May 9, 1738
Appeared:
Mr. de St. Denis, Knight of the Military Order of St. Louis, Commandant of the post of Natchitoches, and Mr. de la Chaise, sub-delegate to the same post.
Before them, I, undersigned notary, made a loyal inventory of the parochial Church. I made it on May 9, 1738, by request of the Rev. Father Jean Francois de Civray, priest of the Capuchin Order, in charge of the Parish of St. John the Baptist of Natchitoches, diocese of Quebec, province of Louisiana.
The inventory included the parochial Church of Natchitoches, its belongings, the priest's house and surroundings. All in all as follows:
1. A Church twenty feet long and twenty-four feet wide, built on nine foot logs with double beams filled in between with adobe. The said Church has six windows with shutters and iron work, a big double door with iron work, a small door with a lock. The said building is covered with shingles on planks without fancy work, everything being new.
2. In the same Church are eighteen brand new benches, eight feet long, with backs to them.
3. The sanctuary is on a floor ten feet long in the middle of which stand: a table used as an altar�a few steps, a small carved cedar tabernacle, a footstool.
4. In said Church is a wardrobe, made of pine logs split in halves, with two doors, iron-work and a lock. This wardrobe is new and contains the following:
-a chalice with its silver paten, Spanish style.
-a small chalice, same metal.
-a small sun shaped monstrance without a foot.
-a brass box in which are three silver vases for the holy oils.
-two brass crosses- a small and a big one- with a Christ.
-two brass candlesticks such as the King gives to missionaries for their chapel.
-a plate with tin cruet bottles.
-an iron to make hosts
-a Roman missal
-a gradual, a ritual, an antiphonary.
-a Catechism as used in Quebec.
-the folios of the old altar.
Sacerdotal ornaments
-in the wardrobe have been found:
-a chasuble with a stole, maniple, veil, purse, an altar cloth in damasked satin with a peach colored silk braid.
-same set with Altar cloth made of pleated stamin on a white silk cord.
-same set with printed cotton, the damask Altar Cloth with a silver braided Maltese cross.
-a small niche lined with damask and lace.
-three altar cloths
-three communion cloths
-eight purficatories
-two plain albs.
-four amices
-a linen belt
-a surplice
-a satin cushion trimmed with two crosses mad of silver flowered ribbon.
-about a pound and a half of white wax (candle stubs)
-two paper bouquets in a vase
-two small bells for the Altar.
In the same Church an Altar stone was found on the Altar table. A portable tin holy water font.
A thirteen and a half pound bell, set up outside the church.
The priest's home, a house thirty feet by sixteen feet long by eighteen wide, made of wood covered from top to bottom with shingles on cedar logs, with adobe foundation, eight and a half feet high, with double raising pieces. The house has six windows with shutters, iron work, two entrance doors, one of which has a key. In the house is an adobe fireplace, a wooden partition and two doors with iron fixtures.
-a building twenty-eight feet long by sixteen feet, covered with bark, on logs eight feet high with an adobe wall between them. The building is divided by a wooden partition and has an adobe fireplace.
The said building has two windows and two doors with their locks. At the end of the building is a small shed, covered with bark, sixteen feet by six.
-a chicken house fifteen feet long, twelve wide, on posts with a door and its lock.
All of the above buildings are new.
-an adobe oven
-a common ladder
This complete inventory has been left in the hands of Rev. Father Jean Francois de Cyvrary [sic], who has taken charge voluntarily and promised to show it all to whom it may concern, when needed. This inventory was made and ended on the day and year as above. The following signed:
Father Jean Francois C. Priest
St. Denis
De la Chaise
Before me, Duplessis, Notary.
The copy of the present inventory was handed to Rev. Father J Franc. De Civrary on May 1738.
Translation of the original document located in Natchitoches Clerks Office as found in
"Colonial Natchitoches (Translations of French and Spanish Documents)"
By G. Portre-Bobinski, Ph.D.
1966 second edition
Interesting to note that during Father Jean Francois' administration the church was renamed St. Francis. [The prior priest was a Jesuit and he was a Capuchin Franciscan.] This is evidenced by the name on this document compared with the church name contained in the Parish Register at the time of St. Denis' death.