Key Takeaways
- Father Peter Tedeschi was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sex Abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
- According to the report, Tedeschi sexually abused a 14- or 15-year-old girl, Margaret McKenna, over several months in 1960, and Tedeschi himself later admitted the abuse to her directly, along with an unspecified number of other victims.
- The Diocese places Tedeschi in a separate “publicly accused” category rather than its Credibly Accused Clergy list, reasoning that a single uncorroborated allegation made after his death could not be independently verified, a distinction McKenna has publicly disputed.
Who Was Father Peter Tedeschi?
Father Peter L. Tedeschi was ordained in 1960 and served at seven parishes and a hospital chaplaincy across Rhode Island over 26 years. He died in October 1986.
Tedeschi is identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report. The Diocese lists him as “publicly accused” rather than “credibly accused,” a category it created specifically for priests, already dead, facing a single allegation the Diocese’s own investigators could not corroborate with other witnesses. According to the report, the only documented allegation against Tedeschi came from Margaret McKenna, who has authorized the Attorney General’s Office to publish her name and has spoken publicly about her abuse since 2019. (Appendix A, p. 347)
Father Peter Tedeschi Assignment History
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Tedeschi served at:
- 1960: Holy Trinity Church, Central Falls
- 1960–1962: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Providence
- 1962–1964: St. Alexander Church, Warren
- 1964–1965: St. Ann Church, Providence
- 1965–1971: St. Anthony Church, Woonsocket
- 1971–1979: St. Mary Church, Cranston
- 1979–1985: St. Joseph Hospital, Providence
- 1985–1986: St. Joseph Church, Cumberland
The Allegations Against Father Peter Tedeschi
Margaret McKenna said she met the newly ordained Tedeschi through her parish’s Catholic Youth Organization when she was about 14, and that he abused her repeatedly between May and the fall of 1960, touching her under her clothes and forcing her to perform oral sex, in the church sacristy and rectory, in his car, and at a local park. She said Tedeschi called her at home, picked her up from school, and told her he loved her and would leave the priesthood to marry her.
McKenna reported that she disclosed the abuse three times over the following decades before the Diocese has any documentation of a complaint: to a priest during confession around 1961, who told her to “feel sad” for Tedeschi and pray for him; directly to Tedeschi himself in a 1968 confrontation, during which she said he admitted abusing her as well as an unspecified number of other people, telling her, “I have a problem. I know it is a problem. I love you”; and again to the Diocese in the early 2000s. None of these earlier reports appear in the Diocese’s records.
McKenna formally reported her abuse to compliance director Robert McCarthy in October 2012. She later told investigators that McCarthy asked her to take a polygraph and “insinuated if I didn’t, no one would believe me.” When she asked to address the Diocesan Review Board directly, both McCarthy and Bishop Thomas Tobin denied her request. She said that in a 2013 meeting, Tobin told her, “you want me to say I’m sorry for something that happened 50 years ago… fine, I’m sorry,” and mentioned that Tedeschi “had other issues,” which she took as an attempt to excuse the abuse. She said she never heard from the Diocese again after that meeting.
Tedeschi was never criminally charged. McKenna reported her abuse to Rhode Island State Police in 2014, but the investigation could not proceed because Tedeschi had died in 1986, decades earlier.
Civil Litigation Against Father Peter Tedeschi
McKenna has pursued public accountability directly, testifying before the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee in 2019 in support of legislation extending the statute of limitations for survivors and speaking to the Boston Globe about her experience that same year. Rhode Island’s expanded statute of limitations may still allow her, or others, to pursue civil claims against the Diocese.
Support for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Father Peter Tedeschi, Andreozzi + Foote is here to help.
Recent changes to Rhode Island law have 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 ensures survivors are heard, supported, and empowered throughout the legal process.
If you were abused by Father Tedeschi or another religious leader, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
