St. Michael Church in Providence, Rhode Island has served the South Providence community since 1857. For generations, it stood as one of the most prominent Catholic parishes in New England. But alongside that long history, a deeply troubling fact has emerged: the Diocese of Providence’s own credibly accused clergy list, published alongside the Rhode Island Attorney General’s March 2026 report, identifies Father Oscar Ferland as having committed sexual abuse in the rectory of St. Michael Church in Providence. If you were abused at St. Michael Church, or by a priest connected to it, you are not alone, and what happened to you was not your fault. Rhode Island’s new law now gives you a real opportunity to pursue justice.

Table of Contents

• St. Michael Church, Providence: A Parish With a Troubled History of Clergy Abuse
• What the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report Found About the Diocese of Providence
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for St. Michael Survivors
• Father Oscar Ferland and the Pattern of Abuse at St. Michael Church
• How the Diocese of Providence Handled Abuse Complaints, and Why It Matters for Your Claim
• Taking the Next Step: How Sommers Schwartz Can Help St. Michael Church Survivors
• FAQs About St. Michael Church Providence Sexual Abuse Claims

St. Michael Church, Providence: A Parish With a Troubled History of Clergy Abuse

St. Michael’s history begins on June 21, 1857, when a tiny Baptist church was dedicated as St. Bernard’s Mission Church, which would eventually become St. Michael’s Parish. Over the following century, it grew into something far larger. St. Michael’s was the largest Catholic parish in New England until after World War II, and it was long the center of Irish culture in Rhode Island. Land for a substantial worship space was acquired on Oxford Avenue, construction began in 1891, and when the church was completed in 1915 it became the core of a major complex that soon included a rectory, a convent, an orphanage, a recreation center, and more.

That size and prominence meant that thousands of children passed through St. Michael’s doors over the decades. Parishes of this scale gave clergy extensive, unsupervised access to children, and the Diocese of Providence’s own records confirm that access was exploited. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, released in March 2026, documented how accused priests across the Diocese used rectories, sacristies, and church facilities to abuse children. St. Michael Church in Providence was one of those locations.

According to the Attorney General’s report, Father Oscar Ferland reportedly sexually assaulted a boy from the time he was six years old to when he was 10, in the rectory of St. Michael Church in Providence in 1964. Father Ferland is included on the Diocese of Providence’s Credibly Accused Clergy list. The abuse described, occurring inside the church rectory itself, reflects a pattern the Attorney General’s investigation found across the Diocese: priests using the physical spaces of parish life as sites of abuse, and the institution doing little to stop it.

If you or someone you love experienced abuse at St. Michael Church, or by a priest who served there, speaking with a sexual abuse lawyer who understands Rhode Island’s clergy abuse laws is an important first step. The legal picture has changed significantly in 2026, and survivors now have options they did not have before.

What the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report Found About the Diocese of Providence

The enactment of Rhode Island’s new law came after the release of a report in March 2026 by Attorney General Peter F. Neronha accusing the Catholic Diocese of Providence of a “well-worn pattern” of failing to remove dozens of priests accused of child sexual abuse and keeping the abuse secret over decades. This was not a brief summary. It was a comprehensive, multi-year investigation that produced a 284-page public record of institutional failure.

The report identified approximately 75 clergy members with credible allegations involving more than 300 minor children and described patterns in which accused clergy were re-assigned and allegations were inconsistently reported to authorities. The Diocese of Providence, which was created in 1872 and encompasses hundreds of parishes across Rhode Island, repeatedly returned accused priests to ministry rather than removing them or reporting them to law enforcement.

The investigation found that warning signs were consistent and recognizable. According to the report, in virtually all reported cases, priests capitalized on their access to minors through the Church. They sought frequent and prolonged contact with youth, allowed minors to congregate in or around parish rectories, and demonstrated excessive involvement in children’s lives. Reports of abuse were often preceded by concerns about priests spending large amounts of time with adolescents, having groups of minors in rectories, or hiring children to perform tasks around churches.

The Diocese of Providence is comprised of 178 individual corporations representing the numerous parishes, offices, and agencies within it. That corporate structure is directly relevant to survivors, because Rhode Island’s new 2026 law specifically allows claims against institutions and supervisors, not just individual perpetrators. Parishes like St. Michael Church, and the Diocese that oversaw them, can now be held accountable in civil court.

Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for St. Michael Survivors

Rhode Island’s new law amends the statute of limitations for claims of sexual abuse of a child and creates a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. Governor Dan McKee signed the legislation on June 11, 2026, and the new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

The new law establishes a two-year civil “revival window” that opens from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. During this 24-month period, survivors can file civil suits even if the statute of limitations on their claims had previously expired. For survivors of abuse at St. Michael Church in Providence, this is a critical development. Many of the documented abuses occurred decades ago. Before this law, those claims would have been permanently closed.

The legislation also changes the rules for future claims. Future claims must be filed by whichever date is later: either 35 years from the date of the abusive act, or seven years from when the survivor first discovers or reasonably connects their adult injuries to the childhood abuse. The statute of limitations begins running when the survivor turns 18. This matters because many survivors do not recognize the connection between childhood abuse and adult harm until years later, and the law now accounts for that reality.

The new law specifically targets institutions and organizations such as churches, schools, youth programs, healthcare facilities and sports leagues, as well as supervisors. This is a direct response to the Rhode Island Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling, which had held that an earlier 2019 law only applied to individual perpetrators. The 2026 law, H-7200A/S-2616A, closes that gap. A sexual assault lawyer familiar with this statute can assess whether your claim falls within the revival window and help you act before June 30, 2028.

Father Oscar Ferland and the Pattern of Abuse at St. Michael Church

Father Oscar Ferland is one of the 75 clergy members identified by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office as credibly accused of sexual abuse within the Diocese of Providence. The Attorney General’s report states that Father Ferland reportedly sexually assaulted a boy from the time he was six years old until he was 10, in the rectory of St. Michael Church in Providence in 1964. He is included on the Diocese’s Credibly Accused Clergy list.

The abuse described in Father Ferland’s case follows the pattern the Attorney General’s investigation documented across the Diocese. Children were invited into rectories. Priests used the authority of their position, and the trust of parents, to gain access to children in private settings. The rectory at St. Michael Church was not an anomaly. It was one of many locations across Providence and Rhode Island where this pattern repeated itself.

The report also documented other priests who abused children in similar settings across the Diocese. Father Francis Santilli reportedly sexually abused altar servers in rectories and sacristies in Providence and Woonsocket in the early 1980s. Father Paul Henry Leech repeatedly abused four boys in the rectories of churches in Lincoln and Woonsocket, and in 1985 pled nolo contendere to eight felony counts related to that abuse. These cases, taken together, show that what happened at St. Michael Church was part of a much larger institutional failure.

If you were abused by Father Ferland, or by any other priest or church employee at St. Michael Church, your experience was real, it was criminal, and it was not your fault. The law now gives you a path forward. Connecting with a skilled sexual assault attorney can help you understand exactly where your claim stands under the new law.

How the Diocese of Providence Handled Abuse Complaints, and Why It Matters for Your Claim

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report did not just document individual abusers. It documented how the Diocese of Providence, as an institution, responded when abuse was reported. That institutional response is central to any civil claim a survivor may bring under Rhode Island’s new law.

The Diocese created a Sensitive Issues Committee to manage abuse complaints. That committee included the Diocese’s Chief Finance Officer, its Vicar for Planning and Finance, and a physician who had also been the former director of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The committee’s focus, according to the report, was managing liability and reputation, not protecting children. Accused priests were moved between parishes rather than removed from ministry. Complaints were handled internally rather than reported to law enforcement.

The Attorney General’s report accused the Catholic Diocese of Providence of a “well-worn pattern” of failing to remove dozens of priests accused of child sexual abuse and keeping the abuse secret over decades. That concealment is legally significant. Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200A/S-2616A, specifically creates a cause of action against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The Diocese’s documented pattern of concealment puts it squarely within the scope of the new law.

For survivors of abuse at St. Michael Church, this means the Diocese itself, not just the individual priest who abused you, may be a proper defendant in a civil lawsuit. The two-year revival window, open from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, is the opportunity to bring that claim. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz are ready to help you evaluate your options, with no obligation and no pressure.

Taking the Next Step: How Sommers Schwartz Can Help St. Michael Church Survivors

Coming forward after years, or even decades, of silence takes courage. Many survivors of clergy abuse at St. Michael Church and other Diocese of Providence parishes have carried this weight alone, believing their time to seek justice had passed. Rhode Island’s new law changes that. The revival window is open now, and it will not stay open indefinitely.

Sommers Schwartz represents sexual abuse and sexual assault survivors across Rhode Island and multiple states. The firm’s attorneys understand the unique dynamics of clergy abuse cases, including the power imbalance that made abuse possible, the institutional failures that allowed it to continue, and the trauma that shapes how survivors process and disclose what happened to them. You will never be judged here. You will never be asked why you waited. What happened to you was not your fault, and you deserve to be heard.

The legal team at Sommers Schwartz can review your situation, explain how H-7200A/S-2616A applies to your specific circumstances, and help you understand whether a claim against the Diocese, a parish, or another institution is viable. Consultations are confidential. Rhode Island also allows survivors to file civil lawsuits anonymously, using Jane Doe or John Doe designations, which can help protect your privacy throughout the process.

The window to act is open. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. Do not wait. Contact Sommers Schwartz today to speak with an attorney who will listen, take your experience seriously, and fight for the accountability you deserve.

FAQs About St. Michael Church Providence Sexual Abuse Claims

Was a priest at St. Michael Church in Providence credibly accused of sexual abuse?

Yes. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, released in March 2026, states that Father Oscar Ferland reportedly sexually assaulted a boy from the age of six to ten in the rectory of St. Michael Church in Providence in 1964. Father Ferland is included on the Diocese of Providence’s Credibly Accused Clergy list. He is one of 75 clergy members identified in the report with credible allegations of abuse involving more than 300 children since 1950.

What does Rhode Island’s new 2026 child sexual abuse law mean for survivors of abuse at St. Michael Church?

Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200A/S-2616A, signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, amends the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims and creates a two-year revival window. Survivors whose claims were previously time-barred can now file civil lawsuits against institutions and supervisors, including the Diocese of Providence, through June 30, 2028. If you were abused at St. Michael Church and believed your time to act had passed, this law may reopen that opportunity.

Can I sue the Diocese of Providence, not just the individual priest who abused me?

Yes. Rhode Island’s H-7200A/S-2616A specifically creates a path for survivors to bring civil claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse, not just the individual perpetrator. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report documented a pattern of the Diocese of Providence concealing abuse and reassigning accused priests. That documented institutional conduct is directly relevant to a civil claim against the Diocese itself.

What if I am afraid to come forward publicly? Can I file a lawsuit anonymously?

Rhode Island allows survivors to file civil lawsuits using Jane Doe or John Doe designations, which can protect your identity during the legal process. This is a recognized option in sexual abuse cases and can be an important consideration for survivors who fear public exposure. An attorney at Sommers Schwartz can explain how anonymous filing works in Rhode Island and whether it is appropriate for your situation.

How long do I have to file a claim under the revival window, and what should I do right now?

The revival window opened July 1, 2026, and closes June 30, 2028. All previously time-barred claims must be filed before that date or they may be permanently lost. If you were abused at St. Michael Church in Providence, or by any priest or church employee connected to the Diocese of Providence, the most important thing you can do right now is contact Sommers Schwartz for a confidential consultation. An attorney will review your circumstances, explain how the new law applies to your situation, and help you understand your options before the window closes.

More Resources About Parish & Diocesan Institution Locations

• St. Mary’s Church, Cranston
• Our Lady of Mercy, East Greenwich
• St. Aloysius Home, Smithfield
• Jesus Savior Church, Newport
• St. Matthew Church, Cranston
• St. Mary Church, Bristol
• Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Providence
• St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket
• St. Joseph Church, Woonsocket
• St. Margaret Church, East Providence
• St. Anthony Church, North Providence
• Immaculate Conception Church, Cranston
• St. Jude’s Parish, Lincoln
• Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Programs in Rhode Island