Rev. James M. Joyce, 94, of Sioux Falls, died Thursday, March 31, 2016.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 7 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Sioux Falls with Bishop Paul J. Swain as celebrant. Interment will be at St. Bernard Cemetery in Redfield at 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Visitation began at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6 at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls with the family present to greet friends from 5-7 p.m. A liturgical wake service followed the visitation at 7 p.m.
James Michael Joyce was born Sept. 23, 1921, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen. The son of Raymond and Sabina (née Knox) Joyce, he graduated from high school in Sykeston, N.D., and attended Notre Dame junior college in Mitchell, where he earned a teaching certificate. James then spent one year teaching in a country school before enrolling in seminary at St. Bernard’s preparatory seminary in Sioux Falls before attending St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., where he received his priestly formation.
On March 13, 1948, he was ordained to the priesthood by the Most Reverend William O. Brady, Bishop of Sioux Falls, at Holy Family Church in Mitchell. Upon ordination Father Joyce served as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart in Aberdeen and St. Agnes inVermillion. Later, he was assigned as Priest Secretary, serving Bishop Brady and later Bishop Hoch in this same capacity.
Drawing upon his training and professional experience as an educator, Father Joyce was then assigned to serve on the faculty at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City before being appointed superintendent of the newly-constructed Bishop O’Gorman High School.  In 1962, Bishop Hoch charged Father Joyce to begin efforts in Aberdeen to construct the new Roncalli High School while also serving as pastor at All Saints in Mellette.  He went on to serve at St. Agatha in Howard before assignment in 1968 as the pastor at Holy Spirit, Mitchell.
Father Joyce would later serve as pastor at St. Wilfrid, Woonsocket, St. Nicholas, Tea, and Risen Savior, Brandon. In 1984 after the sudden death of Monsignor Delahoyde and while pastor in Tea, Father Joyce was appointed chancellor by Bishop Dudley, an appointment he would hold for three years.  He also served on the Presbyteral Council, the Clergy Education Committee and the Diocesan Building Commission at varying times in his 50 years of assigned ministry. In 1998 and after serving 12 years as pastor in Brandon, Father Joyce retired from active ministry. While in retirement, Father Joyce remained very active with the Marriage Encounter movement.
He is survived by his sisters, Sister Sabina Joyce, PBVM of Aberdeen, and Rose Anne (Edward) Colella of Sioux Falls; and multiple nieces, nephews and their children.
Father Joyce was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and SaBina Joyce; two sisters, Sister Eleanor Joyce and Bernadine Knapp; and four brothers, Dr. John, Thomas, Raymond and Ronald Joyce.
Memorials may be directed to the Joyce Family Endowment Scholarship at Presentation College in Aberdeen.