First MassJuly 9, 1716
| Location | Nacogdoches |
|---|---|
| State/Territory | Texas |
| County | Nacogdoches |
| Modern Diocese | Diocese of Tyler |
| Historical Diocese | Diocese of Guadalajara |
| Date | July 9, 1716 |
| Priest | Father Antonio Margil de Jesús, OFM |
| Religious Order | Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) |
| Rite | Roman (Latin) Rite |
| Expedition | The Domingo Ramón Expedition |
| Confidence | confirmed |
| Submitted by | @ecofire2 |
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First Mass in nacogdoches county. This 1716 foundation established a permanent Spanish footprint in East Texas to counter geopolitical French influence pushing westward from Louisiana. Though the mission itself was permanently abandoned by royal decree in 1773, its surviving structures directly served as the nucleus for returning settlers led by Antonio Gil Y'Barbo in 1779. This migration officially birthed the town of Nacogdoches, which proudly brands itself as the oldest town in Texas.
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