1954-1955 St. Mary of the Assumption (Philadelphia, PA)
1955-1956 Leave of Absence (Villa St. Joseph)
1956 St. Jane Frances de Chantal (Easton, PA)
1956-1960 St. Paul (Reading, PA)
1960-1961 Leave of Absence
1961-1964 St. Joseph's Manor/Chaplain
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Gerald Royer:
Father Gerald Royer was ordained a priest in 1947 and served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to media reports, his name was included on its list of deceased priests with credible sexual abuse allegations. No details of the abuse, including when it is alleged to have occurred and the age/gender of the victim(s) was disclosed. Royer was not discussed in either the 2005 or 2011 grand jury reports. However, his name also appears on the Diocese of Allentown's list of credibly accused priests because several of the parishes where Royer was assigned eventually became part of the Diocese of Allentown when it was erected in 1961.
According to the 2018 Grand Jury Report on the Diocese of Allentown, in 2003, a man reported that he was sexually abused at Ss. Simon and Jude as a 12 year old boy. The man testified before the grand jury, and told them that the Diocese of Allentown told him that Royer underwent counseling for other allegations of misconduct as well.
Given the multiple leaves of absence in Royer's assignment history, it would seem as if the other allegations disclosed by the Diocese of Allentown likely surfaced in 1955 and 1960. We cannot say this for certain without having seen Royer's personnel file, but the red flags are certainly present.
In 2016, Lehigh Valley Live featured the story of one of Royer's victims, an 81 year old survivor who said he was abused as an 11 year old boy in 1947.
Royer died in 2003. According to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia he was removed from the priesthood by the Vatican (laicized) around the time of his death. No explanation was offered as to why it took nearly 40 years.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so please do not delay in reaching out to us.
