Profile Facts
- Name
- Francis Gerald Boyer
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
- Ordained
- 1952
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 7/18/1973
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
In September 2003, a man reported that Father Francis Gerald Boyer had raped him in 1961, when he was a 12-year-old altar boy who stayed after weekday Mass. Ordained in 1952 for the Diocese of Lansing, Boyer died in 1973. The account is documented in the Michigan Attorney General’s December 2024 Diocese of Lansing report, which the clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC summarize here.
The boy told his parents, who asked him to keep the matter quiet, a response that buried the abuse for more than four decades. Survivors who were silenced as children should know the law still may hear them as adults.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Lansing
Lansing is one of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, together with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Marquette, and Saginaw. The Attorney General’s Lansing report, issued in December 2024, includes Boyer’s case. White Law PLLC represents survivors statewide as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer.
Altar servers were among the most accessible targets for abusive priests, placed in close, trusted contact. Our attorneys understand these patterns and know how to present them in court.
The Allegations Against Father Francis Gerald Boyer
Where He Served
Boyer was ordained in 1952 and served in the Diocese of Lansing. The 1974 Official Catholic Directory listed him as retired at his death on July 18, 1973, at age 57; his obituary said he died “after a long illness.”
What Survivors Reported
Per published records, a man accused Boyer in September 2003 of raping him in 1961 at age 12, when he was an altar boy helping at weekday Mass. Boyer allegedly asked the boy to stay to talk, then raped him. The boy told his parents, who asked him to keep the matter quiet. He was included in the Michigan Attorney General’s December 2024 Lansing diocese report. Because Boyer died in 1973, criminal charges cannot be filed, but the Attorney General’s documentation preserves the allegation for civil claims against the diocese.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal Cases
Only prosecutors can file criminal charges, which seek imprisonment. Father Boyer died in 1973, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him.
Civil Lawsuits
Survivors file civil lawsuits to obtain compensation for their injuries. A civil case against the Diocese of Lansing does not require the abuser to be alive and can rely on the Attorney General’s report as corroboration.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally allows civil sexual abuse claims within ten years or until the victim turns 28, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct has no statute of limitations in Michigan.
A child told to keep quiet in 1961 could not have been expected to sue as a minor. The law’s extended deadlines reflect that reality, an attorney can determine whether your claim is still timely.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
A diocese that placed a priest in unsupervised contact with altar servers may be liable when that access led to abuse. Survivors can seek damages for therapy and medical expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195. Consultations are free and confidential, and we collect no fee unless we win compensation for you.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.