Monsignor Michael W. Dziob served as a priest in the Diocese of Providence for more than five decades. He is identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s credibly accused clergy records, with an assignment history that includes St. Joseph Church in Central Falls, Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and eventually St. Leo the Great Church in Pawtucket, where he retired as Pastor Emeritus in June 1993. If you were abused by Monsignor Dziob, or by any clergy member connected to the Diocese of Providence, you are not alone, and what happened to you was not your fault. Rhode Island’s legal landscape has changed significantly in 2026, and survivors now have real options for holding institutions accountable.

Table of Contents

• Who Was Monsignor Michael W. Dziob and What Is He Accused Of?
• The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report and What It Found About the Diocese
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for Dziob Survivors
• How the Diocese Enabled Abuse Through Institutional Cover-Up
• Your Legal Rights as a Survivor of Monsignor Dziob’s Abuse
• FAQs About Monsignor Michael Dziob and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Was Monsignor Michael W. Dziob and What Is He Accused Of?

Monsignor Michael W. Dziob was born on December 9, 1917, and ordained on May 30, 1942. He died on November 27, 2012. His priestly career spanned more than 50 years across several Rhode Island assignments. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, he is listed among the credibly accused clergy connected to the Diocese of Providence.

His assignment history, as documented in the Attorney General’s records, shows he served at St. Joseph Church in Central Falls from 1942 to 1944, then again from 1944 to 1946 and 1946 to 1947. He then served at St. Hedwig Church in Providence from 1947 to 1948. From 1948 to 1973, he was stationed with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in North Providence. His final long-term assignment was at St. Leo the Great Church in Pawtucket, where he served from 1973 until his retirement in June 1993.

Monsignor Michael Dziob was not included on the Diocese’s own list of the credibly accused, but he does appear in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s broader investigation findings. The Attorney General’s Office applied its own standard for determining credibility. That standard defines a credibly accused person as one against whom “there is a reasonable basis to believe that the alleged conduct more likely than not occurred, as determined by the Attorney General.” The distinction between the Diocese’s list and the Attorney General’s list matters, because the Diocese controlled what it disclosed about its own clergy.

The pattern seen across the Diocese of Providence investigation is relevant here. The Attorney General described failures to report abuse to civil authorities, failures to properly investigate complaints internally, the return of accused priests to ministry, and decisions that protected the reputation of the Church over the safety of children. Survivors who encountered Dziob during his decades of ministry deserve to know that the institutional failures around him were documented at the highest levels of state government.

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report and What It Found About the Diocese

A report published on March 4, 2026, details hundreds of allegations of abuse by Catholic priests following a multi-year Attorney General investigation that reviewed Diocese of Providence internal records relating to clergy abuse dating back to 1950. The findings were sweeping and deeply troubling for survivors across Rhode Island.

The report documented 300 people who reported being abused as a child by Diocese of Providence clergy, 75 credibly accused clergy members employed by the Diocese from 1950 to 2022, and 36 Rhode Island municipalities served by the accused clergy. The average number of years it took for abuse survivors to report their abuse was 26. That 26-year average is not a failure on the part of survivors. It reflects how trauma works, how shame is weaponized, and how institutions use their authority to silence victims.

Monsignor Dziob appears by name in the Attorney General’s credibly accused clergy records alongside dozens of other priests whose abuse touched parishes across the state. The 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. For survivors who were abused at St. Leo the Great in Pawtucket, at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in North Providence, or at any of Dziob’s other assignments, this report confirms what many already knew: they were not imagining things, and they were not alone.

As a sexual assault attorney who works with survivors of clergy abuse across Rhode Island, Sommers Schwartz understands how devastating it is to see your abuser named in a government report while still feeling uncertain about your own legal options. That uncertainty is exactly what this page is designed to address.

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

On June 11, 2026, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed legislation giving survivors of childhood sexual abuse a new opportunity to pursue civil claims that would otherwise be permanently closed. This law, known as H-7200A in the House and S-2616A in the Senate, is one of the most significant legal developments for Rhode Island abuse survivors in a generation.

The 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. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026. This is a critical distinction from prior law. Before this change, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that a 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. H-7200A/S-2616A directly closes that gap.

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 who encountered Monsignor Dziob decades ago and believed their legal options had expired, this window reopens the courthouse door.

Future claims must be filed by whichever date is later: either 35 years from the date of the abusive act (or age 53) or seven years from when the survivor first discovers or reasonably connects their adult injuries to the childhood abuse. The new law specifically targets institutions and organizations such as churches, schools, youth programs, healthcare facilities, and sports leagues, as well as supervisors. For survivors of Diocese of Providence clergy, this means the Diocese itself, as an institution, can now be named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit during the revival window.

How the Diocese Enabled Abuse Through Institutional Cover-Up

The civil claims that matter most in cases like Monsignor Dziob’s are not just about what one man did. They are about what the institution knew, when it knew it, and what it chose to do, or not do, in response. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report makes clear that the Diocese of Providence had a documented pattern of protecting its reputation over protecting children.

Consider what the report found about how the Diocese handled other accused priests during the same era Dziob served. When Father Joseph D’Angelo was accused of abusing altar boys at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Providence, the Diocese did not contact law enforcement. Instead, Bishop Gelineau reassigned him, twice, before finally suspending him in 1983. D’Angelo reportedly abused additional boys at each new assignment. The report notes that a pastor at one parish warned that D’Angelo “should never have been ordained” and “should be restricted or suspended for the good of the Church,” yet the Diocese continued to move him from parish to parish.

This kind of institutional response, reassigning rather than removing, was not an accident. The Attorney General’s report outlined how the Diocese allegedly concealed abuse for decades. The “avoid scandal” mindset shaped decisions at the highest levels of Diocesan leadership, as the report documents through internal letters, memos, and canonical proceedings. Survivors who were abused by Dziob or any other Diocese priest have grounds to argue that the institution’s choices directly enabled and prolonged their harm.

If you were abused at St. Leo the Great in Pawtucket or at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in North Providence during Dziob’s tenure, speaking with a sexual abuse lawyer who understands how institutional liability works in Rhode Island clergy cases is an important first step.

Your Legal Rights as a Survivor of Monsignor Dziob’s Abuse

Rhode Island law gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse meaningful tools to seek civil accountability. The revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A is now open and runs through June 30, 2028. If your claim was previously time-barred, that barrier has been temporarily removed for claims against institutions and supervisors who enabled or covered up abuse.

A civil lawsuit is separate from any criminal process. You do not need a police report, a conviction, or even a prior complaint on file to pursue a civil claim. What matters is whether you were abused, whether the abuse occurred within an institutional setting, and whether the institution had knowledge or responsibility that it failed to act on. The Diocese of Providence’s own internal records, now reviewed by the Attorney General, provide a foundation of documented institutional knowledge that is relevant to these claims.

You also have the right to file anonymously. Rhode Island courts allow survivors to proceed as Jane Doe or John Doe in civil sexual abuse cases, which means your name does not have to appear in public court filings. This protection exists specifically for survivors who fear exposure or retaliation and want to pursue justice without sacrificing their privacy.

Sommers Schwartz represents survivors of clergy sexual abuse across Rhode Island with a trauma-informed approach. Our team knows that coming forward is one of the hardest decisions a survivor can make. We are here to answer your questions, explain your rights, and stand with you every step of the way. Reach out to a sexual assault lawyer at Sommers Schwartz today for a free, confidential consultation. There is no pressure, no judgment, and no obligation.

FAQs About Monsignor Michael Dziob and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Is Monsignor Michael Dziob on the Diocese of Providence’s credibly accused list?

Monsignor Michael W. Dziob appears in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s credibly accused clergy records connected to the Diocese of Providence investigation. He was not placed on the Diocese’s own internal credibly accused list, but the Attorney General applied an independent standard and included him based on the totality of information in the Office’s possession. The distinction matters because the Diocese controlled what it disclosed about its clergy, and the Attorney General’s investigation went further than what the Diocese self-reported.

Can I still file a lawsuit if the abuse by Monsignor Dziob happened decades ago?

Yes, you may still be able to file. 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 for survivors to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. This window runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. If your claim was previously blocked by an expired statute of limitations, this window may restore your right to file against the Diocese of Providence and other institutional defendants.

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

Yes. Rhode Island’s new law specifically targets institutions and supervisors, not only individual perpetrators. The revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A allows survivors to file civil claims against the Diocese of Providence and other institutions accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report documented a pattern of institutional failures within the Diocese, including the reassignment of accused priests and the suppression of complaints. That documented pattern is directly relevant to institutional liability claims.

Do I have to use my real name if I file a lawsuit?

No. Rhode Island courts allow survivors of sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits anonymously, using a pseudonym such as Jane Doe or John Doe. This means your name does not need to appear in public court records. The right to file anonymously is specifically recognized to protect survivors from public exposure and to encourage people to come forward without fear. An attorney can walk you through how this process works and what protections apply in your specific case.

What if I am not sure whether what happened to me counts as sexual abuse?

You do not need to have a legal definition in mind before speaking with an attorney. If a priest, deacon, or other clergy member touched you in a sexual way, exposed himself to you, showed you sexual material, or engaged in any sexual conduct with you as a child, that is abuse. It does not matter if you were told it was normal, if you stayed quiet, or if you were too young to fully understand what was happening at the time. None of that was your fault. A conversation with a trauma-informed attorney at Sommers Schwartz is free, confidential, and carries no obligation. You deserve to understand your rights.

More Resources About Clergy Abuse

• Diocese of Providence Clergy Abuse
• Father John Abruzzese
• Father Raymond Allard
• Father Argencourt
• Father Azzarone
• Father Barnes
• Father Battel
• Father Belhumeur
• Father Bordignon
• Father Dennis Brodeur
• Father Campbell
• Father Carpentier
• Father Cavanaugh
• Father Charland
• Father Corbesero
• Father Crafton
• Father D’Angelo
• Father DeAngelis
• Father Louis Demers
• Father Albert Desrosiers
• Father Paul Desrosiers
• Father Diogo
• Father Dolan
• Father Doran
• Father Dunn
• Father Edes
• Father Feeney
• Father Oscar Ferland
• Father Ferry
• Father Fitzgerald
• Father Flanagan
• Father Gagnon
• Father Gillooly
• Father Gorton
• Father Guertin
• Father Holden
• Father James Jackson
• Father Edward Kelley
• Father Lacasse
• Father LaMountain
• Father Leboeuf
• Father Paul Henry Leech
• Father Lepire
• Father Lonardo
• Father Philip Magaldi
• Father Manu
• Father Normand Marcantonio
• Father Joseph McCra
• Father McIntyre
• Father Meehan
• Father Meglio
• Father Menard
• Father Micarelli
• Father O’Connell
• Father J.F. O’Neil
• Father W. O’Neill
• Father Powers
• Father Rafferty
• Father Raiche
• Father Reynolds
• Father Rocha
• Father Sadowski
• Father Santagata
• Father Francis Santilli
• Father John Scagnelli
• Father Smyth
• Father Tanguay
• Father Tedeschi
• Father Tormey
• Father Tousignant
• Father Turillo
• Father Ventre