Holy Trinity Catholic Church: History

Mission Statement

Provide parishioners and visitors a holy place to worship, a place of sacramental and pastoral care, and continue to honor our history of faith tradition within the catholic community. Provide support to diocesan goals and programs and endeavor to utilize the resources of the parish to serve and minister to the needs of our community. Celebrate with reverence the love of the Holy Trinity and the grace of our Lord God and His risen Son Jesus Christ, and provide the presence of the Holy Spirit in all church ministries.

Dedication

To the Memory of Reverend John Pierre, first pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, and To the Memory of all the Valiant Priests who served the cause of God and His Church unselfishly, this history of the Church in Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana is respectfully dedicated.

Items of Interest

• Sacramental records for the parish begin in 1849 before the first church was built.
• The first Baptism in Holy Trinity Catholic Church is that of John Cochlin and was on February 15th, 1857.
• The first Marriage was that of Peter Notary & Theodora Shints on November 13th, 1858.
• The first Funeral was that of J. Long in 1859.
• In 1984, Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Buildings) was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Forward

The first formal history of Holy Trinity Church was prepared in 1946 under the direction of the pastor, Reverend Monsignor J.V. Plauché. At the request of Reverend Monsignor William O'Hanlon, a comprehensive history was prepared for the celebration of the 140th Anniversary of the Founding of Holy Trinity Parish and the Centennial of the Church. The excellent chronicle from the pastorate of Monsignor Plauché forms the foundation of this expanded narrative with additions from materials provided by Monsignor O'Hanlon and the archives of the Diocese of Shreveport. Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Holy Trinity Parish in June of 2006. Monsignor Franz Graef, STD. requested an update of the Parish history by members of the Anniversary Committee.

Introduction

The history of the Catholic Church in northwest Louisiana dates back to the year 1717. It was in that year that the Franciscan missionary Antonio Margil first visited what is now known as Sabine Parish. Father Margil came in contact with Adayes Indians near Spanish Lake and founded the Mission of San Miguel de Linares. There he probably built the first church in Louisiana. He then journeyed to Natchitoches to minister to the French Catholics there and returned to what is now Texas. Other chapels were established in the area. One near Many in 1796 was served from Texas by the Franciscans. Although Caddo Parish, in which Holy Trinity Church was later established, is not far from Sabine, there is no mention of a Catholic church being founded here until the year 1856. The early missionaries, being French and Spanish, devoted their efforts mostly to the early settlers from those two countries. However, a few priest did visit in this area.