Faculty Member & Author on Sacred Theology, EWTN Guest Rev. Frederick L. Miller, a beloved priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, died last Wednesday, September 28, 2022. He had open heart surgery a few months ago. He was the Spiritual Director of St. Andrew's Hall College Seminary and Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University. Today there will be a viewing from 9:00-9:45 am at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. The Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 am on Tuesday, Oct. 4th. Burial to follow at the cemetery of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate Motherhouse (Marycrest) in Monroe.
Father Miller was born in Hoboken, NJ, the only child of Edward and Ella Miller. He was the treasured nephew of his Hoboken aunts. Fr. Miller was ordained on May 27, 1972, in Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark, NJ after studies at Seton Hall University, Darlington. He also earned an M.A. in Dogmatic Theology from St. John's University, NY and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. Fr. Miller served as Parochial Vicar at: St. Agnes Church, Clark; St. Anne's Church, Jersey City; and St. Thomas More Church, Fairfield. He was also the Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima and Director of the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the Blue Army Shrine) in Washington, NJ. Fr. Miller taught more than a dozen courses on theology and spirituality at: St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, PA; St. Joseph Seminary, Dunwoodie, NY; Franciscan University of Steubenville, PA; the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome; Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD; and Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, NJ. Fr. Miller was the author of more than 100 articles in various journals and magazines, as well as the author of two books, The Trial of Faith of St. Therese of Lisieux and The Grace of Ars. He preached countless retreats to religious brothers and sisters, diocesan presbyterates, deacons, and groups of lay people. He also appeared in many video productions, teaching on various aspect of the faith, and was a frequent guest on EWTN. He also preached more than 50 first Mass homilies for newly ordained priests. Fr. Miller was Spiritual Director to countless seminarians and a trusted formation advisor over many decades, at five different seminaries. Through the thousands of priests that he helped form through his teaching, spiritual direction, and holy priestly witness, Fr. Miller had an invaluable impact on the Church in the United States. Through his priestly life and witness, the clergy of the United States has been greatly enriched, and Fr. Miller's enormous impact is now felt in parishes and ministries throughout the country through the priests he helped form. The Church in the United States is greatly indebted to Fr. Frederick L. Miller, a priest of Jesus Christ.
At his 1998 ordination, Plinthos was vested with the chasuble by Father Miller, one of the many priests who have benefited from his generous ministry to seminarians, priests and bishops. Father Miller was an extraordinary priests' priest. May Christ grant him eternal glory with The Most Blessed and Ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God and all the angels and saints.