Rhode Island Clergy Abuse Lawsuit Tracker
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How many clergy abuse lawsuits have been filed in Rhode Island since the revival window opened on July 1, 2026 — counted from the court register of every case, by month, by parish, by school and by religious order. Last checked September 29, 2026.
Filing Deadline: June 30, 2028
Rhode Island's revival law, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51(a)(3), lets survivors bring previously time-barred claims against institutions — including the Diocese of Providence, its parishes and Catholic schools — but only through June 30, 2028. After that date, a claim that isn't already timely under the regular rules is expected to close again.
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Estimated Settlement Range
$176,400 — $327,600
Abuse settlements vary widely by jurisdiction, institutional resources, and the documented impact. This is a benchmark range based on reported cases.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
The Short Answer
As of September 29, 2026, 180 civil lawsuits naming the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence — the legal name of the Diocese of Providence — have been filed in Rhode Island Superior Court since July 1, 2026, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary's public court portal. 153 of them carry the court's “Clergy Abuse Case” flag. Thirty-three were filed on July 1, the day the window opened. In 166 of the 180 cases a parish, school, religious order or other church institution is named alongside the diocese; the most frequently named is St. Aloysius Home, a former diocesan orphanage, in 30 cases.
The tables below come from the court register of each case, not from press counts. They list institutions, not people: we do not publish the names of plaintiffs or of individuals named as defendants, and we do not list case numbers by institution.
Case Details
This tracker counts civil cases filed in Rhode Island Superior Court since July 1, 2026 in which a party is styled “Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence” or “The Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence”, found through the Rhode Island Judiciary's public court portal and checked against each case's register. Cases that name only a religious order, a school or an individual, and lawsuits filed in federal court, are not included. The claims rely on Rhode Island's 2026 revival statute, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51(a)(3).
The Tracker: Cases Naming the Diocese of Providence
- Cases filed since July 1, 2026
- 180
- Flagged “Clergy Abuse Case”
- 153
- Filed on the first day
- 33
- Also naming St. Aloysius Home
- 30
Filings by Month
| Month filed | Cases | Flagged |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 92 | 90 |
| August 2026 | 43 | 41 |
| September 2026 | 45 | 22 |
| Total | 180 | 153 |
Schools (4)
| Named alongside the diocese | Cases |
|---|---|
| Bishop Hendricken High SchoolWarwick | 32 flagged |
| Our Lady of Providence Preparatory Seminary | 32 flagged |
| Bishop McVinney Regional School | 22 flagged |
| Saint Raphael's AcademyPawtucket | 22 flagged |
Religious Orders (9)
| Named alongside the diocese | Cases |
|---|---|
| Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) | 22 flagged |
| Dominican Fathers, Province of St. Joseph | 22 flagged |
| Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc. | 10 flagged |
| Congregation of the Holy Spirit, U.S. Province | 10 flagged |
| Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Northeastern Province | 10 flagged |
| Missionary Society of St. Columban | 11 flagged |
| Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (Paulist Fathers) | 10 flagged |
| Norbertine (Premonstratensian) Fathers | 10 flagged |
| The Christian Brothers' Institute | 10 flagged |
Parishes and Other Church Institutions (73)
| Named alongside the diocese | Cases |
|---|---|
| St. Aloysius Home (Rhode Island Catholic Orphan Asylum)Smithfield | 3026 flagged |
| St. Mary's ChurchCranston | 88 flagged |
| St. Ann's Catholic ChurchProvidence | 65 flagged |
| St. Mary's ChurchBristol | 66 flagged |
| St. Mary's ChurchProvidence | 65 flagged |
| St. Joseph's ChurchWoonsocket | 55 flagged |
| Church of Notre Dame des Victoires (Our Lady of Victories) | 44 flagged |
| Church of St. Teresa of the Child JesusPawtucket | 44 flagged |
| St. Anthony's ChurchNorth Providence | 44 flagged |
| St. Kevin's ChurchWarwick | 42 flagged |
| Church of Our Lady of Mount CarmelBristol | 33 flagged |
| Church of the Holy GhostTiverton | 33 flagged |
| St. Lawrence ChurchCentredale (North Providence) | 33 flagged |
| St. Matthew's ChurchCentral Falls | 33 flagged |
| St. Thomas' ChurchManton (Providence) | 33 flagged |
Show 58 more
| Named alongside the diocese | Cases |
|---|---|
| Jesus Savior ChurchNewport | 20 flagged |
| St. Catherine's ChurchWarwick | 22 flagged |
| St. Christopher's ChurchTiverton | 20 flagged |
| St. Elizabeth's ChurchBristol | 22 flagged |
| St. John Paul II ParishPawtucket | 22 flagged |
| St. Margaret's ChurchEast Providence | 22 flagged |
| St. Mary's ChurchNewport | 21 flagged |
| St. Michael the Archangel ChurchProvidence | 22 flagged |
| St. Paul the Apostle ChurchFoster | 22 flagged |
| St. Philip's ChurchGreenville (Smithfield) | 22 flagged |
| St. Raymond's Church | 22 flagged |
| St. Timothy's ChurchWarwick | 22 flagged |
| Church of Our Lady of Grace | 11 flagged |
| Church of Our Lady of Mount CarmelProvidence | 11 flagged |
| Church of St. John the BaptistPawtucket | 11 flagged |
| Church of St. Leo the GreatPawtucket | 11 flagged |
| Church of St. Mary of the Bay | 10 flagged |
| Church of St. Vincent de PaulAnthony (Coventry) | 11 flagged |
| Church of the AssumptionProvidence | 11 flagged |
| Church of the Holy Name of JesusProvidence | 10 flagged |
| Church of the Precious BloodWoonsocket | 11 flagged |
| Church of the Sacred HeartNatick (West Warwick) | 11 flagged |
| Church of the Sacred HeartWoonsocket | 10 flagged |
| Church of the Sacred Heart (town not listed) | 10 flagged |
| Holy Angels Church | 11 flagged |
| Holy Spirit Parish (Holy Trinity Church)Central Falls | 11 flagged |
| Holy Trinity Parish (successor to Our Lady of Victories Parish)Woonsocket | 11 flagged |
| Immaculate Conception ChurchCranston | 10 flagged |
| Mother of Hope Camp (Mater Spei) | 11 flagged |
| Our Lady of Good Help Church | 11 flagged |
| Our Lady of Mercy ChurchEast Greenwich | 10 flagged |
| Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs Church (Holy Trinity Parish) | 10 flagged |
| St. Agatha's ChurchWoonsocket | 11 flagged |
| St. Aidan ChurchCumberland | 11 flagged |
| St. Alexander's ChurchWarren | 11 flagged |
| St. Augustine's ChurchProvidence | 11 flagged |
| St. Barnabas ChurchPortsmouth | 11 flagged |
| St. Benedict's ChurchConimicut (Warwick) | 11 flagged |
| St. Brendan's Church | 10 flagged |
| St. Charles Borromeo ChurchProvidence | 11 flagged |
| St. Charles Borromeo ChurchWoonsocket | 11 flagged |
| St. Clement ChurchWarwick | 11 flagged |
| St. Edward's ChurchPawtucket | 11 flagged |
| St. Eugene's ChurchChepachet | 11 flagged |
| St. Francis Xavier ChurchEast Providence | 11 flagged |
| St. Francis de Sales ChurchNorth Kingstown | 11 flagged |
| St. Francis of Assisi Church | 10 flagged |
| St. John's ChurchProvidence | 10 flagged |
| St. Joseph's ChurchNatick (West Warwick) | 11 flagged |
| St. Joseph's ChurchNorth Scituate | 11 flagged |
| St. Joseph's ChurchProvidence | 11 flagged |
| St. Jude's ChurchLincoln | 11 flagged |
| St. Lucy's ChurchMiddletown | 11 flagged |
| St. Maria Goretti ChurchPawtucket | 11 flagged |
| St. Matthew Church (town not listed) | 10 flagged |
| St. Patrick's ChurchProvidence | 10 flagged |
| St. Teresa's ChurchProvidence | 11 flagged |
| Sts. Peter and Paul ChurchProvidence | 11 flagged |
Where the Cases Stand
On September 29, 2026, the portal listed 179 of the 180 cases as “Unassigned”; one was closed after a notice of dismissal on September 22, 2026. The register does not show why that case was dismissed. Each case lists one plaintiff except one that lists five, for 184 plaintiffs in all.
Superior Court Judge Richard A. Licht, who has supervised the court's mass tort calendar (Administrative Order 2025-12) since October 2025, set up a dedicated docket on July 1, 2026 for the close to three dozen cases filed that day, according to SNAP Network, and he may select bellwether cases for trial. The portal also shows a separate case file captioned “In Re: Child Sexual Abuse” (PC-2026-88888), opened on July 1, 2026 and assigned to Associate Justice Richard Licht; as of September 29, 2026 its public register shows only its opening entry.
Why 153 and not 180. The court's “Clergy Abuse Case” flag appears on 90 of the 92 July cases and 41 of the 43 August cases, but on only 22 of the 45 September cases, which suggests it is added some time after filing. We count only flagged cases as confirmed clergy abuse claims; the unflagged cases are included in the monthly totals and in the institution tables, where each row shows how many of its cases are flagged.
The diocese calls the revival law unconstitutional, citing a Rhode Island Supreme Court ruling that the state constitution “precludes legislation with retroactive features permitting revival of an already time-barred action” (statement to NBC 10, July 31, 2026); as of September 29, 2026, we could not find a court decision on that question.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Can You Still File?
Rhode Island's window, open from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, lets a survivor of childhood sexual abuse bring a claim against an institution such as the diocese, a parish, a school or a religious order even if the claim was previously time-barred. Key points:
- The age of the allegation is not a bar under the statute's text. The window does not set an outer date limit on the underlying conduct, but it does not reopen cases a court has already decided: Rhode Island Current reported that the final version of the law “preserves prior court judgments.”
- Your institution does not need to be on this list. The tables show who has been named so far, not who can be named.
- The regular deadline also changed. Separately from the window, a childhood sexual abuse claim can now be filed within 35 years of the survivor's 18th birthday or 7 years from when the survivor discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, that an injury was caused by the abuse, whichever is later. See our Rhode Island statute of limitations guide.
Whether you can file under a pseudonym is worth raising with an attorney before anything is filed; see our guide on how to file a Rhode Island sexual abuse lawsuit.
Settlements So Far
None of the 180 cases shows a settlement or verdict on the public register as of September 29, 2026. The diocese settled earlier abuse claims in 2002 (36 people and $13.5 million according to NPR; 37 people and $14.25 million according to a 2008 Associated Press account) and 2008 (four people, $1.3 million, according to the Associated Press). The diocese has not, as far as we could confirm, established an independent compensation program for the 2026 wave of lawsuits, despite the Attorney General's March 2026 recommendation that the diocese “establish and fund an independent survivor compensation program.” What an individual claim may be worth depends on facts specific to that case, and any number quoted to you before a lawyer has reviewed it is a guess.
Timeline
- 1
June 11, 2026 — Revival law signed
Governor Dan McKee signed the legislation reviving time-barred childhood sexual abuse claims against institutions, effective July 1, 2026, with a filing deadline of June 30, 2028.
- 2
July 1, 2026 — 33 cases on the first day
Thirty-three cases naming the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence were filed in Superior Court on the day the window opened, according to the court portal; the court also opened a case file captioned “In Re: Child Sexual Abuse” that day.
- 3
July 2026 — 92 cases in the first month
By July 31, 2026, 92 cases naming the diocese had been filed, 90 of them now flagged by the court as clergy abuse cases.
- 4
August 2026 — 43 more cases
Filings slowed to 43 in August, 41 of them flagged as clergy abuse cases.
- 5
September 2026 — 45 more cases, first dismissal
Forty-five cases were filed from September 1 to 29, 2026; one earlier case was closed after a notice of dismissal on September 22.
- 6
June 30, 2028 — Filing deadline
Rhode Island's revival window for institutional claims closes. Claims that are not timely under the regular rules are expected to be barred again after this date.
What Can Mislead You
Counts of these lawsuits circulate in several forms. Here is what to watch for.
“There were about 50 lawsuits”
That was an early snapshot: NBC 10 reported more than 50 lawsuits by July 31, 2026. The court portal shows 92 cases naming the diocese filed in July alone and 180 by September 29.
“Every case naming the diocese is an abuse claim”
Probably most, but not confirmed for all: 27 of the 180 cases do not yet carry the court's “Clergy Abuse Case” flag, and the public register does not show what each complaint alleges.
Anyone asking you to pay upfront to evaluate your case
Be cautious of anyone who asks for payment or banking information before a licensed attorney has actually reviewed your situation, and ask any lawyer to explain their fee arrangement in writing before you sign.
Common Questions
How many clergy abuse lawsuits have been filed in Rhode Island?
As of September 29, 2026, 180 civil cases naming the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence had been filed in Rhode Island Superior Court since the revival window opened on July 1, 2026, and 153 of them carry the court's “Clergy Abuse Case” flag, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary's public court portal.
Which parishes and institutions are named in the most lawsuits?
St. Aloysius Home, the former diocesan orphanage in Smithfield, is named in 30 cases. It is followed by St. Mary's Church in Cranston (8 cases) and, with 6 cases each, St. Ann's Catholic Church in Providence, St. Mary's Church in Bristol and St. Mary's Church in Providence. The full list is in the tables above.
Which Catholic schools have been sued?
Four, as of September 29, 2026: Bishop Hendricken High School (three cases), Our Lady of Providence Preparatory Seminary (three), Saint Raphael's Academy (two) and Bishop McVinney Regional School (two). See our Rhode Island school abuse lawsuits page.
Which religious orders are named?
Nine orders or order entities appear alongside the diocese, each in one or two cases, among them the Dominican Fathers, the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the Christian Brothers of Ireland and the Missionary Society of St. Columban. Cases that name only an order and not the diocese are not in this count.
Have any of the lawsuits settled?
Not on the public record as of September 29, 2026. One case was closed after a notice of dismissal on September 22, 2026; the register does not say why. The other 179 were listed as “Unassigned.”
Why do some cases lack the “Clergy Abuse Case” flag?
The flag appears on almost all July and August cases but on only 22 of the 45 filed in September, so it seems to be added some time after filing. We report both numbers and will update them when we re-check the registers.
Can I file if my parish or school is not on the list?
Yes, if your claim falls within the window: the list shows who has been named so far, not who can be named. The deadline for claims revived by the window is June 30, 2028.
How is this tracker compiled?
We search the Rhode Island Judiciary's public court portal for Superior Court parties named “Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence” and “The Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence” filed since July 1, 2026, open the register of each case, and count flags, filing dates and institutional defendants. Variant spellings of the same institution are merged. We publish counts only — no plaintiff names, no individual defendants and no case numbers by institution.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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