Here I am Lord, Send me: Paul Glaser and Regina Caeli Hermitage

For Paul Glaser, what began as a simple construction job in the foothills of Colorado has become a mission of faith, service and community. 

(Photo provided)

Born and raised in Nebraska, Glaser came to Colorado at 21, following college friends — one of whom would later become his brother-in-law. He started working in construction and made St. John the Evangelist Parish in Loveland his home parish. There he met Father Roger Mollison, a priest who would unknowingly shape the course of his life decades later. 

“I moved to Denver around 1986,” Glaser said. “Then around 2009, someone at St. Thomas More [in Centennial] asked if I could come up to this new Catholic community in the foothills and look at some electric work.” 

The project was to bring permanent power to a small hermitage running on a worn-out generator. Only later did Glaser learn that the property, Regina Caeli Hermitage, had been purchased and sustained by none other than Father Mollison.  

“I said, ‘Oh well, I know him,’” Glaser recalled with a smile. 

After completing that first job, Glaser didn’t return for nearly a decade. The hermitage was used seasonally by the Brothers of Saint John, but in 2019, the Knights of Columbus councils from St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial and St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch began assisting with much-needed repairs.  

“I was a new Knight of Columbus, third degree, following in the footsteps of my father,” Glaser said. “At that meeting, I met Father Francis [Nekrosius, CSJ], and we started identifying all the infrastructure that needed repair or replacement.” 

Two years later, a flood tore through the valley, washing out the hermitage’s only access road.  

“Father Francis asked me to come up,” Glaser remembered. “Then came the Cory Fire, which threatened the property the following year. Though the Hermitage was spared, it became clear that the road and infrastructure needed to meet emergency standards.” 

At the time, Glaser was retiring from a lifetime in construction. He had even applied to volunteer along the Pacific Northwest Trail.  

“Then after the fire, I got a call from Father Francis again,” he said. “I saw the need and thought, the trail can probably wait. And I always think of the scripture verse, ‘Here I am, Lord, send me.’” 

So, Glaser stayed. 

Working alongside the Knights of Columbus, Glaser has spent the last two years coordinating and helping rebuild the road, electrical systems and utilities that sustain the hermitage. The work is grueling, involving heavy machinery and mountain rock.  

“The rock is just real hard to excavate,” he said. “It was an old jeep mining trail we had to turn into a real road.” 

Thanks to those efforts, the hermitage now has reliable, year-round access — a major change for the Brothers of Saint John, who once could only use it seasonally.  

“Before, they didn’t come in the winter because of the snow,” Glaser said. “Now they can maintain the road for winter use, and more people can come. It’s peaceful here, quiet, real scenic.” 

In the process, Glaser has found that physical labor can be a form of prayer.  

“There’s a fulfillment when you lend a hand using your God-given skills in return for all the many blessings you’ve had,” he reflected. 

Working side by side with fellow Knights has also deepened his faith.  

“It’s drawn me closer to the Knights of Columbus,” he said. “We’ve been up here volunteering, working shoulder to shoulder. And to see the faith in this congregation is inspiring to me.” 

The roadwork should be completed this year or next spring, but Glaser knows the mission is far from over.  

“The long-term plan is to build three new prayer cabins so more people can experience the property,” he said. “There’s a Rosary loop, a prayer garden and Stations of the Cross. It will be really special.” 

He encourages others to visit the Regina Caeli Hermitage and experience its peace firsthand.  

“It’s on 40 acres and very quiet,” Glaser said. “You see deer, elk and even mountain lions. It’s just a really peaceful, really nice property.” 

As for what drives him to keep serving, Glaser’s answer remains simple.  

“When I saw the need, I knew they needed help," he said. “The Pacific Northwest could wait. Here I am Lord, send me.” 

Congratulations, Paul, for being named the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal Disciple of the Month! 

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