Fr. Richard Miles emphasized grace of confession

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

No one ever had to search very hard for Father Richard Miles, the former pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Church in Kenner, who died June 15 at the age of 80 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after having served for 39 years as a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

More than likely, said lead usher John Schmidt, Father Miles could be found inside the confessional at the foot of the church’s main aisle.

“He was just a great confessor,” Schmidt said before Father Miles’ June 23 Funeral Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond. “Father Miles was always available to speak to the truth, but also to console. If Mass was getting ready to begin, he would just tell anyone in line for confession that he would return when Mass ended. That was basically how he ran the parish.”

Spiritual priorities

Father Charles Dussouy, who succeeded Father Miles after his retirement to Michigan in 2021, said his mentor was tirelessly devoted to his parishioners’ spiritual welfare.

“He always had time for everyone, whether it was a poor person knocking on his door at 3 o’clock in the morning or any time someone got sick – he was at the hospital,” Father Dussouy said in his homily. “If someone died, he was at the funeral home. He was an incredible priest, an incredible pastor and an incredible man who strove to live a holy life.”

A native of Wyandotte, Michigan, Father Miles served as a Lutheran pastor in Winamac, Indiana, and Bogalusa, Louisiana, before being called to the Roman Catholic priesthood.

After studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1984, by Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

He established the perpetual adoration chapel at OLPH and heard confessions daily.

“Of all the things he truly held dear to himself – that transformed him – it was the sacrament of confession,” Father Dussouy said. “You knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was usually sitting in that confessional waiting for anybody and everybody to come so that he could absolve them of their sins – and sometimes, just to talk.”

Native of Michigan

Father Miles was born on May 13, 1943, and attended elementary school in Pomona, California. He attended Lutheran West High School in Detroit.

Father Miles earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit and a master’s in divinity from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

After serving as a Lutheran pastor and with the guidance and help of Archbishop Phillip Hannan, he entered the Pontifical North American College in Rome to study for the Roman Catholic priesthood.

The fact that Pope John Paul II ordained Father Miles to the priesthood in 1984 was not lost on Archbishop Aymond.

“We remember today that Father Miles was ordained by a man who later became a saint of the church,” Archbishop Aymond said.”We remember that when Father Miles came here 30 years ago, it was the parish community who asked him, ‘Why don’t we begin some kind of spiritual renewal of the parish?’ And, he accomplished that.”

When he was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Father Miles’ major goal was the “spiritual renewal of the parish.” He opened the perpetual adoration chapel at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1994, which he called the “spiritual powerhouse of the parish.”

He taught himself Latin and started offering the Latin Mass with the permission of the archbishop. Father Miles promoted many devotions to enrich the spiritual lives of his parishioners, including devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Face, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Joseph, St. Rosalie and St. Philomena.

He enthroned the Our Lady of Perpetual Help rectory, church and school to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and encouraged families to do the same in their homes.

Only pastorate was OLPH

Father Miles previously served as associate pastor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church in New Orleans and St. Catherine of Siena Church in Metairie. He was parochial vicar at St. Philip Neri Church in Metairie. His first and only pastorate was at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church until his retirement in 2021.

Father Miles was preceded in death by his father, Corbin Isaac Miles Sr., and his mother, Palma Chirillo Miles; two brothers, Corbin Miles Jr. and Donald Miles. He is survived by a sister, Jenny Miles Botz (Larry) and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

He was buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

“He was an incredible spiritual leader who just kept everybody grounded in faith by his own witness,” Schmidt said.

Donations to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1908 Short St., Kenner, LA 70062 in Father Miles’ name or Masses are preferred.

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