council of Baltimore and those of the provincial Council of New Orleans delegated him to write letters of thanks to the directors of the Propagation of the Faith for their generous contributions. Both letters were reproduced in "Les Missions Catholiques". Bishop Martin left an organized diocese with 20 priests, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart with one convent at Natchitoches, and the Daughters of the Cross with their mother-house and several convents in the diocese.
He was succeeded by Bishop F. X. Leray, also a Breton, the hero of several yellow fever epidemics, and the founder of the Sisters of Mercy in the Diocese of Natchez. He remained in Natchitoches only two years, being selected as coadjutor to the Archbishop of New Orleans. He died in 1887.
Bishop Anthony Durier succeeded him. Born near Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in southern France, he came to this country in 1855, was pastor in New Orleans for 26 years and one of the theologians of the Second Council of Baltimore. Consecrated in 1885, he died in 1904, having finished the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
and built an episcopal residence at Natchitoches.
Right Rev. Cornelius Van De Ven, born at Oirschot, Holland, 16 June 1865, who studied in the diocesan seminary of Den Bosch, was ordained 31 May 1890, and came to America the same year. After filling important posts in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he was consecrated Bishop of Natchitoches 30 November 1904. The most important act of his administration has been the transferring of the see from the inaccessible town of Natchitoches to the progressive city of Alexandria, a railroad centre with a large Catholic population. He went to Rome in 1910 and requested Pius X for the removal of the see. In August 1910, he received from the Consistorial Congregation the decree suppressing the See of Natchitoches and creating the See of Alexandria.
In the early 20th century the new See of Alexandria, with a Catholic population of about 32,431, numbered 26 diocesan priests, 10 regulars (Jesuits and Marists), the Brothers of the Sacred Heart
Brothers of the Sacred Heart
The Brothers of the Sacred Heart are a Catholic religious congregation founded in 1821 by the Reverend André Coindre . Its Constitutions were modeled upon those of the Jesuits, while its Rule of Life was based upon the Rule of Saint Augustine. Its members bind themselves for life by simple vows of...
, the Daughters of the Cross with mother-house at Shreveport, the Sisters of Divine Providence and the Sisters of the Incarnate Word.
Titular Bishops
- Anthony Mancini – Appointed February 18, 1999, he was named the Titular BishopTitular bishopA titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Natchitoches upon his assignment as the Auxiliary Bishop of MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He was formally ordained on March 25, 1999. - Joseph Marino – Appointed January 12, 2008, he was named the Titular Archbishop of Natchitoches upon his assignment as the Apostolic Nuncio to BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. The date of his episcopal ordination has not been set.
Category- St. Anne's Home for Unwed Mother's Sisters of St. Francis in Charge in Shreveport in 1971. I would like history on the home in as much detail as possible, the nuns who ran the home and any information about them.