20 Years of
Father Regis
Memories
Father Regis got around.
“He was very beloved by so many people, it’s hard to fathom all places he went,” says longtime Secular Franciscan friend, Diana Rivers, with a chuckle.
For some 20 years, one of the places Father Regis went — and where he left his stamp — was to the monthly meetings of the Denver-based Secular Franciscan order, the Penitents of St. Francis. In addition to his many roles – including prison ministry, author, writer, and president of the Julia Greeley Home — Father Regis was the Penitents’ “spiritual assistant,” (a/k/a spiritual director), in charge of guiding the members’ faith and spiritual development.
On November 21, 2021, Father Regis was once again at the center of the Penitents’ meeting, although in a bittersweet way. It was two weeks after his death on Nov. 6, and the Penitents were gathered to remember their much-loved, often mischievous, and always faith-defending, spiritual leader.
“He was so faith-filled and strong, and never afraid to say anything,” Diana says. “He was very, very special.”
All agree that one of his specialties was to teach the faith in a firm and no-nonsense way, and, when appropriate, pack it with humor.
“Fr. Regis said a lot of things tongue-in-cheek,” says Diana, the current “minister,” or leader, of the Denver-based Penitents order. “He was in prison ministry for a while, and he told us about one of the prisoners who was saying, ‘I’m gonna kill myself, this is too much for me.’ Father Regis told him, ‘No, don’t kill yourself! If you really want to go, preach the Gospel as loud as you can and somebody else is gonna kill you, and then you’ll go straight to Heaven!”
The Pentents remember a serious side too Father Regis, too.
“We loved having him lead our private retreats at Mother Cabrini Shrine,” says Diana. She remembers the discussion sessions sparked all kinds of debates, with people on both sides of controversial topics — from nuclear war to Vatican II. Fr Regis took on everything. Given the turmoil in the Church today, his past warnings are also remembered as prophetic. Years before the Church began suffering a dramatic decline in numbers, Father Regis was warning his Catholic audiences that “the Church was going to go through a very severe time when only the people who are really faithful will remain … “
If Father Regis had any critics — and his attitude always was, “bring ’em on” — Diana suggests that it was probably people who wanted their faith expressed in a softer way. But “soft” isn’t the Penitents’ style. “It’s living simply and having the right relationship to things,” Diana explains. “Nothing in excess — that’s our kind of poverty. God is first, family is important, and so is dedication to St. Francis and living simply. It’s a calling.”
Father Regis was the Penitents’ ideal guide (“He was our rock for many years”) even if he couldn’t resist a quip for long. Diana remembers meeting him for her last interview before being approved to enter the Penitents. “‘C’mon, Diana,’ he said, ” we got to see if your an apostate!’ I just started laughing.”
One topic Father Regis was intensely serious about — getting to Heaven. He set all humor aside when he told people — as he told the Penitents — they better not forget him after he’s gone. Diana remembers it vividly: “One of the things Father Regis said was, ‘Don’t automatically assume I’m in Heaven. Keep praying for me …”
At that, Diana has to smile, thinking of how many people loved him: “He probably has enough prayers to spring half of Purgatory!”