St. Margaret Church in East Providence, Rhode Island, is a Roman Catholic parish located at 1098 Pawtucket Ave. in the Rumford neighborhood, operating under the sexual assault lawyer jurisdiction of the Diocese of Providence. For survivors of childhood sexual abuse connected to this parish, that institutional relationship matters deeply, because the Diocese of Providence sits at the center of one of the most serious clergy abuse investigations in Rhode Island history. If you were abused at St. Margaret Church, or by a priest who served there, you are not alone, and what happened to you was not your fault.

Table of Contents

• Accused Clergy Who Served at St. Margaret Church, East Providence
• How the Diocese of Providence Enabled Abuse at Parish Level
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for St. Margaret Survivors
• Why the Two-Year Lookback Window Is Urgent for East Providence Survivors
• How Sommers Schwartz Can Help St. Margaret Church Survivors
• FAQs About St. Margaret Church East Providence Sexual Abuse Claims

Accused Clergy Who Served at St. Margaret Church, East Providence

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office published a credibly accused clergy list identifying priests with substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse within the Diocese of Providence. That list names at least one priest who served at St. Margaret Church, East Providence, during a period when abuse was reported to have occurred.

Father Joseph D’Angelo served at St. Margaret Church from 1981 to 1983, according to assignment records included in the Attorney General’s report. His assignment history shows he also served at Rhode Island Hospital and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Providence before arriving at St. Margaret’s. He was later laicized, meaning formally removed from the priesthood, in September 2006. His presence at St. Margaret Church during the early 1980s places him in the parish during a period that falls squarely within the Diocese’s documented history of clergy abuse.

The Attorney General’s report, released in March 2026, identified approximately 75 clergy members with credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving more than 300 children since 1950. The report identified approximately 75 clergy members with credible allegations involving more than 300 minor children and described patterns in which accused clergy were re-assigned and allegations were inconsistently reported to authorities. St. Margaret Church is one of several East Providence parishes connected to this broader pattern.

The Attorney General’s report also found that the Catholic Diocese of Providence followed 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 connected to St. Margaret Church, this institutional pattern is directly relevant to any legal claim they may have today.

How the Diocese of Providence Enabled Abuse at Parish Level

The Diocese of Providence is the governing Catholic institution for all parishes in Rhode Island, including St. Margaret Church. The Diocese of Providence comprises the entire state of Rhode Island. That means the Diocese held direct authority over every priest assigned to St. Margaret’s, including the power to place, transfer, or remove clergy.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s investigation, diocesan leadership used that authority in ways that protected abusers rather than children. Priests with known abuse allegations were routinely reassigned to new parishes, giving them continued access to minors. The investigation found that accused priests were repeatedly returned to ministry. This pattern repeated itself across parishes throughout Rhode Island, and St. Margaret Church in East Providence was not exempt from it.

The Attorney General’s report documents how priests capitalized on their access to children through parish structures. Warning signs were often present before abuse was reported, including priests spending excessive time with adolescents, inviting minors to rectories, and cultivating close relationships with families who trusted them completely. Parents in East Providence, like parents across Rhode Island, extended that trust in good faith.

The Diocese, as the institution with supervisory authority over its priests, had both the power and the responsibility to act on warning signs. When it chose institutional protection over child safety, it became legally accountable for the harm that followed. That accountability is now directly relevant under Rhode Island’s new child sexual abuse law, which specifically targets institutions and supervisors who enabled or covered up abuse.

Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for St. Margaret 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, passed as H-7200A and S-2616A, is the most significant legal development for Rhode Island abuse survivors in years.

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.

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 critically important for St. Margaret Church survivors whose abuse happened decades ago and who may have believed their legal options were gone.

The law also changes the rules going forward for new claims. Survivors now have 35 years from the date of the abuse, or 7 years from the time they first connected their injury to the abuse, whichever is later, and the clock does not start running until a survivor turns 18. This means younger survivors have far more time to come forward than they did under prior law.

The legislation was directly shaped by the Attorney General’s 2026 report on the Diocese of Providence. Lawmakers stated the law “will apply to institutions the civil culpability that we have already applied to the perpetrators.” For survivors connected to St. Margaret Church, that means the Diocese of Providence itself can now be held accountable in civil court for its role in enabling abuse.

Why the Two-Year Lookback Window Is Urgent for East Providence Survivors

The revival window created by H-7200A and S-2616A is not permanent. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. That deadline is real, and it applies to every survivor whose claim previously expired under the old statute of limitations.

Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse wait years, or even decades, before they are ready to speak about what happened. That delay is not weakness. It is a well-recognized response to trauma. The lookback window reflects a broader recognition that delayed disclosure is common in cases involving childhood sexual abuse. Rhode Island lawmakers acknowledged this reality when they passed the law.

Before H-7200A, there was an important limitation. 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 2026 law closes that gap entirely. Survivors can now pursue claims against both individual abusers and the institutions, like the Diocese of Providence, that shielded them.

For a survivor of abuse at St. Margaret Church in East Providence, this window is a real and time-limited opportunity. Working with an experienced sexual abuse lawyer who understands Rhode Island’s new law is the most important step you can take right now. The window closes on June 30, 2028, and building a civil claim takes time.

How Sommers Schwartz Can Help St. Margaret Church Survivors

Sommers Schwartz is a multi-state law firm representing survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse, including those whose abuse occurred within Catholic parishes in Rhode Island. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz understand the specific legal framework created by H-7200A and S-2616A, and they know how to hold institutions accountable, not just individual abusers.

If you were abused at St. Margaret Church in East Providence, or by a priest who served there, you have the right to pursue a civil claim. A civil lawsuit is separate from any criminal case. You do not need a prior police report, a criminal conviction, or any prior legal action to move forward. Many survivors file civil claims years after the abuse occurred, and many do so without ever having told anyone before. Rhode Island law allows survivors to file anonymously as Jane Doe or John Doe plaintiffs, which means your identity can be protected throughout the legal process.

The team at Sommers Schwartz approaches every case with compassion and discretion. They understand that coming forward is one of the hardest decisions a survivor can make. Their role is to carry the legal weight so you can focus on healing. A sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz will listen to your story without judgment, explain your options clearly, and help you understand exactly what the new law means for your situation.

The revival window is open now. Reaching out for a confidential consultation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. What it does is give you information, and information is power. Contact Sommers Schwartz today to speak with a member of their Rhode Island sexual abuse team about your rights under H-7200A and S-2616A.

FAQs About St. Margaret Church East Providence Sexual Abuse Claims

Was a priest at St. Margaret Church in East Providence credibly accused of sexual abuse?

Yes. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s credibly accused clergy list, Father Joseph D’Angelo served at St. Margaret Church in East Providence from 1981 to 1983 and is among the clergy named in the report. The Attorney General’s 2026 investigation identified approximately 75 clergy members with credible abuse allegations across the Diocese of Providence.

Can I still file a lawsuit if the abuse at St. Margaret Church happened decades ago?

Yes. Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200A and 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 previously expired under the old statute of limitations, this law may restore your right to sue.

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

Yes. The 2026 law specifically targets institutions and supervisors who enabled or covered up abuse. This means the Diocese of Providence, which held supervisory authority over every priest assigned to St. Margaret Church, can be named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit. Prior to this law, a 2023 Rhode Island Supreme Court ruling limited revival claims to individual perpetrators only. The new law removes that restriction.

Will my identity be made public if I file a lawsuit?

Not necessarily. Rhode Island law allows survivors to file civil lawsuits anonymously as Jane Doe or John Doe plaintiffs. This means your name does not have to appear in public court filings. An attorney at Sommers Schwartz can explain how this process works and help you protect your privacy throughout your case.

What does it cost to speak with Sommers Schwartz about a St. Margaret Church abuse claim?

An initial consultation with Sommers Schwartz is confidential and free. You will not be charged simply for speaking with an attorney about your experience and your options. Sommers Schwartz handles sexual abuse cases on a contingency basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless your case results in a recovery. There is no financial risk in reaching out to learn where you stand under Rhode Island’s new law.

More Resources About Parish & Diocesan Institution Locations

• St. Mary’s Church, Cranston
• Our Lady of Mercy, East Greenwich
• St. Aloysius Home, Smithfield
• Jesus Savior Church, Newport
• St. Matthew Church, Cranston
• St. Mary Church, Bristol
• Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Providence
• St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket
• St. Joseph Church, Woonsocket
• St. Anthony Church, North Providence
• Immaculate Conception Church, Cranston
• St. Jude’s Parish, Lincoln
• St. Michael Church, Providence
• Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Programs in Rhode Island