Key Takeaways
- Father James Campbell was accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy while serving at St. Joseph Church in West Warwick, RI, during the mid-1970s.
- According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, the Diocese of Providence received a report of the alleged abuse in 1994, but there is no indication the complaint was investigated or referred to law enforcement at that time.
- In 2004, Campbell was convicted in Massachusetts of charges involving the sexual abuse of two teenagers, was laicized in 2005, and died in 2007.
Father James Campbell was a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart who served in Rhode Island during the 1970s. He was accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy while assigned to St. Joseph Church in West Warwick, RI, and was later convicted in Massachusetts for sexually abusing two teenagers. Campbell is included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, the Diocese of Rockford’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Accountability list.
Who Was Father James Campbell?
Born on June 25, 1945, James Campbell was ordained as a priest for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart on May 27, 1972.
Campbell earned a Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Loyola University Chicago.
During his ministry, Campbell served in Rhode Island, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colombia, and the Marshall Islands. He was placed on leave in 2002, laicized in 2005, and died in 2007.
Father James Campbell’s Assignments
Father James Campbell served in the following assignments:
- M.S.C. Center, Shelby, Ohio (1974–1975)
- St. Joseph Church, West Warwick, Rhode Island (1975–1977)
- Rhode Island Medical Center, Cranston, Rhode Island (1975–1977)
- Missionary, Bogotá, Colombia (1978–1982)
- St. Therese of Jesus Church, Aurora, Illinois (1982–1991)
- Sacred Heart Monastery, Aurora, Illinois (1991–2000)
- M.S.C. Foreign Missions, Marshall Islands (2000–2002)
- Sacred Heart Villa, Center Valley, Pennsylvania (2002)
Records also indicate that Campbell served at Saint Joseph Church in Elgin, Illinois, although the dates of that assignment are unclear.
Allegations and Public Record
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Father James Campbell “reportedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy (‘Complainant A’) on multiple occasions from 1975 to 1976 in the rectory of St. Joseph’s Church in West Warwick, at a hotel in Narragansett, and once in a hotel near Youngstown, Ohio.”
In 1994, the complainant reported the alleged abuse in a letter to a reverend at St. Joseph Church. The letter was forwarded to Bishop Louis Gelineau and the Diocese’s Office of Education and Compliance. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report found “it does not appear that any investigative action was taken at that time nor was there a referral to law enforcement.” It also did not appear that the Diocese contacted the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to inform them of the allegations.
In May 2002, after a priest who had originally forwarded the complaint sought a follow-up, the Diocese revisited the matter and interviewed Complainant A. During an interview with diocesan investigators, the complainant stated that he believed Campbell had also abused two brothers around the same period. According to the report, one of those individuals had since died by suicide.
It was also reported in 2002 that, according to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart religious order, other complaints had been made against Campbell while he was serving in Illinois.
According to the report, one of those brothers, Complainant B, had independently reported Campbell to Rhode Island State Police in 2000. State Police records cited in the report describe allegations of repeated sexual abuse in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts during the 1970s.
The allegations were presented to the Diocesan Review Board, but it is unclear if there was any determination made. Campbell was placed on leave by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 2002.
In 2003, Campbell was indicted on various sexual abuse charges, and in 2004, he was “convicted of various offenses against Complainant B and a 14-year-old girl in Massachusetts…Campbell pled guilty to one count of Rape, two counts of Assault and Battery, two counts of Delivering Alcohol to a Minor, and one count of Unnatural and Lascivious Acts.” (Appendix A)
In 2005, “Campbell was sentenced to 90 days in prison and 10 years of supervised probation. He was ordered to register as a sex offender and to have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.” (Appendix A)
Father James Campbell was laicized in 2005 and died in 2007. He is included on several lists of credibly accused clergy.
For additional details on his case, please see Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report.
Were You Abused by Father James Campbell? You May Still Have Options.
Even though Campbell is deceased, survivors may still have civil legal options against the institutions that supervised his ministry.
Rhode Island lawmakers have approved legislation that would create a two-year revival window for previously expired childhood sexual abuse claims. If signed into law, survivors whose claims were previously barred by the statute of limitations may have renewed legal options.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Rhode Island and nationwide. Our team takes a trauma-informed approach to every case, ensuring survivors are heard, supported, and empowered throughout the legal process.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
We encourage you to contact us today.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Father James Campbell, News Journal (Mansfield OH), September 10, 1974, via Bishop Accountability. St. Joseph Church, © Google, Google.
