Key Takeaways
- Father Paul Charland was accused of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior during his ministry in Rhode Island.
- According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, diocesan officials were aware of concerns involving Charland as early as 1982, but he remained in ministry until 2011.
- Survivors of clergy sexual abuse may have civil legal options against the institutions that enabled abusive clergy members.
Who Is Father Paul Charland?
Born on April 24, 1945, Paul Charland was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Providence on May 15, 1971. He served in numerous Rhode Island parishes throughout his ministry. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, Church officials received allegations involving Charland as early as 1982. Despite additional complaints and concerns over the following decades, he remained in ministry until he was removed from public ministry in 2011 and retired as a senior priest. Charland is included on both the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report and the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
Father Paul Charland’s Assignments
According to records reviewed by the Rhode Island Attorney General, Charland served in the following assignments:
- St. Augustine Church, Providence (1971–1975)
- Christian Youth Formation Center, North Kingstown (1975–1979)
- St. Joseph Church, Cumberland (Residence) (1979–1982)
- St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket (1979–1982)
- St. Joseph Church, Cumberland (1979–1982)
- House of Affirmation, Whitinsville, Massachusetts (1982)
- SS. John & Paul Church, Coventry (1983)
- St. Agatha Church, Woonsocket (1983–1986)
- Holy Ghost Church, Tiverton (1986-1990)
- St. Lawrence Church, North Providence (1990–1992)
- St. Paul the Apostle Church, Foster (1992–2006)
- Mount St. Rita Health Centre, Cumberland (2006–2007)
- St. Francis House, Woonsocket (2007–2009)
- Various nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the Providence area (2009–2011)
- Suspended and retired (2011)
Early Allegations Against Father Paul Charland
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, “In 2002, a woman (‘Complainant A’) reported to the Diocese that Father Charland sexually abused her in 1980 or 1981 while he was working at St. Raphael’s Academy as a guidance counselor and Catholic Youth Organization teacher. Complainant A, who was about 15 years old at the time of the alleged abuse and student at St. Raphael’s Academy, reported that Charland kissed and groped her on multiple occasions on campus, and once while helping her into and out of his private boat in Newport. She also claimed that she saw Father Charland abuse her friend in a similar manner during the same Newport boating trip.”
The Attorney General’s investigation found that diocesan officials “had received notice of this conduct near the time it had occurred,” in 1982. According to a letter to a bishop cited in the report, a priest informed Bishop Kenneth Angell that Charland’s behavior allegedly “‘covers ten years’” and was reported by multiple individuals. The same priest confronted Charland and reported that Charland could not deny kissing a 15-year-old student and that he excused himself as “‘overly friendly.’” The priest warned that failing to require counseling of Charland would be “‘a disservice to him, the kids, and to the [C]hurch.’”
Following these concerns, Charland was sent to the House of Affirmation, a treatment center for Catholic priests in Massachusetts. While continuing to receive treatment, he began a new assignment at Saints John & Paul Church in Coventry in 1983.
Continued Ministry and Additional Concerns
According to the AG’s report, “Father Charland remained in ministry for the next decade, moving between several parishes in Woonsocket, Tiverton, and North Providence. In 1992, Charland’s transfer to St. Paul the Apostle Church in Foster caused an outcry. Several parishioners wrote to Diocese officials expressing concerns about their new pastor and rumors of his conduct with children. ‘I am afraid that our parish children are at risk,’ wrote one parishioner.”
Despite these warnings, a chancellor assured parishioners that there was no reason to be alarmed, even writing in a letter to one parishioner, “‘I can assure you that your fears are groundless.’”
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report also describes later allegations involving another 15-year-old girl that the diocese was made aware of in 2003. According to the report, the teenager (Complainant B) alleged that Charland had groped her multiple times and kissed her during a family sailing trip in 1999. Her father reportedly witnessed some of the conduct and confirmed his observations to investigators. Criminal charges were not filed because the applicable statute of limitations had expired at that time.
In 2003, Charland reportedly admitted to diocesan investigator Robert McCarthy that he had kissed the first complainant on the lips during a boating trip in 1980, “but denied knowing her friend.” According to the report, he also acknowledged sailing with the second complainant and her family but denied intentionally touching her inappropriately.
Evaluations, Restrictions, and Removal From Ministry
The report states that Charland underwent psychological evaluations in 2004 and 2006, after concerns were raised that he had failed to follow previous recommendations.
For the final five years of his career, he was assigned exclusively to nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
In 2011, an adult woman reported that Charland had harassed her at a parish on numerous occasions and hugged and kissed her without her consent. During a subsequent interview, Charland reportedly admitted to kissing and hugging the woman. Following that complaint, Bishop Thomas Tobin suspended Charland from public ministry on August 26, 2011, pending the outcome of the investigation of the 2011 complaint, and granted him permission to “honorably retire.” He was not laicized.
The Attorney General’s Office sent Charland a letter in 2024, “offering him an opportunity to provide a statement to the State Police regarding the allegations against him.” Charland denied the allegations and described them as “‘misinterpretations’ of his attempts to ‘show care and concern for adults and youth.’”
Father Paul Charland was publicly identified on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, and is included in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report.
For additional details regarding the case of Fr. Paul Charland and the diocesan response, please see Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report.
Why Accountability Within the Catholic Church Still Matters
History has shown that individuals who sexually abuse children frequently continue their behavior.
When allegations of abuse are dismissed, minimized, concealed, or inadequately investigated, others may remain at risk.
In many cases, victims, parents, or others in the community voiced concerns only to be reassured that there was nothing to worry about or that the accused would not engage in such conduct. History has shown that these assurances were often false.
For that reason, accountability remains important today. Examining how allegations were handled can help uncover institutional failures, provide answers to survivors, and encourage reforms designed to better protect children in the future.
Andreozzi and Foote Represents Survivors of the Catholic Church
Individuals who were abused by Father Paul Charland or another member of the clergy may have legal rights.
Survivors whose claims were previously barred by the statute of limitations in Rhode Island may have a renewed opportunity to pursue accountability against the institutions that employed, supervised, or retained abusive clergy members.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we focus exclusively on representing survivors of sexual abuse in civil cases against institutions like the Catholic Church.
If you or a loved one were abused by Fr. Paul Charland or another clergy member, our trauma-informed attorneys are here to help you pursue your civil legal options and fight for justice.
Contact us today.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Image sources: Fr. Paul Charland, via Bishop Accountability. St. Raphael Academy, via Facebook.
