Father Boyd Had ‘A Great Love for His People’
Father James A. Boyd, a retired priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, died on Jan. 20 at age 88 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Diego.
Father Boyd was born on June 2, 1936, in New York and was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1963. He served the diocese as a military chaplain of the U.S. Navy (Diocese of San Diego) and parochial vicar for St. Agnes (Carroll Gardens).
Father Boyd was a member of the Priests’ Purgatorial Society. Originally from Brooklyn, Father Boyd was educated at Catholic schools, studied at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, New York, and ordained at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Brooklyn in 1963.
He later attained a master of divinity and a master’s degree in pastoral counseling in 1969. He was an associate pastor before joining the Navy Chaplain Corps in 1970. His naval career spanned more than 25 years.
He then studied theology for a year at the North American College before heading to the San Diego Naval Base Coronado, where he eventually retired in 1996.
Father Boyd spent his retirement in San Diego, helping various parishes and finding opportunities to serve. He began ministries to help countless couples strengthen and even save marriages — so much so that he wanted to be known as the “Divorce Buster.”
Beginning in 2002, Father Boyd also served as the chaplain for the Stella Maris Seafarers Center. He celebrated Mass, heard confessions, built an entertainment center, and threw annual Christmas parties for the arriving sailors for over 20 years.
Father Boyd was active, maintaining a robust workout schedule with long-distance swimming and walking, as well as skiing and kayaking. An avid reader, he was forever seen with a book and enjoyed keeping up with current events.
He was a champion for the unborn and counseled couples in crisis. He was fluent in Spanish and enjoyed ministering to the Latino community.
He was also active as a chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, helped Rachel’s Hope Ministry, participated in the Cursillo movement, and led Quest retreats. Affectionately called the “energizer bunny” by his many friends, he loved his priestly ministries, which he continued until his stroke in March 2024.
Although paralyzed on one side, Father Boyd worked hard on his physical therapy. His friendly smile was his trademark, and he welcomed a vast number of friends who visited him often at Nazareth House.
Father Boyd is survived by his nephew Ron Sarquiz of Montpelier, Vermont; his nephew Richard Sarquiz of North Hollywood, California; his niece Pam Gazani of Pensacola, Florida; and his nephew Robert Boyd of Washington, D.C.
He was predeceased in death by his parents and his siblings Robert, Richard, and Paulina.
Father Boyd’s funeral Mass was celebrated on Jan. 30 at St. Therese of Carmel Church, San Diego. Interment was to follow at Miramar National Cemetery.
Deacon Paul C. Dorsinville, a retired deacon of the Diocese of Brooklyn who ministered at the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cambria Heights, died on Jan. 28. He was born on Aug. 4, 1948, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and was ordained to the diaconate on April 25, 1987.
Deacon Dorsinville was a longtime member of and official in the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate, based in the Diocese of Brooklyn. “Words cannot describe how much we will miss him,” said Msgr. Pierre Andre Pierre, executive director of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate. “Paul Dorsinville was a true servant of the Church and the [Haitian] community.”
A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled to be celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio on Feb. 15 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, with concelebrant Father Jean Delva, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, and homilist Father Hilaire Belizaire. Interment will follow at Saint Charles Cemetery, East Farmingdale, New York.