LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 356

With Father Bouchet, Bishop Machebeuf vis-
ited St. Thomas' Seminary at Bardstown, and the
Sisters of Loretto at the Motherhouse. At St. Thom-
as ' he had already one student, and he endeavored to
enlist the co-operation of others, but previous obli-
gations prevented them from offering their services,
although several were strongly so inclined.
During this part of his trip Father Machebeuf
was in very good spirits, for he was confident that
he had at last secured a priest after his own heart.
The Rev. Michael Bouchet was bom in Clermont,
France, not far from Bishop Machebeuf 's own home.
In 1853, while in deacon's orders, he came with
Bishop Spalding of Louisville to work upon the
Kentucky missions. The missionary spirit was still
strong in him, and when Bishop Machebeuf, for
whom he had great regard, told him his story of the
Western missions, this spirit blazed up afresh and
he offered himself for this new field. Bishop Mach-
ebeuf was happy in the thought of securing the ser-
vices of such a priest. He had been on the search
for just such an assistant before his consecration,
and he now offered to make him his vicar-general
upon his arrival in Colorado. The offer of the honor
had, probably, little to do with Father Bouchet 's res-
olution, as he never was a man to care specially for
honors, but it might have had some influence with
Bishop Mcdoskey, who, if the circumstances had
been properly explained to him, would have seen
that this was but a step to possible higher honors.
As it was. Father Bouchet did not get the necessary



356 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
