Key Takeaways
- Father Eugene D. Corbesero, a priest of the Consolata Society for Foreign Missions, served in five different states and is identified on multiple clergy abuse lists.
- In 2007, Corbesero pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy in New Jersey and was sentenced to five years in prison.
- Survivors of clergy sexual abuse may have civil legal options against the institutions that enabled abuse.
Who Was Father Eugene D. Corbesero?
Born on April 27, 1933, Corbesero was ordained on February 9, 1962. Father Eugene D. Corbesero was a religious order priest of the Consolata Society for Foreign Missions who served in Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, Corbesero was accused of attempting to sexually abuse an altar boy at St. Lawrence Church in North Providence during the 1970s. He was also accused of sexually abusing a boy in Charlotte, NC. He left the Consolata order between approximately 1979 and 1981 and was formally laicized on November 25, 1983, at his own request.
In 2007, Corbesero was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy in New Jersey. He died in 2016.
Corbesero is identified on the Diocese of Charlotte’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, the Archdiocese of Hartford’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report.
Father Eugene D. Corbesero’s Assignment History
According to records reviewed by the Rhode Island Attorney General, Corbesero’s partial assignment history was:
- Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1962)
- Consolata Society for Foreign Missions, Somerset, New Jersey (1963–1971)
- Consolata Society for Foreign Missions (1971–1972)
- Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut – residence only, without faculties to serve (1972–1973)
- Our Lady of Consolation Church, Charlotte, North Carolina (1973–1975)
- St. Dorothy Catholic Mission, Lincolnton, North Carolina (1973–1975)
- St. Lawrence Church, North Providence, Rhode Island (1976–1977)
- Left religious order (approximately 1981)
- Laicized (1983)
Allegations Against Father Eugene D. Corbesero
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, a man “reported to the Rhode Island State Police in 2025 that a visiting priest named ‘Father Eugene’ attempted to fondle him at St. Lawrence Church when he was a 9- or 10-year-old altar boy there between 1976 and 1978. According to the complainant, ‘Father Eugene’ approached him while he was changing out of his robe after altar services, picked him up, placed him on a table, began tickling him, unbuttoned the complainant’s pants, and tried to fondle him. The complainant did not disclose any skin-to-skin contact or other sexual contact.”
According to the report, the complainant did not disclose the incident to the diocese or law enforcement at the time but later confided in his brother. Rhode Island State Police interviewed the complainant’s brother, who confirmed that the complainant had disclosed to him several years earlier that “a visiting priest named ‘Father Eugene’ assaulted him when he was around 10 or 11 years old.’”
The complainant first disclosed the allegation during a 2025 State Police interview regarding another priest, Father Paul Reynolds. During the investigation, law enforcement identified Eugene Corbesero as a priest who served at St. Lawrence Church during the relevant period.
“According to Diocesan records, Corbesero was reassigned from the Diocese of Charlotte to the Diocese of Providence in October 1976 and served as an assistant pastor at St. Lawrence Church in North Providence until October 1977.”
Allegation in North Carolina
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report also references a separate allegation involving Corbesero in North Carolina.
According to the Diocese of Charlotte, “In March of 1995, a man reported to the Diocese of Charlotte that he had been abused by Corbesero when he was a teenager at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte. The alleged incident occurred sometime between 1973 and 1975. When the allegation was made in 1995, then-Charlotte Bishop William Curlin determined it was credible and alerted Corbesero’s order to verify he was no longer in ministry.”
The Diocese of Charlotte included Corbesero on its list of credibly accused clergy in 2019.
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Corbesero left the Consolata Society for Foreign Missions between approximately 1979 and 1981 and was laicized on November 25, 1983, at his own request.
Criminal Conviction in New Jersey
“In August 2006, the parents of a 12-year-old boy reported to New Jersey police that Father Corbesero molested him at a sleepover at Corbesero’s New Jersey home in Franklin Township, New Jersey, where his order had an outpost. According to public reports, the boy left the bedroom where the incident occurred and called both 911 and his mother and reported the assault.” (Appendix A)
Corbesero, who was 73 years old at the time, was arrested and charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. In June 2007, Corbesero pleaded guilty, and in October, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Media reports indicate that prosecutors sought access to Corbesero’s personnel records from his years in ministry, arguing they may have contained evidence of prior misconduct dating back to the 1970s. The court denied that request.
Find more information on Corbesero from Bishop Accountability and Appendix A of Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence
Potential Civil Liability for Religious Institutions
When allegations of sexual misconduct involving clergy are reported, diocesan officials have a responsibility to investigate concerns and take reasonable steps to protect parishioners and the broader community. Failure to adequately respond to warning signs can create opportunities for additional harm.
Civil lawsuits may examine what officials knew, how allegations were handled, and whether reasonable steps were taken to protect children. These cases can help survivors seek compensation for the harm they suffered while also uncovering institutional failures and encouraging reforms designed to prevent future abuse.
Were You Harmed by Father Eugene D. Corbesero?
Although Father Corbesero died in 2016, survivors may still have civil legal options against the institutions that supervised his ministry.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we focus exclusively on representing survivors of sexual abuse in civil cases against institutions like the Catholic Church.
If you were harmed by Father Eugene D. Corbesero or another member of the clergy, we encourage you to speak with a member of our team about your rights and potential legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Image sources: Eugene Corbesero, courtesy of New Jersey Department of Corrections, via Bishop Accountability.
