Sister Melissa Joyce, CSJ, 84, died September 4, 2026, in the 66th year of her religious life. She entered the Congregation from Holy Rosary Parish in Pittsburgh.
Sister Melissa’s vocation was formed during high school when she taught Sunday school alongside the Sisters.
Those early experiences of nurturing faith and supporting young people became the foundation for 23 years as a teacher in schools that included St. Charles in Donora (1964-67) and Assumption (1967-79), St. Bernard (1979-81), and St. Raphael (1981-83) in Pittsburgh. At Assumption, her dedication was recognized with Teacher of the Year honors.
Called to serve those in need, Sister Melissa began volunteering at Mercy Hospital in 1989, as she shifted her ministry of presence from the classroom to health care. She started working at Mercy Health Center shortly after and once wrote with excitement that her heart “missed and skipped many beats” on the day she was hired.
She found purpose in offering a listening ear, accompanying those who were lonely, and extending kindness through simple acts, such as arranging wheelchair transport, calling a cab, or sharing coloring pages with children.
At Mercy, she served in admission, registration, billing, and patient information roles for more than 20 years, also receiving technical training to process paperwork for physicians providing trauma, surgical, and burn care. Sister Melissa gently responded to the needs of those around her and was grateful for every opportunity to be “learning, reflecting and doing.”
She later continued her ministry at Villa St. Joseph, where she volunteered in the human resources department and brought comfort and spiritual companionship to residents and families.
“With the Lord, all things are possible,” is a phrase that she said sustained her. “He is the light in our darkness. He is the shepherd when we are lost. He is the strength in our weakness.”
Predeceased by her father, Robert; step-mother, Marie; and sister, Madeline, Sister Melissa is survived by three sisters, Margaret, Eileen, and Alice; three brothers, Robert, Thomas, and James; nieces and nephews; grand-nieces and grand-nephews; Associates; and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden.
Services for Sister Melissa
Friends will be received Tuesday, September 8 from 1 p.m. to the close of the Prayer Vigil, which begins at 6 p.m., and Wednesday, September 9, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Medaille Hall at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Wednesday, September 9, at 4 p.m. in the Motherhouse Chapel.