Father Roland Lepire was a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Providence who sexually abused at least six boys, ranging in age from 8 to 14, across multiple Rhode Island parishes between 1975 and 1980. His case is one of the most thoroughly documented examples of clergy sexual abuse and institutional cover-up in Rhode Island history. If you or someone you love was abused by Father Lepire, you are not alone, and what happened to you was not your fault. Rhode Island law now gives survivors a real path to civil justice, and the attorneys at Sommers Schwartz are ready to help you take it.

Table of Contents

• Who Was Father Roland Lepire and What Did He Do?
• How the Diocese of Providence Enabled Father Lepire’s Abuse
• Father Lepire on the Diocese of Providence’s Credibly Accused Clergy List
• Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for Lepire Survivors
• Civil Lawsuits Against Father Lepire and the Diocese of Providence
• FAQs About Father Lepire and Rhode Island Clergy Sexual Abuse Claims

Who Was Father Roland Lepire and What Did He Do?

Father Roland Lepire was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Providence on August 23, 1975. He was a priest of the Diocese of Providence who served at several Rhode Island parishes before being placed on administrative leave in 1996. His abuse did not happen at one location. It followed him from assignment to assignment, across cities and congregations, for years.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, Father Roland Lepire is accused of sexually abusing at least six boys between the ages of 8 and 14 years old from 1975 to 1980, at parish assignments in Woonsocket, Cranston, and Central Falls. The abuse was not incidental. It was a deliberate pattern, built on access and manipulation.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, Lepire reportedly abused most of his victims by wrestling and tickling them until he was able to touch their genitals. He used physical play as a cover, gaining boys’ trust before crossing into abuse. This tactic allowed him to operate in plain sight, in rectories and parish settings, for years.

Lepire’s assignment history confirms the breadth of his access to children. He served at St. Aloysius Church in Woonsocket from 1975 to 1979, then at St. Mary Church in Cranston in 1979, followed by St. Matthew Church in Central Falls from 1980 to 1986, and later at St. Leo the Great Church in Pawtucket and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Coventry. Each transfer brought him into contact with new children and unsuspecting families. The Diocese’s own records show that Bishop Gelineau was informed of abuse complaints as early as 1979, yet Lepire remained in ministry until 1996.

Lepire was ultimately dismissed from the priesthood in 2004, and died on Feb. 26, 2025, at the age of 76. His death does not end the legal options for survivors. Claims against the institutions that enabled his abuse can still be pursued.

How the Diocese of Providence Enabled Father Lepire’s Abuse

The Diocese of Providence did not simply fail to stop Father Lepire. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, diocesan leadership actively transferred him after receiving abuse complaints, placing him in new parishes where he abused additional children. This is institutional failure at its most direct.

According to the Report, diocesan officials were made aware of allegations involving Father Roland M. Lepire years before he was removed from ministry. In 1979, the mother of an 8-year-old boy reported allegations to the Woonsocket Police Department. The mother recalled being told by a detective that Bishop Louis Gelineau had offered to remove Lepire from the parish and send him to counseling if she refrained from pursuing criminal charges. Lepire was subsequently transferred to another parish.

That transfer sent Lepire to St. Mary Church in Cranston, where he abused several more boys. According to his own 1996 treatment evaluation, Lepire admitted that within eight months of his new assignment he had touched four 12-year-old boys over the course of a single month. He then approached Bishop Gelineau himself and admitted the wrongdoing. The Bishop’s response was to remove him from the parish temporarily and assign him as a chaplain, before returning him to full parish ministry at St. Matthew Church in Central Falls. There, he reportedly abused two more boys.

Lepire is among the 72 “credibly accused” priests named in Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s sweeping report on clergy sex abuse. The report conclusively found that the diocese “systematically concealed abusive clergy from the public and law enforcement, transferred known abusers to new assignments without disclosing their histories and failed to report the abuse to civil authorities.”

Diocesan records show that when a 2003 lawsuit was filed against Lepire, the Diocese’s own attorney reportedly stated that no further investigation was needed because the priest had already been removed from ministry. That response reflects an institution more focused on managing liability than on identifying victims or reporting abuse to law enforcement. Lepire was never criminally prosecuted. The Diocese did not initiate canonical proceedings to remove him from the priesthood until a victim insisted on it in 2002, and the Vatican did not officially defrock him until 2004.

Father Lepire on the Diocese of Providence’s Credibly Accused Clergy List

Father Lepire is formally named on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, which the Diocese first published in 2019. Being placed on this list means the Diocese itself determined that the allegations against him met the threshold for credibility under its own review process.

In July 2019, the Diocese of Providence publicly named Lepire on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy. He was removed from ministry in February 1996 and was laicized in 2004. The Diocese’s own records, produced during the Rhode Island Attorney General’s investigation, confirm that complaints against Lepire dated back to 1979, more than 17 years before he was finally placed on administrative leave.

The Attorney General’s 2026 Report also noted that Lepire’s seminary evaluations described his most successful activity as “working with young people,” and that he had shown particular initiative in “attracting and acquiring the trust and love of young people.” Rather than treating this as a warning sign, the Diocese apparently viewed it as a strength. That failure of institutional judgment, repeated across multiple assignments, allowed Lepire to continue abusing children for years.

The Credibly Accused List is not a court verdict, and it does not resolve civil liability. It is, however, a formal acknowledgment by the institution itself that the allegations carry weight. For survivors considering a civil claim, the existence of this list, combined with the Attorney General’s detailed findings, provides important corroborating context. A sexual abuse lawyer reviewing a claim related to Father Lepire can use the Diocese’s own records and admissions as part of building a civil case against the institution.

Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for Lepire Survivors

Rhode Island’s new child sexual abuse law, H-7200a/S-2616a, was signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and took effect on July 1, 2026. This law directly changes the legal options available to survivors of Father Lepire and others abused within the Diocese of Providence.

Governor Dan McKee signed legislation amending the statute of limitations for child victim claims of sexual abuse and creating a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. This is the most significant change: the law targets institutions, not just individual abusers.

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. Father Lepire died in February 2025, but his death does not eliminate claims against the Diocese of Providence or other supervisory entities that transferred him, concealed complaints against him, and returned him to ministry despite knowing about his abuse.

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. For those whose claims previously expired, the revival window is the critical opportunity. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred.

The law is already being used. More than 30 lawsuits were filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and churches across Rhode Island on the first day a new law reopened expired childhood sexual abuse claims. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and churches across Rhode Island are facing 33 state lawsuits and at least one federal complaint alleging decades of sexual abuse committed by clergy and other officials. That’s just the number of cases filed on the first day victims could file complaints under the two-year revival window. Several of those lawsuits name Father Lepire specifically.

If you were abused by Father Lepire and believe your claim may have expired under the old law, speaking with a sexual assault lawyer who understands Rhode Island’s new revival window is the right first step. Time matters, and this window will close.

Civil Lawsuits Against Father Lepire and the Diocese of Providence

Civil litigation against Father Lepire and the Diocese of Providence has a documented history going back to 1996, and new lawsuits are being filed right now under Rhode Island’s revival window. Understanding this history helps survivors see that they are not alone and that the legal system has recognized these claims before.

In September 2002, claims against Lepire were settled as part of a $13.5 million mass settlement involving 36 victims of priest abuse in the Diocese of Providence. In August 2008, a second lawsuit filed in 2003 alleging abuse in the early 1980s by priests including Lepire was settled as part of a $1.326 million Diocese settlement. These prior settlements confirm that the Diocese has already been held civilly accountable, in part, for Lepire’s conduct.

In July 2026, a federal complaint was filed against the Diocese of Providence and St. Matthew Church in Central Falls alleging that Lepire sexually abused a boy when he was 10 or 11 years old in 1980 or 1981. A separate lawsuit filed the same day alleged Lepire abused a 15-year-old in his office in 1983.

The plaintiff in the first federal complaint, a Rhode Island native and longtime Georgia resident, identified as “J. Doe,” claims that he was groomed and enticed with gifts, including candy and home-cooked meals by St. Matthew’s of Central Falls priest Rev. Roland Lepire and then “repeatedly sexually violated, including in the church rectory and in the home of the priest’s mother.”

These lawsuits name the Diocese of Providence as a defendant, not just Lepire himself. The legal theory is institutional negligence: that the Diocese knew about Lepire’s abuse, transferred him rather than removing him, and concealed the truth from parishioners and law enforcement. This is exactly the type of claim the new revival window law was designed to address. A sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz can evaluate whether your experience gives rise to a claim against the Diocese, a specific parish, or both.

FAQs About Father Lepire and Rhode Island Clergy Sexual Abuse Claims

Can I still file a claim against the Diocese of Providence for Father Lepire’s abuse if it happened decades ago?

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 for survivors to bring otherwise time-barred civil claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. This window runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. Even if your claim had previously expired under the old statute of limitations, you may be able to file now against the Diocese of Providence and other institutional defendants. Contact Sommers Schwartz to find out whether your specific situation qualifies.

Father Lepire died in February 2025. Does that mean I can no longer sue?

Father Lepire’s death does not end your legal options. Civil claims related to his abuse can still be brought against the institutions that supervised him, including the Diocese of Providence and individual parishes where the abuse occurred. The new Rhode Island revival window law specifically targets institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse, which is exactly what the Attorney General’s 2026 Report documented in Lepire’s case. An attorney can advise you on which defendants are appropriate for your specific claim.

What parishes did Father Lepire serve at, and does it matter where the abuse happened?

Father Lepire served at St. Aloysius Church in Woonsocket, St. Mary Church in Cranston, St. Matthew Church in Central Falls, St. Leo the Great Church in Pawtucket, and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Coventry, among other assignments. Where the abuse happened can be relevant to which defendants are named in a civil lawsuit, since both the Diocese and individual parishes may carry institutional liability. Your attorney will assess the specific facts of your case to determine the strongest path forward.

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

You do not need to be certain before reaching out to an attorney. Many survivors carry questions about what happened to them, especially when the abuse was framed by a trusted authority figure as normal or acceptable. Father Lepire, like many clergy abusers, used physical play and grooming to disguise what he was doing. If a priest or other adult in a position of authority touched you in a sexual way, used you for sexual gratification, or made you participate in sexual activity as a child, that is abuse, and it was not your fault. A compassionate attorney at Sommers Schwartz can listen to your experience and help you understand your options without pressure.

Can I file a lawsuit anonymously as a survivor of Father Lepire’s abuse?

Rhode Island courts do allow survivors of sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits as “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” plaintiffs in many circumstances, which protects your identity from public disclosure. Several of the lawsuits already filed against the Diocese of Providence under the 2026 revival window have been filed using John Doe designations. Whether anonymous filing is appropriate in your specific case depends on the facts and the court’s rules. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz can explain how this process works and help you pursue justice in a way that feels safe and manageable for you.

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 Dziob
• 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 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