Joseph Projectus Machebeuf
Encyclopedia
Joseph Projectus Machebeuf (August 11, 1812—July 10, 1889) was a French
Roman Catholic
missionary
and the first Bishop of Denver
.
to Michael and Gilberte (née Plauc) Machebeuf. He received his early education from the Brothers of the Christian Schools
, and studied the classics
in the college
of his native city. He then entered the Sulpician
-run seminary
of Montferrand
in 1831, and upon completing his course in philosophy
and theology
, was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Louis-Charles Féron on December 17, 1836. He served as a curate
in Le Cendre
until 1839, when he accepted the invitation of Bishop John Baptist Purcell
to join the Diocese of Cincinnati
, Ohio
, in the United States
. He was first assigned as a curate in Tiffin
and then as pastor
of Lower Sandusky
in 1841.
Following the elevation of Jean-Baptiste Lamy to Vicar Apostolic
of New Mexico
in 1850, Machebeuf accompanied him and became his vicar general
. He served as pastor at Albuquerque
(1853–1858) and at Santa Fe
(1858–1860) before being transferred to Colorado
, where he was thrown from his carriage while descending a spur of the Rocky Mountains
and lamed for life. In Colorado, he organized parishes
, procured priests and by 1868 had erected eighteen churches, among them being the first church in Denver
.
On March 3, 1868, Machebeuf was appointed Vicar Apostolic
of Colorado and Utah
as well as Titular Bishop
of Epiphania in Cilicia
by Pope Pius IX
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following August 16 from Bishop Purcell, with Bishops Louis Amadeus Rappe
and Louis De Goesbriand
serving as co-consecrators
. He founded an academy
and a school
for boys in Denver, a convent
of the Sisters of Loretto, St. Joseph's Hospital, House of the Good Shepherd and the College of the Sacred Heart. The Catholic population of Colorado increased under his tenure from a few thousand to upward of 50,000.
On August 7, 1887, the vicariate was elevated to the rank of a diocese
, and Machebeuf was named its first bishop
. He died two years later, aged 76.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and the first Bishop of Denver
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...
.
Biography
The oldest of three children, Machebeuf was born in RiomRiom
Riom is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the seat of the dukes of Auvergne. The city was of Gaulish origin, the Roman Ricomagus...
to Michael and Gilberte (née Plauc) Machebeuf. He received his early education from the Brothers of the Christian Schools
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
, and studied the classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
in the college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
of his native city. He then entered the Sulpician
Society of Saint-Sulpice
The Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
-run seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Montferrand
Montferrand (district of Clermont-Ferrand)
Montferrand is a district of the modern town of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne. Those born or living there are known as Montferrandais. Its origin is in the former town of Montferrand, the rival of Clermont for many centuries until their union, decreed on 15 April 1630 by the edict of Troyes ...
in 1831, and upon completing his course in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Louis-Charles Féron on December 17, 1836. He served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in Le Cendre
Le Cendre
Le Cendre is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
until 1839, when he accepted the invitation of Bishop John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 until his death in 1883, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1850.-Biography:...
to join the Diocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was first assigned as a curate in Tiffin
Tiffin, Ohio
Tiffin is a city in and the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,135 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Tiffin as a Tree City USA....
and then as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Lower Sandusky
Fremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
in 1841.
Following the elevation of Jean-Baptiste Lamy to Vicar Apostolic
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in 1850, Machebeuf accompanied him and became his vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
. He served as pastor at Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
(1853–1858) and at Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
(1858–1860) before being transferred to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where he was thrown from his carriage while descending a spur of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and lamed for life. In Colorado, he organized parishes
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
, procured priests and by 1868 had erected eighteen churches, among them being the first church in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
On March 3, 1868, Machebeuf was appointed Vicar Apostolic
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
of Colorado and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
as well as Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Epiphania in Cilicia
Epiphania, Cilicia
Epiphania was a city in Cilicia Secunda , in Anatolia.The city was originally called Oiniandos, and was located in the area of the famous Gülek Pass .In the 2nd century BC the city was renamed Epiphania, in honour of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, King of Syria from 175 BC to 164 BC.The city is mentioned...
by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following August 16 from Bishop Purcell, with Bishops Louis Amadeus Rappe
Louis Amadeus Rappe
Louis Amadeus Rappe was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cleveland from 1847 to 1870.-Biography:...
and Louis De Goesbriand
Louis De Goesbriand
Louis Joseph Mary Theodore De Goesbriand was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington in the United States from 1853 until his death in 1899.-Early career:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He founded an academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
and a school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
for boys in Denver, a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Sisters of Loretto, St. Joseph's Hospital, House of the Good Shepherd and the College of the Sacred Heart. The Catholic population of Colorado increased under his tenure from a few thousand to upward of 50,000.
On August 7, 1887, the vicariate was elevated to the rank of a diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, and Machebeuf was named its first bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
. He died two years later, aged 76.