Father James Michael Byer

March 9, 1952 — February 3, 2026

HIGH POINT — The Rev. James Michael Byer, a much-loved priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, brother and uncle, passed away peacefully on Feb. 3, 2026, at Pennybyrn in High Point. He was 73.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Pennybyrn Chapel, located at 109 Penny Road in High Point. Interment will take place at a later date at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Father Byer was born March 9, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Michael and Agnes (Jelinek) Byer. He knew he wanted to be a priest since he was in grade school, where he served often at Mass and was inspired by his pastor.

After graduating from St. Stanislaus School in Cleveland, he entered the seminary for the Diocese of Cleveland, first at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and then at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmittsburg, where he earned a degree in Theology.

It was at Mount St. Mary’s that he learned of a need for priests for the then-mission Diocese of Charlotte through a friend. He decided to move to the South, and on Feb. 21, 1981, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael J. Begley, the diocese’s first bishop, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

During nearly five decades of priestly ministry in the Charlotte diocese, Father Byer served at 10 parishes, including St. Gabriel and St. Ann in Charlotte, Holy Spirit in Denver, Holy Trinity in Taylorsville, Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro, Sacred Heart in Brevard, St. Leo the Great in Winston-Salem, St. Margaret of Scotland in Maggie Valley, and St. Philip the Apostle in Statesville. After participating in Spanish study programs in Mexico and Miami to better minister to the diocese’s growing number of Hispanic Catholics, in 1994 Father Byer was appointed spiritual director of the Hispanic Community of Charlotte (now Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish).

While he was serving at St. Ann Parish in Charlotte, Father Byer was given the additional assignment of living with the then-retired Bishop Begley, who lived very close by the church. Father Byer later said that he thought it a blessing to live with the bishop who had ordained him and travel across the diocese with him as his master of ceremonies for confirmation Masses.

Father Byer also served as an assistant for the Diocese of Charlotte Tribunal, and as state chaplain for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

After retirement, he spent time with his extended family in Ohio, where he enjoyed family get-togethers and good food. They will always remember “Uncle Jim” – “UJ” for short – as a fun-loving and kind man who absolutely loved being a priest. He enjoyed being able to offer the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and penance, and he put a lot of effort and care into delivering relatable and insightful sermons.

Father Byer was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his sister, Janis LaPorta and her husband Michael; and two nieces, Stacy Kacirek, and Michele Kothe, her husband Neal and their children Gwendolyn and Grady.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: AuthoraCare Collective Hospice & Palliative Care, online at www.authoracare.org/give, 800-588-8879, or by mail to 2504 Summit Ave., Greensboro, N.C. 27405.

The family is under the care of Sechrest-Davis Funerals & Cremations of High Point. Online condolences may be shared at www.SechrestDavisPhillipsAvenue.com – select obituaries.