Father William O’Connell served as a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Providence from 1950 until his suspension in 1988. He is accused of abusing at least 23 children between 1950 and 1985. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report describes him as “perhaps the most notorious offender priest within the Diocese of Providence.” If you were abused by Father O’Connell, or by any priest whose conduct the Diocese failed to stop, you are not alone, and what happened to you was not your fault. A sexual abuse lawyer at Sommers Schwartz can help you understand your rights and options right now.

Table of Contents

• Who Was Father William O’Connell and Where Did He Serve?
• What the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report Says About Father O’Connell
• How the Diocese of Providence Responded to O’Connell’s Known Risk
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for Survivors
• Why Survivors of Father O’Connell Should Act During the Revival Window
• FAQs About Father O’Connell and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Was Father William O’Connell and Where Did He Serve?

Father William O’Connell was born on April 10, 1922, and ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on June 3, 1950. Over the next three and a half decades, he served in parishes across Rhode Island and beyond, giving him repeated access to children in communities throughout the state.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Credibly Accused Clergy list, O’Connell’s assignment history included St. Andrew Church in New Shoreham, St. Francis Church in South Kingstown, St. Brendan Church in East Providence, and St. Michael Church in Smithfield. He also served as a U.S. Navy Chaplain from 1953 to 1958, then returned to Rhode Island parishes including SS. Peter and Paul Church in West Warwick and St. Mary Church in Providence.

From 1972 to 1985, O’Connell was assigned to St. Mary Church in Bristol, the parish where much of his documented abuse occurred. That assignment lasted over a decade, during which time warning signs were raised by fellow priests and largely ignored by Diocesan leadership.

O’Connell was suspended on April 26, 1988, and died on May 12, 1996, while in custody in New Jersey. His decades-long access to children, across multiple parishes and institutions, reflects exactly the kind of systemic failure that investigators and survivors have described throughout the Diocese of Providence.

What the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report Says About Father O’Connell

On March 4, 2026, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha published the “Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence,” a document that placed Father O’Connell’s conduct in sharp focus. The report is the product of a multi-year investigation that gave state investigators access to internal church records.

According to the report, a fellow priest raised concerns about O’Connell as early as 1978, writing to Bishop Louis Gelineau and Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell. Among the problems described was what the reporting priest called a “scandal of little boys” involving Father O’Connell bringing boys on overnight trips. Rather than acting on this warning, Bishop Gelineau deemed the report “unconvincing,” and Auxiliary Bishop Angell instructed the priest to gather more evidence.

In 1984, a second priest raised concerns about O’Connell’s conduct with young boys. Again, Angell directed the reporting priest to collect more evidence and took no action. Shortly after that second warning, O’Connell was arrested. He eventually pled nolo contendere to 26 counts related to the sexual abuse of two boys and was sentenced to one year in prison.

O’Connell was identified in the report as one of the most prolific alleged abusers in the Diocese, among five priests accused of sexually abusing a combined total of 85 children. The Attorney General’s findings confirm that Diocese leadership had multiple opportunities to stop O’Connell and chose not to act.

How the Diocese of Providence Responded to O’Connell’s Known Risk

The Diocese’s handling of Father O’Connell after his initial arrest is one of the most troubling chapters in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report. Rather than protecting children, Diocesan officials coordinated with O’Connell’s defense team and arranged for his treatment at Saint Luke Institute in Maryland, a facility used by the Diocese to manage accused priests.

Saint Luke Institute discharged O’Connell in May 1986 so he could face his legal charges. He pled nolo contendere to over two dozen crimes and was sentenced to one year in prison, permitted to serve on work release. He was then ordered to return to Saint Luke for continued treatment upon his release.

A month before O’Connell’s discharge from Saint Luke in early 1988, the Institute’s new director called Auxiliary Bishop Angell to say that staff remained “very concerned” about O’Connell and that he was a “high risk for relapse.” Despite this warning, O’Connell was released and his supervision remained inadequate.

He was convicted in 1986 and was arrested again in New Jersey in 1994, when police said they found thousands of photographs of naked boys. He was sentenced in February 1995 to 10 years in a New Jersey treatment center for sex offenders and died in custody there in May 1996. Around the time of his 1994 New Jersey arrest, the Diocese conceded it needed to do more to monitor priests like O’Connell who presented a known risk to children. Yet years later, the Diocese publicly admitted it still had no program to monitor known abuser priests.

Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for 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. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

The legislation (2026-H 7200A, 2026-S 2616A) was sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Carol Hagan McEntee and Sen. Mark McKenney. It was signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and is commonly referred to alongside Rhode Island’s prior statute of limitations reforms.

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 is a critical distinction: the window applies specifically to claims against institutions and supervisors, not just individual perpetrators.

In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that a 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. This new law directly addresses that gap. 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 Father O’Connell’s abuse, this matters enormously. The Diocese of Providence had documented warnings about O’Connell and failed to act on them. Claims against the Diocese itself, which were previously blocked by time limits, may now be filed during this window. If you believe your claim expired, speak with a sexual assault lawyer at Sommers Schwartz before June 30, 2028.

Why Survivors of Father O’Connell Should Act During the Revival Window

The two-year revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A is a rare and time-limited opportunity. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. That deadline is firm. Waiting is the one thing survivors cannot afford to do.

Many survivors of clergy abuse carry their experiences for decades before they feel ready to come forward. Shame, fear, and the lasting effects of trauma are real barriers. The law recognizes this. The lookback window reflects a broader recognition that delayed disclosure is common in cases involving childhood sexual abuse. Your decision to come forward now, no matter how many years have passed, is an act of courage, not a weakness.

Claims related to Father O’Connell’s abuse span multiple parishes across Rhode Island, including St. Mary Church in Bristol, where he served for over a decade. The Diocese received multiple warnings about his behavior and failed to act. That institutional failure is exactly what this law was designed to address.

Survivors may be able to pursue civil claims against the Diocese of Providence for its role in enabling, concealing, or failing to prevent abuse. A skilled sexual assault attorney can evaluate your specific situation, help you understand whether the revival window applies to your claim, and guide you through the process with care and discretion. At Sommers Schwartz, we represent survivors across Rhode Island and handle these cases with the seriousness and compassion they deserve. You do not have to face this alone.

FAQs About Father O’Connell and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Was Father William O’Connell ever convicted of crimes against children?

Yes. Father O’Connell pled nolo contendere (no contest) to 26 counts related to the sexual abuse of two boys and was sentenced to one year in prison in 1986. He was later arrested again in New Jersey in 1994 on 20 charges of various child sex offenses, including the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy and the creation and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced in February 1995 to 10 years in a New Jersey treatment center for sex offenders, where he died in May 1996.

How many children did Father O’Connell reportedly abuse?

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, released on March 4, 2026, Father O’Connell reportedly abused at least 23 boys between 1950 and 1985. The report identifies him as one of the most prolific alleged abusers in the history of the Diocese of Providence.

Can I still file a civil lawsuit related to Father O’Connell’s abuse in 2026?

You may be able to file a claim even if you think your time has passed. 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. Contact Sommers Schwartz as soon as possible to find out whether your claim qualifies.

Did the Diocese of Providence know about Father O’Connell’s abuse before he was arrested?

Yes. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, a fellow priest raised concerns about O’Connell’s conduct with young boys in 1978, and a second priest raised similar concerns in 1984. In both cases, Diocesan leadership, including Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell, directed the reporting priests to gather more evidence rather than taking protective action. O’Connell was arrested shortly after the second warning was raised.

Does the new Rhode Island law apply to abuse that happened at institutions other than the Catholic Church?

Yes. While the law was closely tied to findings about the Diocese of Providence, it is not limited to Catholic Church claims. The two-year revival window under H-7200A/S-2616A applies to claims against any institution or supervisor accused of enabling or covering up child sexual abuse, including schools, youth programs, healthcare facilities, sports organizations, and other entities. If you were abused in any institutional setting and believe your claim may have expired, the attorneys at Sommers Schwartz can review your situation and advise you on 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 McIntyre
• Father Meehan
• Father Meglio
• Father Menard
• Father Micarelli
• 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