A new lawsuit accuses former Providence Bishop Louis E. Gelineau of sexually assaulting an altar boy in Barrington, Rhode Island, during the 1980s, marking the first public allegation that the longtime leader of the state's Catholic Church personally sexually abused a child.
The plaintiff, identified as John Doe, is now 56 and lives in Newport. His lawsuit, filed in Providence County Superior Court, alleges that Gelineau sexually assaulted him during visits to St. Luke's Church in Barrington in 1983 or 1984 and again approximately a year later. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The lawsuit also accuses two priests, the Rev. Oscar Ferland and the Rev. Clifford J. Cabral, of sexually abusing the plaintiff while he was an altar boy. Ferland appears on the Diocese of Providence's list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Cabral does not. All three men are dead. Gelineau died in 2024 at age 96.
Gelineau served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence from 1971 until 1997, overseeing Rhode Island's only Catholic diocese for 25 years. During his tenure, priests accused of sexual abuse were transferred among parishes and treatment programs, practices later examined as part of Rhode Island's investigation into clergy abuse.
A report released by the Rhode Island attorney general's office in March examined the diocese's handling of child sexual abuse allegations dating to 1950. Investigators said the true extent of abuse was likely greater than what they could document and raised questions about whether all relevant records had been provided.
The new lawsuit is one of more than 100 cases filed against the Providence diocese since Rhode Island created a new opportunity this year for people alleging childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil claims that previously could have been barred by statutes of limitations.
The diocese declined to address the specific allegations outside of court. A spokesperson said accounts from survivors cause anguish but noted that decades-old claims can present challenges involving missing evidence, unavailable witnesses and memories that have changed over time.