Joseph Machebeuf has been overshadowed for more than a century by his friend and fellow priest, Jean Baptiste Lamy. In this biography Machebeuf comes into his own, emerging as a major figure in the spread of European Catholicism through the American West. Although not physically robust, Machebeuf's nickname Trompe la Mort (Death's Deceiver) reflected his optimistic nature and indomitable will. During his lifetime spent in Ohio, Santa Fe, and Denver, Machebeuf survived typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and malaria. Immortalized as Father Vaillant in Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop, Machebeuf reminds us of the frequently overlooked French influence in New Mexico culture. Initially hated because of conflicts with local priests, Machebeuf soon developed a broad understanding and love of Hispanic culture. In his role as pastor he faced many challenges that resonate today--the friction of diverse cultures, the secularization of society, and a spectacular growth in the population of the West.