Our Pastor

Pope John welcomes our new pastor Rev. Zachary Miller.

Fr. Zachary Miller was born in Kingston, PA and is a native of Vestal, NY. Upon graduating from Vestal High School in 2003 he entered into military service, serving the New York Army National Guard. It was in the military that he rediscovered his faith life and learned how to trust God daily. Fr. Zach, as he likes to be called, holds an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Broome Community College and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Religious Studies from Buffalo State. In 2015 he graduated from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland with a Masters in Divinity. He was ordained for the Diocese of Syracuse on June 6, 2015.

Fr. Zach has three living siblings with a sister who died in 1990, his mother Annette lives in Vestal and his father died in 1995 from cancer. Over the years he has been an active part of many parishes and community organizations. In 2015 Fr. Zach became the Parochial Vicar at Immaculate Conception Church in Fayetteville where he was active in the daily parish life and the school community.  In Fayetteville, he was also an active member of the Fayetteville Fire Department. In August 2018 he was asked to take over Pastoral responsibilities of Christ the King Parish in Liverpool with the understanding that he would be guiding the Parishes of Christ the King and Pope John’s in a linkage process.

In his free time Fr. Zach finds himself keeping a balance between an active life through health and fitness. He is a member of Aspen Fitness and often you can find him there in the early morning or afternoon. He loves to cook and spends time researching new recipes. Often during the summer afternoons you may find Father fishing or hiking along the wonderful waterways we have in Upstate NY. Fr. Zach knows the question that everyone is going to ask, “Does he golf”. The honest answer is kind-of, he owns golf clubs but really golf is not the best sport he has played. He is much better at boxing.

Fr. Zach is also a committee member of the Dioceses vocations promotion committee, active with social media, a current part time police Chaplain with different police departments, assists the Police Chiefs Association of Central NY, and is a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Fr. Zach is committed to living out the Gospel Message through Joy with the help from the Grace of God. We live out the Gospel message by helping others and seeing ourselves united through Christ, if we see ourselves as a child of God then everyone we meet is a child of God.  Our joy and happiness can help others to gain a deeper understanding of God. As a priest he finds great joy in the parish life and ministering to the people of God. Fr. Zach prays that we the people of Christ the King and Pope John’s can become a family that is rooted in Christ.