Father Paul Tousignant served as a Roman Catholic priest within the Diocese of Providence from his ordination in 1951 until his laicization in 1967. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s March 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence, he was publicly named as an accused priest. The allegations against him are serious and deeply troubling, and if you were harmed by him, what happened to you was not your fault.

Table of Contents

• Who Was Father Paul Tousignant and Where Did He Serve in Rhode Island?
• What Allegations Were Made Against Father Paul Tousignant?
• How the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report Connects to Father Tousignant
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for Survivors
• Why Survivors of Father Tousignant Should Act Before June 30, 2028
• FAQs About Father Paul Tousignant and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Who Was Father Paul Tousignant and Where Did He Serve in Rhode Island?

Father Paul Tousignant was born on January 25, 1926, and ordained as a Catholic priest on May 19, 1951. He served in multiple parishes across Rhode Island before being laicized, meaning formally removed from the priesthood, on April 14, 1967. He died on May 27, 1987.

His assignment history within the Diocese of Providence covered more than a decade of active ministry. From 1951 to 1954, he served at St. Vincent Church in Coventry. He then moved to St. Joseph Church in Woonsocket from 1954 to 1955, followed by Precious Blood Church in Woonsocket from 1955 to 1956. His longest posting was at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Pawtucket, where he served from 1956 to 1964, with a notable interruption in 1960.

That interruption is significant. In 1960, Tousignant was sent on a suspended leave to the Via Coeli Monastery in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. The Via Coeli facility was operated by the Servants of the Paraclete, a treatment center where many accused priests were also sent. His return to active ministry in 1964 brought him briefly to St. Edward Church in Pawtucket, then to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Coventry, before another suspension on leave from 1965 to 1967 ended his time in the priesthood entirely.

The pattern of suspension, treatment, and return to ministry mirrors what the Attorney General’s report described as a systemic failure by diocesan leadership. Survivors who had contact with Father Tousignant at any of these parishes, particularly in Woonsocket and Pawtucket, deserve to know their legal options today.

What Allegations Were Made Against Father Paul Tousignant?

Father Tousignant was publicly named as accused in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report released on March 4, 2026. In 2013, a man told the Archdiocese of Denver that Tousignant sexually abused him at a Woonsocket parish in 1956. That alleged victim died before the Diocese of Providence could investigate.

In 2019, another man told the Diocese that he was sexually abused by Tousignant in the late 1950s when he was an altar boy, between the ages of 12 and 15, at a Pawtucket parish. This second report came decades after the alleged abuse occurred, which is entirely consistent with what researchers and advocates know about how survivors of childhood sexual abuse process and disclose trauma.

While Tousignant was sent to New Mexico in 1960, where many accused priests were also sent, no record of why he was sent was produced, nor was any record produced explaining his prolonged leave of absence from the diocese. The diocese also provided no records regarding his laicization. The absence of documentation is itself telling. The Attorney General’s report found that the Diocese had a practice of destroying confidential files after priests died, which may explain why so little survives in the written record.

The allegations span parishes in both Woonsocket and Pawtucket. If you were a child at any parish where Tousignant served, and you experienced abuse, your account matters. You are not alone, and speaking with a sexual assault attorney can help you understand what your options are right now.

How the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report Connects to Father Tousignant

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report states that the Diocese of Providence concealed decades of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, identifying at least 315 victims and 72 credibly accused clergy. Father Tousignant is named among the publicly accused in that report, placing him within a documented pattern of institutional failure.

The investigation, which began in July 2019, involved an examination of more than 250,000 pages of documents held by the Diocese dating back to 1950. Tousignant’s ministry began in 1951, placing his entire career within the scope of that investigation.

The report’s findings about how the Diocese handled accused priests are deeply relevant to survivors of Father Tousignant’s abuse. The Attorney General found that bishops repeatedly moved accused priests to new assignments rather than removing them from ministry. Tousignant’s own record, with its unexplained suspensions, a stay at a treatment facility for clergy abusers, and eventual laicization, fits squarely within the pattern the AG described.

Neronha said there was evidence that the diocese had a practice of destroying confidential files when priests died. Tousignant died in 1987, which may explain the gaps in his diocesan record. For survivors, this is one reason why working with an experienced sexual abuse lawyer who understands how to build a case from incomplete institutional records is so important.

The broader report also matters because it established the public record that drove Rhode Island lawmakers to act. The scale of the documented abuse made it impossible for legislators to look away, and the result was a new law that directly benefits survivors like those who may have been harmed by Father Tousignant.

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

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. The new law took effect on July 1, 2026.

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 development for anyone who was abused by Father Tousignant or harmed by the institutions that allowed him to remain in ministry.

The law also addresses a gap that the Rhode Island Supreme Court identified in 2023. In 2019, the General Assembly extended the statute of limitations and gave previously time-barred survivors an opportunity to sue. But 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. The new H-7200A/S-2616A law directly closes that gap, allowing claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence.

The law’s enactment came after the release of a report in March by Attorney General Peter F. Neronha accusing 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 of Father Tousignant’s abuse, this window is a real opportunity. The Diocese knew about complaints against him, sent him away for treatment, and returned him to ministry. That institutional conduct is now squarely within reach of civil litigation.

Why Survivors of Father Tousignant Should Act Before June 30, 2028

The two-year revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A is the most important legal development for Rhode Island clergy abuse survivors in a generation. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. That deadline is firm, and it applies whether you are in your 40s, 60s, or 70s.

Many survivors of Father Tousignant’s abuse were children in the 1950s and 1960s. They may have spent decades carrying the weight of what happened to them without ever telling anyone, or they may have tried to report it and been dismissed. That silence is not a sign of weakness. It is a well-documented response to childhood trauma, and Rhode Island’s new law was written with exactly those survivors in mind.

The revival window applies to survivors of sexual abuse in any institutional setting, including churches, schools, youth programs, athletic organizations, and anywhere else an institution failed to protect a child in its care. Survivors who were abused at Our Lady of Consolation in Pawtucket, at St. Vincent Church in Coventry, or at any other parish where Tousignant served are potentially covered by this window.

Filing a civil claim is not just about money. It is about holding institutions accountable for the choices they made, choices that put children in harm’s way. The Diocese’s decision to send Tousignant to a treatment center in New Mexico and then return him to parish ministry, without any apparent safeguards, is exactly the kind of institutional conduct that civil litigation can address. Connecting with a sexual assault lawyer now gives you time to explore your options before the window closes.

Sommers Schwartz represents sexual assault and sexual abuse survivors in Rhode Island with the care and seriousness that every survivor deserves. Our attorneys understand how to handle cases where institutional records are incomplete, where decades have passed, and where survivors are coming forward for the first time. You do not have to navigate this process alone. Reach out to us today for a confidential, no-obligation conversation about your situation.

FAQs About Father Paul Tousignant and Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Claims

Was Father Paul Tousignant officially named as a credibly accused priest in Rhode Island?

Father Paul Tousignant was publicly named as an accused priest in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report released on March 4, 2026. The report documented allegations that he sexually abused minors at parishes in Woonsocket and Pawtucket during his time as a Diocese of Providence priest. While the Diocese’s own credibly accused list used a specific internal standard, the Attorney General’s office conducted an independent review of more than 250,000 pages of diocesan records and included Tousignant based on that broader body of evidence.

Can I still file a lawsuit if Father Tousignant is deceased?

Yes. A civil claim for childhood sexual abuse in Rhode Island does not require the abuser to be alive. Under Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200A/S-2616A, signed on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, the two-year revival window allows survivors to bring claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up abuse, including the Diocese of Providence. Even if Father Tousignant died in 1987, the institution that employed him, moved him between parishes, and returned him to ministry after treatment may still be held accountable in civil court.

What is the deadline for filing a claim under Rhode Island’s new lookback window?

The revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. Any previously time-barred claims must be filed before that deadline. After June 30, 2028, claims that were already expired under the old statute of limitations may be permanently barred. If you believe you were abused by Father Tousignant or any other Diocese of Providence priest, speaking with an attorney as soon as possible gives you the most time to gather information and build your case before the window closes.

What if I was abused but never reported it to anyone?

You are not alone, and your experience is valid whether or not you ever reported it before. Research consistently shows that survivors of childhood sexual abuse often wait years or decades before disclosing what happened to them. Rhode Island’s new law was created in direct recognition of that reality. The fact that you did not report the abuse at the time does not weaken your potential claim. What matters is that you were harmed, and the law now gives you a concrete path to seek accountability. An attorney can help you understand what evidence may be available and what steps to take next.

How do I know if my claim falls under the new Rhode Island revival window?

The revival window under H-7200A/S-2616A applies to survivors whose civil claims were previously barred by the statute of limitations. If you were sexually abused as a child at any parish or institution where Father Tousignant served, and you were unable to file a lawsuit before because too much time had passed, this law may reopen that right. The window specifically covers claims against institutions and supervisors who enabled or covered up abuse, not just individual perpetrators. The best way to find out if your specific situation qualifies is to speak with an attorney who handles Rhode Island clergy abuse claims. Sommers Schwartz offers confidential consultations and can help you understand your options at no cost to 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 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 Turillo
• Father Ventre