ORLANDO, Fla. – During their June Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on a cause of beatification and canonization for the Servant of God John Rick Miller, a family man, businessman, and international missionary. He dedicated his missionary efforts to promoting the consecration and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops‘ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami facilitated the bishops’ discussion. By a voice vote, the bishops expressed their support for advancing the cause of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.

The following biography of Mr. Miller was drawn from information provided by the Archdiocese of Miami:

Early life and return to the faith

John Rick Miller was born on July 10, 1948, in New York. His family was of French-Canadian descent, and among his ancestors were St. Margaret D’Youville and St. André Bessette. It is said that he developed a deep sense of God and the Catholic faith at an early age, largely due to the influence of his paternal grandparents.

Miller studied at the Catholic Institute of Mount of the Assumption and graduated from Peru Senior High School in Peru, New York. He entered Paul Smith College in Hudson Falls to study restaurant and hotel management and worked in business, quickly rising through the ranks at several prominent corporations.

In 1984, he married Noella Bidoor Samson in Bahrain, and on July 2, 1986, they welcomed their twin children, Alexandra and Jonathan.

Although he had drifted away from the Catholic faith since his college years, in 1988, he experienced a personal encounter with God after a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine, which led him back to the faith and sparked his passion for bringing God’s love to the world. In 1989, Mr. Miller established numerous prayer cenacles across different countries. He served as a catechist in Cairo, Egypt, from 1993 to 1997. In 1998, while in London, he co-founded the “Apostolate of St. Joseph,” an international Catholic organization dedicated to strengthening the family under the patronage of St. Joseph and St. Monica. In 2001, he established the “Confraternity of Our Lady” at the historic Willesden National Marian Shrine, with members praying for the protection and conversion of London.

Global missionary work and later years

In 2007, Miller broadened his evangelization efforts to India, where he, in collaboration with the Pallottine Order, developed plans to build Catholic shrines honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also traveled to Colombia, where, after prayerful reflection, he felt moved to lead efforts to consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On October 12, 2008, the country renewed its consecration to the Sacred Heart, and for the first time, the Church consecrated the country to Mary. This revival of faith inspired many of his followers to establish prayer cenacles and promote perpetual adoration. Word spread quickly, and in the months and years that followed, he was invited to Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama.

In 2009, he established the “Mission for the Love of God Worldwide,” a lay Catholic group dedicated to rekindling awareness of God’s presence through consecration, personal conversion, and prayer. Over time, the ministry expanded to 21 locations globally, with a strong presence in Central and South America. Inspired by his invitation, multiple countries also conducted consecrations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 2011, the Catholic Conference of Bishops of Ecuador officially recognized the mission as a private association of the faithful.

Miller received many honors from leaders of the Church in Colombia and Mexico for his work and dedication to the conversion of souls. He died on May 30, 2015, from esophageal cancer. His remains rest beneath the esplanade outside the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doral, Florida, which has become a pilgrimage destination for the faithful.

More biographical information can be found at: www.porelamordediosentodoelmundo.org/en