Father Daniel M. Azzarone Jr. is one of the most extensively documented cases of clergy sexual abuse in Rhode Island history. Ordained in 1978 for the Diocese of Providence, he abused children across multiple parish assignments for more than two decades, and the Diocese received abuse complaints against him as early as 1985. If you were harmed by Father Azzarone, what happened to you was not your fault, and Rhode Island law now gives you a real path to civil justice.

Table of Contents

• Who Father Azzarone Is and What the Record Shows
• How the Diocese of Providence Received Complaints and Kept Azzarone in Ministry
• The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report and What It Confirmed
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A / S-2616A) and What It Means for Survivors
• Civil Claims Against the Diocese of Providence for Enabling Father Azzarone’s Abuse
• How Sommers Schwartz Can Help Survivors of Father Azzarone
• FAQs About Father Azzarone and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Father Azzarone Is and What the Record Shows

Father Daniel Azzarone was ordained on June 16, 1978, and served in several Diocese of Providence parishes, including Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Providence, St. Clement Church in Warwick, and St. Mary’s Parish in Cranston. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report found that Azzarone abused children throughout his priesthood, beginning in 1978, and that the abuse often involved plying children with alcohol, and sometimes marijuana and cocaine. His victims ranged in age from 9 to 16.

Azzarone was convicted in 2005 of raping two boys and is accused of abusing at least eight children in total. He used faith to silence victims, telling one child before taking nude photographs that “it is not a sin” because “God still loves you.” This manipulation was deliberate. He weaponized the spiritual authority that children and families placed in him, turning their faith into a tool of control.

In September 2005, Azzarone pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree sexual assault and was sentenced to three years in prison and seven years of probation, and was ordered to register as a Level III sex offender. He was laicized on June 12, 2009. He appears on the Diocese of Providence’s official list of credibly accused clergy and is named in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s comprehensive 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese.

How the Diocese of Providence Received Complaints and Kept Azzarone in Ministry

The Diocese of Providence knew about abuse complaints against Father Azzarone for years before he was finally arrested. Allegations against Azzarone of child sexual abuse were received by the Diocese as early as 1985, 1992, and 1998 to 1999. Despite this, he remained in active ministry.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, the 1992 complaint accused Azzarone of having sex with a teenage boy, which prompted Bishop Gelineau to refer Azzarone for an evaluation at the National Institute for the Study, Prevention, and Treatment of Sexual Trauma. A separate complaint concerning Azzarone’s alleged abuse of a mentally ill 15-year-old boy first reached the Diocese in 1985, and was raised again with Church officials by the boy’s mother directly in 1999.

Even after an August 1993 meeting where Bishop Gelineau set four conditions for Azzarone to remain in ministry, including requiring his supervisor Father Lonardo to be “very vigilant” and that Azzarone “give up any responsibilities with youth,” the Diocese did not remove him from contact with children. According to the Attorney General’s report, Father Azzarone remained in ministry for several more years, during which time he sexually abused at least two other teenage boys. He was indicted for that abuse in 2002 and pleaded nolo contendere in September 2005 to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, admitting he coerced the teens into having sex with him in the St. Mary’s rectory.

A diocesan compliance director reviewing the case stated that a survivor was too “unstable” to interview because of psychiatric disorders, and that it was “impossible to give any credibility to any statement.” The Attorney General’s report concludes the Diocese’s response was defined by “inaction, concealment and denial,” doing lasting harm to hundreds of survivors.

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report and What It Confirmed

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, released on March 4, 2026, is a landmark document. Attorney General Peter Neronha released the sweeping report detailing decades of child sexual abuse and systemic cover-up within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, identifying 72 clergy members as “credibly accused” of misconduct.

The report is the culmination of a years-long investigation stemming from a 2019 agreement between the state’s top prosecutor and former Bishop Thomas Tobin, which granted state investigators unprecedented access to the church’s “secret archives,” personnel files, and internal records dating back to 1950.

Father Azzarone’s case is specifically detailed in the report. The Attorney General’s investigation confirmed that the Diocese had received multiple prior complaints against him, that it used internal forum doctrine to shield information from civil authorities, and that diocesan leadership prioritized institutional reputation over child safety. The report describes how a diocesan attorney, in an April 1993 memorandum, advised Azzarone to disclose details of his conduct to the Bishop in the “internal forum,” explicitly stating that doing so “would provide some significant measure of protection” and that the attorney did not want to know the details himself. That approach allowed abuse to continue.

For survivors of Father Azzarone, and for survivors of Diocese of Providence clergy abuse broadly, the Attorney General’s report provides documented institutional evidence of the failures that surrounded them. This kind of evidence matters in civil litigation. An experienced sexual assault attorney can help you understand how that record supports your claim.

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

Rhode Island enacted a significant new law on June 11, 2026, when Governor Dan McKee signed legislation H-7200A / S-2616A into effect. The law amends the statute of limitations for claims of sexual abuse of a child and creates a two-year window for survivors to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

This matters enormously for survivors of Father Azzarone and others who were abused within the Diocese of Providence. Under previous Rhode Island law, survivors who waited too long to file a lawsuit, regardless of the reason, lost their right to sue entirely. Many survivors of childhood abuse carry that trauma for decades before they are able to speak about it or take legal action. The law recognizes that reality.

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. This window applies specifically to claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse, which is directly relevant to the Diocese of Providence’s documented handling of Father Azzarone’s case.

In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that a prior 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. The 2026 law directly addresses that gap. 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. If your claim was previously time-barred against the Diocese or another institution, this window may reopen your right to sue. Consulting a sexual assault lawyer in Rhode Island now, rather than waiting, gives you the best chance to act within this limited period.

Civil Claims Against the Diocese of Providence for Enabling Father Azzarone’s Abuse

A criminal conviction against Father Azzarone does not prevent survivors from also pursuing civil claims. Civil cases and criminal cases operate separately. In a civil lawsuit, a survivor seeks financial accountability from the perpetrator, and, critically, from the institutions that enabled or concealed the abuse.

The documented record in Father Azzarone’s case is substantial. The Diocese received complaints in 1985, 1992, and 1999. Internal memoranda show diocesan attorneys and bishops were aware of the risk he posed. His supervisor at St. Mary’s in Cranston was specifically instructed to be “very vigilant,” yet Azzarone continued abusing children. Under Rhode Island civil law, institutions that receive complaints about an employee or agent and fail to act appropriately can face claims of negligent supervision and negligent retention.

Azzarone was named in a 2005 civil lawsuit which settled in August 2008 as part of a $1.326 million settlement by the Providence Diocese. That prior settlement involved specific survivors. If you were harmed by Father Azzarone and were not part of that settlement, or if your claim was previously time-barred against the Diocese, Rhode Island’s new revival window under H-7200A / S-2616A may give you the opportunity to file now. The two-year window runs only through June 30, 2028. Working with a dedicated sexual abuse lawyer who understands Diocese of Providence cases can help you evaluate your specific options before that deadline passes.

How Sommers Schwartz Can Help Survivors of Father Azzarone

Sommers Schwartz represents survivors of sexual abuse and assault across Rhode Island and multiple states. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz understand the courage it takes to come forward, and they approach every case with the seriousness and compassion that survivors deserve. You will never be questioned about why it took you time to speak up. Trauma affects people differently, and delayed disclosure is common and completely understandable.

The firm’s attorneys have the resources and experience to handle cases involving institutional defendants like the Diocese of Providence. They know how to use investigative reports, internal church records, and prior litigation history to build strong civil claims on behalf of survivors. The Attorney General’s 2026 report, the diocesan records it relied upon, and the documented history of complaints against Father Azzarone are all part of the evidentiary record that can support your case.

Rhode Island’s revival window under H-7200A / S-2616A is open now, but it will not stay open forever. The window closes on June 30, 2028, and claims not filed by then may be permanently barred. If you were abused by Father Azzarone, or by any Diocese of Providence clergy member, reaching out to Sommers Schwartz for a confidential, no-cost consultation is the most important first step you can take. You can speak with an attorney privately, at your own pace, and with no obligation. What happened to you was not your fault. You deserve to know your rights.

FAQs About Father Azzarone and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Was Father Azzarone ever criminally convicted?

Yes. Father Daniel Azzarone pleaded nolo contendere, which means no contest, to two counts of first-degree sexual assault in September 2005. He was sentenced to three years in prison and seven years of probation, and was required to register as a Level III sex offender. He was formally laicized, meaning removed from the priesthood, on June 12, 2009. He is listed on the Diocese of Providence’s official list of credibly accused clergy and is named in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese.

Can I still file a civil lawsuit against the Diocese of Providence related to Father Azzarone’s abuse?

Possibly, yes. Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200A / S-2616A, signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, creates a two-year revival window running through June 30, 2028. This window allows survivors to bring civil claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse, even if those claims were previously time-barred. Whether your specific claim qualifies depends on the facts of your situation, which is why speaking with an attorney as soon as possible is important.

What if I was already part of a prior Diocese of Providence settlement?

If you participated in a prior settlement, such as the 2008 settlement in which Azzarone was named, you may have released certain claims as part of that agreement. However, if you were harmed by Father Azzarone and were not part of any prior settlement, or if you have claims that were not included in a prior agreement, you may have new options under Rhode Island’s 2026 revival window law. An attorney can review the specific terms of any prior resolution and advise you on what rights you may still have.

Does it matter that the abuse happened decades ago?

No, not under Rhode Island’s new law. The revival window created by H-7200A / S-2616A specifically exists to help survivors whose claims would otherwise be time-barred because of how long ago the abuse occurred. Rhode Island lawmakers and Governor McKee recognized that trauma frequently delays disclosure, and that survivors should not be permanently denied access to civil justice simply because they needed time to come forward. The window is open now through June 30, 2028, regardless of when the abuse took place.

Will my identity be kept private if I file a lawsuit?

Rhode Island courts allow survivors of sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits anonymously, using pseudonyms such as Jane Doe or John Doe, in order to protect their privacy. This means you can pursue a civil claim without your name becoming part of the public court record. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz can explain how anonymous filing works in Rhode Island and help you decide whether that approach is right for your situation. Your privacy and comfort throughout this process are a priority.

More Resources About Clergy Abuse

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