Bishop Joseph P. Machebeuf
Apostle of Colorado
Joseph Projectus Machebeuf was born August 11, 1812 in Riom, France to Michael and Gilbert Machebeuf. He entered seminary in 1831 and was ordained to the priesthood on December 17, 1836.
In 1839, he accepted the invitation of Bishop John Baptist Purcell to join the Diocese of Cincinnati, Ohio. He had to sneak out of France because his father did not approve of him becoming a missionary to North America. Upon arriving in America, he was assigned to a parish in Tiffin, Ohio and later served as the pastor at a parish in Lower Sandusky.
In 1850, Fr. Machebeuf accompanied Bishop John-Baptiste Lamy to New Mexico and there he served as a pastor of two parishes in Albuquerque and then in Sante Fe from 1853-1860.
In 1860 he was sent to Colorado to establish the Church in this area. On a visit to a mountain community in 1863 he was descending through the mountains, was thrown from his carriage and lamed for life. On August 16, 1868, Fr. Machebeuf was ordained a Bishop and assigned as the Vicar Apostolic of Colorado and Utah territories. When the Diocese of Denver was established in 1887 Bishop Machebeuf was named the first Bishop of Denver.
"When Fr. Machebeuf came to Colorado in 1860 he was... without a single church, or roof over his head; when he was made bishop he had but three priests within his jurisdiction; when he died the Diocese of Denver counted 64 priests, 102 churches and chapels, 9 academies, 1 college, 1 orphan asylum, and over 3,000 children in Catholic Schools!
"This was primarily the work of one man, and that man was Bishop Machebeuf. In contemplating it we must concede that its author was a great priest, a great bishop, and merited well the title by which posterity shall know him - THE APOSTLE OF COLORADO." (William J. Howlett, Life of the Right Reverend Joseph P. Machebeuf)
All-in-all Bishop Joseph Machebeuf travelled more than 100,000 miles throughout Colorado, Utah, Nebraska and Texas building up the church in his 29 years in Colorado. He placed ads in newspapers all over the world inviting priests to come out West to build the church in Colorado. He travelled back to France many times begging his brother priests to come to Colorado to serve the church here.
He died on July 10, 1889 at the age of 76.
The Life and Legacy of Bishop Joseph P. Machebeuf
Just click on the above image for a full page view
In June of 1991, a mountain just east of Loveland Pass was named "Mount Machebeuf" in honor of the first Bishop of Colorado. The mountain is 12,805 feet tall and can be seen from Interstate 70. A dedication Mass was celebrated at the summit by Rev. Richard Ling and Rev. Ed Hoffman in June 1991 using one of Bishop Joseph P. Machebeuf's chalices that he used in the 1880s.
Mount Machebeuf - highest peak on the right
