The Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches was a residential episcopal see of the Catholic Church from 1853 to 1910 and is now a titular see. History Originally, the bishopric of Natchitoches was the Catholic Diocese for the central portions of Louisiana—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 18th century had charge of the Indians