Father Whitney Miller refocuses energy
on future of St. Louis Catholic High
By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
LAKE CHARLES –– Reverend Whitney G. Miller made history by being the first priest ordained in 1980 for the newly formed Diocese of Lake Charles. Now that he has reached the well-deserved retirement age of 70, he has a message to share: “I am refocusing. I am not retiring!”
Father Whitney sat down recently to share his goals for this new season in his nearly 45 years of priesthood.
ordained in 1980 for the Diocese of
Lake Charles, said he is “refocusing,
not retiring,” now that he has turned 70.
“I am in much too good health, and I still have a good mind. As long as the Lord wants to keep using me, I want to serve,” he expressed, even as he transitions to the role of senior priest.
“What I am finding at age 70 is more about my energy level. My spirit is still very willing, but my body limits me now,” he acknowledged. “I am using this particular season where I want to be fair to the things I commit myself.”
If there is such a thing as full-time retirement for a priest, that is at least five years down the road for Father Whitney. After much prayer with his spiritual director, the Jennings native will focus his time on the future of St. Louis Catholic High School that is set to break ground on Corbina Road on January 12.
“The energy I have left and the years I have left, historically, I am hitting it at a time when there is a great amount of need at St. Louis with both fundraising and rebuilding,” said Father Whitney, who served as Rector of the lone Catholic high school between 1999-2007. It was during that time that that he led the successful “Opening Windows” capital campaign to fund the high school’s renovations.
Catholic High School’s biggest fan
and cheerleader and will pour that
energy into the rebuilding of the campus.
Now as co-chair of the “Spreading Roots, Growing Saints” capital campaign to build the new school, seeing the construction project come to fruition is his top priority.
The first phase of construction includes the academic and administration buildings. Father Whitney said enough money has been raised to also build the science wing and cafeteria, and he prays it won’t be long before the gymnasium is fully funded as well.
Bishop Glen John Provost recognizes the special gift Father Whitney has in bringing people together to work for a common goal.
“We know of his contributions to St. Louis Catholic High School and how, under the initiative of my predecessor, Bishop Edward Braxton, Father Whitney led a capital campaign for needed improvements at the school,” the bishop said. “He demonstrated his many talents then and continues to do so now as we address the building of a new campus for St. Louis.”
Bishop Provost expressed his confidence that “with Father Whitney’s leadership, working closely with Father (Ruben) Buller, St. Louis Rector, and the school community, we will accomplish our task.”
Father Whitney said that he is “very appreciative to Bishop Provost and Father Buller for allowing me to be in this position. As the current Rector, Father Buller has been so affirming and so encouraging.”
A plate that has been spinning for much of Father Whitney’s ministry has been his role as Director of Counseling Services for the Diocese of Lake Charles since 1999. While he is letting go of that position and no longer taking new clients for counseling, he said as part of his presence on the St. Louis campus, he will continue to do counseling for the students, faculty, and staff.
His schedule on campus will include Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, leaving him a four-day weekend to spend more time with family or doing things of his choosing.
“I have a brother in Thibodaux, another brother in Houston, and a sister in Carthage, Texas. I plan on spending more time with family, including my 13 godchildren,” he remarked.
Road to Priesthood
Father Whitney said he always knew he wanted to be a priest from as far back as kindergarten.
“I often say if there would have been an elementary seminary I could have gone to, I would have gone,” he chuckled. “I was a holy little kid. I loved to pray. After my paper route, I can remember stopping by the church to make a tabernacle visit. The nuns at the Catholic elementary school I attended were always picking me to do the readings, and the priests asked me to serve. I say I have been a priest all my life.”
for the Diocese of Lake Charles on June 6, 1980, by the
Most Reverend Jude Speyrer, founding bishop (middle),
in Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church. Also present
was Deacon Bud Kaicher from San Diego Calif., a classmate of
Father Whitney from St. John Seminary.
Father Whitney recalls the Teresian Sisters at his school being great storytellers.
“I always found their stories about the saints fascinating,” he said. “Even though I did not quite understand everything at a young age, I was inspired by the heroic stories of the saints. To me, they were spiritual heroes, and that is what I wanted to be when I grew up.”
Having studied at Immaculata Seminary in Lafayette, St. Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict, La.; and St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.; Father Whitney would eventually be ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lake Charles on June 6, 1980, by Bishop Jude Speyrer. He celebrated his first Mass on June 7 in his home parish at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Jennings.
During his seminary formation, Father Whitney considered other vocations.
Arthur Lawrence and Miller (Johnny and Gwin), and his
grandmother Hortense LaCour, right, at the reception
following his First Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady
Help of Christians Catholic Church in Jennings on June 7, 1980.
“When I was at St. Joseph Seminary College, I had a very good professor of psychology,” he recalled. “For a time, I was discerning whether I wanted to become a psychologist or a counselor. There was also a period when I wanted to be a Benedictine monk because I have a real contemplative side, but I felt that God was calling me to diocesan ministry.”
Realizing that nothing was lost, Father Whitney recognized that God took care of both those vocations through his role as diocesan counselor and later during his 10 years as retreat director at Saint Charles Center in Moss Bluff.
Assignments have included Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish (Parochial Vicar), 1980-1983; Our Lady of Seven Dolors Parish (Pastor), 1983-1991; Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish (Administrator), 1996-1999; Director of Diocesan Counseling, 1999-2024; St. Louis Catholic High School (Rector), 1999-2007; Secretary for Christian Formation, 2007-2010; Director of Saint Charles Center, 2010-2020; St. Philip Neri Parish (Pastor), June 2020-January 2021; St. Louis Catholic High School (Counselor), 2021 to present.
A gift to the Lord
Father Whitney said the theme of his priesthood has always been to give to the Lord what he has, even when it does not seem like much, and God does great things with it.
for Camp Karol of Saint Charles Center in Moss Bluff in
October 2017. The Catholic retreat center for youth in the
Diocese of Lake Charles was one of several building projects
that Father Whitney has successfully chaired during his nearly
45 years of priesthood.
“The readings at the first Mass I celebrated were based on John’s Gospel of the miracle of multiplication of the fishes and loaves. The young boy believes that Jesus can do miracles with the little bit of food that he has,” said Father Whitney.
“When you give what little you have to the Lord, it is amazing to watch the multiplication of gifts in the work that you do. As a minister, I receive back so much more than I could ever give,” he said. “People, especially in Southwest Louisiana, are incredibly good to their priests. They love to give back in any way that they can. That is encouraging.”
Expression of gratitude
Bishop Provost expressed his gratitude for Father Whitney’s many years of ministry helping lead a great number to Christ.
“One area that needs emphasis when reflecting on Father Whitney’s rich life and ministry is his skill in public speaking and presenting the teachings of the Church in an effective manner,” the bishop shared.
“Father Whitney has been and continues to be a good and faithful priest, offering dedicated service, expert counseling, and effective leadership in so many areas that have benefited the faithful of the Diocese of Lake Charles.”
One final thought
When Father Whitney thinks back on this little country boy from Jennings and if you asked him in elementary school, “Do you think you will ever get a Ph.D. in Psychology? Do you think you will ever run a retreat center or the Catholic high school in Lake Charles?” He would have said, “No way, I can barely put together a sentence!”
He declared, “The good work that God has done in and through me and the people I have worked with is amazing, amazing!”
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