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The Catholic Church's history has been intertwined with that of Nacogdoches since the first Spanish missions were constructed in the area during the early eighteenth century. Disruptions in the church's activities occurred 1719-1721 during French incursions into Texas, from 1773 until 1779 when the Spanish abandoned Nacogdoches, and from the beginnings of the Texas Revolution in 1834 until 1847, after Texas was admitted into the United States. When the church created the Diocese of Galveston in 1847, the first Bishop, Jean Marie Odin, upgraded Nacogdoches from mission to parish status. The creation of the parish marked the official establishment of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. French priest Father Louis Chambodut was appointed as the first pastor of the newly formed parish. In its earliest days, the Sacred Heart Parish encompassed an area from the Sabine River to the Red River, and west to Dallas, until the formation of other parishes during the next four decades. In 1847, Sacred Heart Parish built a 50' X 26' frame church building on the east side of Elm (later Pecan) Street, between Main and Hospital streets. As needs changed, several additions were made to the original structure, including a belfry and rectory. This central location, in the heart of Nacogdoches, served the parish until the 1930s. The congregation moved to a larger home on North Street at the corner of Mimms Avenue in 1936, and later to a third location on Appleby Sand Road in 1992. The 1847 church structure, removed from its original site and relocated several times, was finally placed at the church's current site for restoration. (2009) |
