Father Robert J. McIntyre is one of the most documented cases of clergy sexual abuse within the Diocese of Providence. He is credibly accused of abusing 11 children, primarily during his 23-year assignment at St. Aloysius Home, a diocesan-run orphanage in Smithfield. For survivors who were harmed by Father McIntyre, or by others who enabled and concealed that abuse, Rhode Island’s legal landscape has changed in ways that matter. A sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz can help you understand your rights and whether you have a path forward under the law. What happened to you was not your fault, and you deserve answers.

Table of Contents

• Who Is Father Robert McIntyre and What Did the Diocese Know?
• What Happened at St. Aloysius Home in Smithfield
• The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report and Father McIntyre’s Listing
• Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for Survivors
• Your Legal Rights as a Survivor: Filing a Claim Against the Diocese and Its Institutions
• FAQs About Father McIntyre and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Is Father Robert McIntyre and What Did the Diocese Know?

Father Robert J. McIntyre was ordained on June 30, 1963, and spent the bulk of his priestly career at a single institution. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s credibly accused clergy list, his assignment history ran from St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church in Pawtucket (1963–1967), to a brief posting at the Christian Brother Novitiate in Narragansett in 1967, to St. Brendan Church in East Providence (1967–1971), and then to St. Aloysius Home in Smithfield, where he remained from 1971 until his suspension and retirement in March 1994. He died on June 23, 2020.

Father McIntyre is credibly accused of abusing 11 children, primarily during his 23-year assignment at St. Aloysius Home, a diocesan-run orphanage in Smithfield. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s March 2026 report on the Diocese of Providence makes clear that McIntyre was not simply a priest who happened to be present during abuse. He held a position of institutional authority at St. Aloysius, serving as its director.

The Attorney General’s report reveals that McIntyre was actually placed on the Diocese’s “Sensitive Issues Committee,” a body formed to manage abuse-related concerns, even while he was still serving as director of St. Aloysius. This is a striking detail. The very institution responsible for addressing abuse complaints had included a man who was himself later identified as a perpetrator. According to one victim, McIntyre threatened him, saying, “If you don’t cooperate here, you’re not going to go home to your mother. We’ll find you a new family.” For more than 70 years, the Diocese of Providence systematically concealed child sexual abuse, prioritizing institutional reputation over child safety, according to the report.

The Diocese received a dozen complaints specifically identifying McIntyre as a perpetrator of child sexual abuse at St. Aloysius. Despite this, he was not named on the Diocese’s Credibly Accused Clergy List until 2019, decades after the first complaints surfaced.

What Happened at St. Aloysius Home in Smithfield

St. Aloysius Home was a diocesan-affiliated orphanage in Smithfield, Rhode Island. For many children placed there, it was supposed to be a place of safety and care. Instead, it became the site of documented abuse by multiple adults in positions of authority, including Father McIntyre.

The timeline at St. Aloysius tells a troubling story of institutional failure. In 1992, the year the Diocese formed its Sensitive Issues Committee, 16 boys alleged they had been sexually abused at St. Aloysius. The following year, 1993, several former workers were criminally charged with molesting boys there. The State subsequently removed children from the orphanage and terminated its placement contract. The orphanage closed in 1994 after multiple complaints of sexual abuse of children.

In 1992 and 1993, at least two civil lawsuits were filed naming McIntyre as responsible for covering up abuse at St. Aloysius Home and conspiring to prevent proper reporting procedures. A civil trial was held in Providence Superior Court in July 1999 in which a former St. Aloysius resident sued McIntyre, the Diocese, and the State for alleged sexual abuse. A jury found no liability at that time, but the complaints kept coming.

Following the closure of St. Aloysius Home, McIntyre went on to work in human services positions in Massachusetts, including as Director of Residential Services overseeing 10 sites for at-risk children and youth, positions the Diocese allegedly did not alert his employers about despite the known abuse allegations against him. This pattern, where accused clergy or institutional leaders moved on to new positions involving children without disclosure, is one the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report documents across multiple cases within the Diocese.

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report and Father McIntyre’s Listing

Attorney General Peter Neronha released a sweeping report detailing decades of child sexual abuse and systemic coverup within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, identifying 72 clergy members as “credibly accused” of misconduct. The report is the culmination of a yearslong 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.

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. The report identified 75 clergy members who sexually abused more than 300 children since 1950.

Father McIntyre appears in Appendix A of the report, page 231, as one of those 75 credibly accused clergy. The report confirms that the Diocese received a dozen complaints identifying McIntyre as a perpetrator after St. Aloysius closed, and that the Diocese added him to its own Credibly Accused List in 2019. The Attorney General’s findings go further than the Diocese’s own disclosures, documenting the full scope of what was known and when.

For survivors who were abused at St. Aloysius or at any other institution where Diocese leadership failed to act, the report’s findings are directly relevant to civil claims. The Attorney General’s documentation of what the Diocese knew, and when it knew it, forms part of the evidentiary record that attorneys can use to pursue accountability. If you were harmed and want to understand what the report means for your situation, a sexual abuse lawyer at Sommers Schwartz can walk you through the details in a confidential conversation.

Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for Survivors

Rhode Island made a historic change to its laws in June 2026. 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/S-2616A, directly addresses one of the biggest barriers survivors face: time.

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.

In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. H-7200A/S-2616A closes that gap. It now allows survivors to bring claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence, not just the individual priests who committed the abuse.

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 matters enormously for survivors of abuse at St. Aloysius, where McIntyre served, because many of those individuals are now adults who may have believed their legal options were gone. They are not. The window is open now, but it will close on June 30, 2028. That deadline is firm.

The legislation (2026-H 7200A, 2026-S 2616A) was sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Carol Hagan McEntee and Sen. Mark McKenney. Its passage followed directly from the pressure created by Attorney General Neronha’s March 2026 report and the public outcry from survivors across Rhode Island.

Your Legal Rights as a Survivor: Filing a Claim Against the Diocese and Its Institutions

If you were abused by Father McIntyre, or if you were abused at St. Aloysius Home or another Diocese of Providence institution and believe the Diocese failed to protect you, you may have a civil claim. Civil claims are separate from criminal prosecution. You do not need a criminal conviction to pursue a civil lawsuit, and you do not need to have reported the abuse to law enforcement. Your claim belongs to you.

Under H-7200A/S-2616A, claims can now be brought against institutions and supervisors, not only the individual who committed the abuse. This is significant in cases like Father McIntyre’s, where the evidence suggests that diocesan leadership had knowledge of complaints and failed to act. The Diocese’s own records, produced to the Attorney General’s Office under a 2019 agreement, documented that complaints against McIntyre accumulated after St. Aloysius closed, and the Diocese still did not publicly name him until 2019.

Many survivors wonder whether they can file anonymously. Rhode Island courts allow plaintiffs to proceed as Jane Doe or John Doe in certain cases, which can protect your identity during litigation. You also do not have to face this process alone. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz represent survivors with compassion and without judgment. Reaching out for a consultation does not commit you to anything. It simply gives you information so you can make the decision that is right for you.

If you are a survivor of abuse connected to Father McIntyre or the Diocese of Providence, the two-year revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A is your opportunity. Working with a sexual assault lawyer who understands Rhode Island’s specific laws and the Diocese of Providence’s documented history of concealment gives you the strongest possible foundation for your case. Contact Sommers Schwartz today for a free, confidential consultation.

FAQs About Father McIntyre and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who is Father Robert McIntyre and why is he on the Diocese of Providence’s credibly accused list?

Father Robert J. McIntyre was a Roman Catholic priest ordained in 1963 who served the Diocese of Providence for over three decades. He spent 23 years as director of St. Aloysius Home, a diocesan-affiliated orphanage in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The Diocese of Providence added him to its Credibly Accused Clergy List in 2019, and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report confirmed that the Diocese received a dozen complaints identifying him as a perpetrator of child sexual abuse at St. Aloysius. He is credibly accused of abusing 11 children.

Can I still file a lawsuit related to abuse at St. Aloysius Home 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 running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. During this period, survivors can file civil claims that were previously barred by the statute of limitations. This includes claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse. If you were abused at St. Aloysius or any similar institution, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

What is the difference between a civil lawsuit and a criminal case in a clergy abuse situation?

A criminal case is brought by the state and can result in incarceration. A civil lawsuit is brought by the survivor and seeks financial accountability. You do not need a criminal conviction, a prior police report, or any prior legal action to file a civil claim. Civil and criminal cases have different standards of proof, and many survivors pursue civil claims even when criminal prosecution is not possible, for example because the accused priest has died or because the statute of limitations for criminal charges has passed.

Does the 2026 revival window apply only to Diocese of Providence cases?

No. Rhode Island’s H-7200A/S-2616A applies broadly to survivors of childhood sexual abuse in any institutional setting. The law allows claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse, regardless of whether the institution is a Catholic diocese, a school, a youth organization, or another entity. The revival window runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, and applies to any previously time-barred civil claim arising from childhood sexual abuse.

How do I know if I have a viable claim connected to Father McIntyre or the Diocese of Providence?

The best way to know is to speak with an experienced attorney. A lawyer can review the facts of your situation, explain how Rhode Island law applies, and tell you whether your claim falls within the revival window. You do not need to have all the answers before you make that call. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz offer free, confidential consultations and represent survivors across Rhode Island. What happened to you was not your fault, and you deserve to know your options.

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 Lepire
• Father Lonardo
• Father Philip Magaldi
• Father Manu
• Father Normand Marcantonio
• Father Joseph McCra
• 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