Fr. Joseph E. Miller, C.P.P.S was ordained to the priesthood on June 18, 1977 at Immaculate Conception Church, Bellevue, Ohio. His first assignment was associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Sedalia, Missouri for a month. He was then appointed vocation director for the Kansas City Province, where he served for five years. In 1982, he spent a year teaching math at Precious Blood Seminary in Liberty, Missouri. In 1983, Fr. Joe moved to St. Francis Xavier Parish in St. Joseph, Missouri as associate pastor, where he served for seven years. He then became associate pastor of St. James Church in Liberty for half a year and spent the other half of the year in a sabbatical program at Notre Dame. In 1991 he began his two years of service as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Butternut, Wisconsin. From 1993 to 2004 Fr. Joe was pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in Centerville, Iowa. His next assignment was as pastor at St. James Parish, Liberty for three years. Then he served as vocation director for four years (2007-2011), the last year of which he also served as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Sedalia, Missouri. For the next five years he served as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2016, Fr. Joe began his second term of service at St. Francis Xavier Church in St. Joseph, in which role he served as pastor until his death.
Fr. Joe was known for his dedication and hard work wherever he served. He was always willing to go where needed, and many were familiar with his boundless energy and ever-present smile. He was a person of principle, empathetic but clear when speaking of the values by which he lived.
Fr. Joe loved to teach whether through the school system or his parishes. A strong believer in prayer, he gave unconditional love and friendship to everyone he knew. A friend for over 50 years, Gil and Terri Wentzel wish to honor Joe with a fund that supports the educational growth of children through the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville.