Current Ministry Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Sister Joyce was born March 23rd, 1950 in Pittsburgh, PA to Virginia (Kobulinsky) Hylazewski and Barney Hylazewski, she also had one brother. After graduating from St. James Elementary and Sacred Heart High School in 1974 in Pittsburgh, she attended Robert Morris College where she earned a certificate in Secretarial skills in 1970. Sister Joyce earned a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Duquesne University in 1974 then worked in Columbia Hospital Forbes System in Pittsburgh from 1974-75. She continued her work as a medical technologist in Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, D.C. from 1975-1980.
Sister Joyce entered the Congregation on August 23rd, 1980 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She pronounced First Vows June 19th, 1982 in St. Louis and Final Vows April 7th, 1989 at the Sisters Center.
Sister Joyce received her first assignment to Bolivia in 1982. After language school she went to Montero, Bolivia where she worked with Mothers’ Clubs for two years. In 1984 Sister Joyce went to Capinota, a rural town outside of Cochabamba, Bolivia, where she served as a Pastoral Sister in the local parish. In 1996, Sister Joyce moved to Sacaba and entered into a prison ministry in Cochabamba.
In January of 1998, Sister Joyce returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to give Congregational Service as one of the coordinators of Sisters living at the Center.
Later Sister Joyce returned to Bolivia where she became involved again in pastoral work for the archdiocese of Cochabamba as part of the chaplaincy team of the hospital. The chaplain asked for her help in training Bolivian lay people, seminarians and young religious in how to visit the sick. Sister Joyce also belonged to a group called SOLIDARIDAD (Solidarity), a very broad ministry in that it involved facilitating medical attention for handicapped children, young people, the sick, school supply programs, home visiting and hospital visiting.
Presently, Sister Joyce is serving in Family Ministry in Pittsburgh, PA, while keeping in touch with Bolivia as well as with the Sisters Center in NY.