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Bishop Machebeuf High School to honor namesake
By John Gleason
On Nov. 5, Bishop Machebeuf High School will pay tribute to the 150th anniversary of their namesake’s arrival to Denver with a program about his life and a Mass for the students and faculty. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Principal Jessie Skipwith said the school is excited about the anniversary.
“There is a sincere and authentic relationship between the mission of the school to form the hearts, minds and souls of its students in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and personal ownership that our students, faculty and parents assume in this process,” he said. “It’s an honor to be part of this milestone in the history of the Catholic Church in Colorado.”
The presentation about Denver’s first bishop, “The Life and Legacy of Bishop Machebeuf,” will precede the liturgy. It is the work of Machebeuf students under the direction of Ed Lugo, director of campus ministry, who studied records and diaries about Colorado’s first bishop now stored in the archives of the Archdiocese of Denver. Lugo said the task was quite the challenge considering the students were sifting through events that cover a 30-year period.
“There was so much that happened and no chance to include it all,” he said, “and more than a share of humorous and interesting tidbits. Like the time when (Machebeuf) had to sneak out of France because his father didn’t want him to leave. Can you imagine how differently our history might have been if that had happened?”
Reflecting on the mark Bishop Machebeuf made here, Skipwith said the prelate’s influence is as strong today as it was when he travelled the mountains by mule cart.
“Bishop Joseph P. Machebeuf left our students a legacy of being courageous leaders in our faith. He was a man who overcame great odds to lead the Church in Colorado,” he said. “That legacy empowers the members of our Church in the year 2010 to remain steadfast, vigilant and faithful in building Christ’s flock throughout the world.”
At the end of the Mass, the students will present Archbishop Chaput with a breviary (prayer book) that was the property of Bishop Machebeuf on behalf of the entire Machebeuf community.
“It was donated by a friend of the school,” Lugo said, “and we took it to the archives to authenticate the bishop’s signature. We couldn’t think of a better place for this connection to the past to be than in Archbishop Chaput’s keeping.”
Due to limited space, the high school celebration is not open to the public.
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