Key Takeaways
- Father Alfred Lonardo was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sex Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, but not on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
- The Attorney General’s Report details allegations against Lonardo and his connection to Father Daniel Azzarone, who himself pled no contest to sexual assault charges.
- Survivors of clergy sexual abuse may have civil legal options against the institutions that enabled abuse.
Who Was Father Alfred Lonardo?
Father Alfred Lonardo was a priest of the Diocese of Providence.
Ordained in 1963, Lonardo served in Rhode Island for several decades before he retired in 2007. He died on July 9, 2022.
Although allegations were made against him, he was never criminally prosecuted due to “insufficient evidence” and the statute of limitations.
Although Father Lonardo was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, he is not included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
Lonardo’s Assignment History
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Father Alfred Lonardo served in the following assignments:
- 1963: St. Francis Church, Wakefield
- 1963–1973: St. Teresa of Avila Church, Providence
- 1973–1975: St. Mary Church, Cranston
- 1975–1977: Adult Correctional Institutions, Cranston
- 1977–1986: Holy Cross Church, Providence
- 1986–2002: St. Mary Church, Cranston
- 2002: Sabbatical, North American College, Rome, Italy
- 2003: St. Augustine Church, Providence
- 2007: Retired
The Allegations Against Father Alfred Lonardo
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, “In early 2022, a complainant reported to the Rhode Island State Police and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office that between 1994 and 1996, starting when he was 15 years old, he was sexually abused by the pastor and assistant pastor of St. Mary Church in Cranston, Father Alfred Lonardo and Father Daniel Azzarone.”
The complainant alleged that he worked at St. Mary Rectory after school and considered Father Lonardo a mentor. He alleged that one night, Father Lonardo provided him with alcohol before repeatedly attempting to sexually assault him inside the St. Mary rectory. According to the Report, “Lonardo continued to fondle him on the drive home, the complainant said, and told him not to tell anyone, which the boy did not, because he felt helpless and afraid.”
According to the Report, after the boy attempted to disclose the abuse to Father Daniel Azzarone, Azzarone also sexually abused him. The complainant further alleged that, over the next several years, Fathers Lonardo and Azzarone took him and other altar boys out, providing them with food and alcohol, while Azzarone continued to sexually abuse him.
Following its investigation, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office concluded that “the case was not prosecutable as a first-degree sexual assault due to insufficient evidence of force or coercion and because second-degree sexual assault charges were foreclosed by the applicable statute of limitations.”
Father Lonardo’s Connection to Father Daniel Azzarone
According to diocesan records cited in the Attorney General’s Report, Bishop Louis Gelineau had warned Lonardo in 1993 to be “‘very vigilant’” in supervising Azzarone “due to a recent allegation that Azzarone had sexually abused a boy.”
In 2002, Azzarone was indicted on several counts of sexual assault. According to a summary by Bishop Accountability, “after Azzarone was indicted, a parishioner anonymously wrote in a letter to the Diocese that Lonardo was aware of Azzarone’s abuse of children and that Lonardo had also abused children, on his own and with Azzarone. The parishioner said that liquor and drugs were involved, and that Lonardo hosted ‘young men’ overnight in the rectory. The A.G. investigator discovered written on the bottom of the letter ‘we do not take into consideration anonymous letters.’”
Less than two weeks later, Bishop Robert Mulvee accepted Lonardo’s resignation as pastor of St. Mary Church and assigned him to “sabbatical studies.”
Sabbatical in Rome and Return to Ministry
According to the Attorney General’s Report, Father Lonardo left for Rome for the sabbatical in mid-August 2002 but returned to the United States by early 2003 following an allegation of misconduct involving alcohol and an adult male seminarian. The seminarian alleged that Lonardo touched his groin area without consent.
The Diocese arranged treatment for Lonardo and later returned him to parish ministry, where he remained until retiring in 2007.
Father Lonardo died in July 2022, and the Diocese of Providence posted on Facebook in the wake of his death, “In your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Rev. Alfred C. Lonardo, a priest of the Diocese of Providence. Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”
Readers seeking additional information regarding Father Alfred Lonardo should review Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence and the sources compiled by Bishop Accountability.
Why Accountability Still Matters
Criminal prosecution is not always possible in cases of clergy sexual abuse. In many instances, the accused priest has died, or criminal charges are barred by the applicable statute of limitations.
Civil litigation can provide survivors with an opportunity to be heard and hold organizations accountable for enabling abuse. Although Father Alfred Lonardo died in 2022, survivors may still have legal options against the institutions responsible for overseeing his ministry.
If You Were Harmed by Father Alfred Lonardo
Rhode Island’s child sexual abuse revival window has created an opportunity for survivors to pursue civil claims that may have previously been barred by the statute of limitations.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of clergy sexual abuse across the nation. Our team takes a trauma-informed approach to every case, ensuring survivors are heard, supported, and empowered throughout the legal process.
If you were abused by Father Lonardo, or another clergy member, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Image sources: Fr. Alfred Lonardo, via Bishop Accountability. St. Mary’s Church, Cranston, RI, © Google, Google Maps.
