Fr. Jacob M. Miller

If you were the patron saint of something, what would it be? I'd be the patron saint of devotees to the Hearts of the Holy Family, ice cream eaters, and vestment makers!

Who is your favorite saint, and why? I tell the school children that it's kinda cheating to say the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph; honestly, they dwell in their own separate categories. I love Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (Oct 16) for her role in receiving and spreading the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion, as well as Saint Philip Neri (May 26) for his priestly zeal and joy. Saint John Vianney (Aug 4) is the patron saint of parish priests, so he ranks high on my list. Lastly, I'll include Saint John the Apostle (Dec 27) because he is a model for prayer and discipleship for me: he rested on the Heart of Jesus at the Last Supper, was a close friend of Christ, and preached of God's love for us in his Gospel and Letters.

What do you love about working for the Church/SLDM? I love working for the Catholic Church because she is Jesus' Bride: where she is, the Lord is there too. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life other than working for the Church. I've received so much from God and the Church, and to give back and help build others up in faith, hope, and love is a tremendous gift that brings joy to my heart daily. I specifically love our community of SLDM because the Holy Spirit is moving hearts here. The staff and parishioners here hunger for Christ and desire to share him with others; in a word, we are on mission to bring God's light to others. As a priest, it gives me energy to feed people with the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, so they will leave and then share the same Jesus with others in their lives. Related to that, I love that people are so friendly, warm, and welcoming in our parish!