Fr. Francis L. Demers
Accused along with other priests in a 2022 lawsuit against the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate of sexually abusing a girl and other children who were residents of St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Fall River, MA. The plaintiff, who was placed at the orphanage at age 4 in 1955 and lived there until she was 8, said that the Grey Nuns and Oblate priests from the orphanage would take children to retreat homes in Augusta, Bucksport and Bar Harbor ME to sing and dance in religious performances. She said the abuse took place on those occasions. In 1/2025 a judge dismissed the lawsuit and ruled in favor of the Oblates. Demers died 12/24/2022.
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