Key Takeaways
- Father Adrien Menard 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, Menard sexually abused at least four children, two boys and two siblings, over roughly 20 years of active ministry, from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s.
- Every complaint against Menard reached the diocese only after his death in 1976, and when one victim finally came forward in 2002, a diocesan official questioned her credibility and discouraged her from taking a polygraph test.
Who Was Father Adrien Menard?
Father Adrien Menard was a priest in the Diocese of Providence who served in several Rhode Island parishes between 1946 and his death in 1976.
Unlike many priests named in the Attorney General’s Report, Menard was never confronted with an abuse allegation during his lifetime. He is identified on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report and appears on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy under the heading for deceased clergy.
According to the Report, Menard sexually abused a 13-year-old boy in 1953 while assigned to Sacred Heart Church in Central Falls, then abused a second boy over several years starting in 1962 after his transfer to St. Joseph Church in Woonsocket. In 1971, the year he was transferred again to St. Joan of Arc Church in Cumberland, he reportedly raped a nine-or ten-year-old girl and separately abused her older brother. (Appendix A, p. 255)
Father Adrien Menard Assignment History
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Menard served at:
- 1946–1947: St. Peter Church, Warwick
- 1947: Sacred Heart Church, Central Falls
- 1947–1948: St. Lawrence Church, North Providence
- 1948–1949: St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, Burrillville
- 1949–1960: Sacred Heart Church and Sacred Heart Academy, Central Falls; Notre Dame High School, Central Falls
- 1960–1971: St. Joseph Church, Woonsocket
- 1971–1976: St. Joan of Arc Church, Cumberland
The Allegations Against Father Adrien Menard
Menard died in 1976, and every allegation against him surfaced only in hindsight. The Diocese’s response to those allegations raises concerns about whether survivors’ disclosures were met with the care and credibility they deserved.
- 1953: According to the Report, Menard masturbated a 13-year-old student at Sacred Heart Academy on two occasions in the Sacred Heart rectory, then again in the gymnasium of Notre Dame High School. This complainant did not disclose the abuse to the Diocese until 2011.
- 1962 to 1965: After Bishop Russell McVinney transferred Menard to St. Joseph Church, a second boy said Menard began abusing him in sixth grade, after first raising the subject of masturbation during confession. The boy said Menard fondled him in the rectory and during car rides. Menard reportedly rigged a card game at a Burrillville lake cottage so the boy always slept beside him and later molested him again during a family trip to California.
- 1971: The same year Menard was transferred to St. Joan of Arc, he reportedly held down and raped a girl who was nine or ten years old, and separately abused her older brother around the same time. The girl reported in 2002 that she still recalled a crucifix on the wall and a closet of priestly robes from the assault, though she could not recall the exact location.
- 2002: The girl, now an adult, reported the abuse to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, which forwarded her complaint to Providence. The diocese’s compliance director told her he needed more corroboration since Menard had no prior complaints on file, questioned how she ended up alone with him as a child, and discouraged her from taking a polygraph test she had offered to prove her account. There is no record that the diocese offered her any financial support.
- 2011: The first complainant wrote to Bishop Thomas Tobin describing his abuse from 1953. The diocese referred the allegation to Rhode Island State Police, who closed the case after determining Menard was deceased.
- 2019: The second complainant reported his abuse to the diocese for the first time, explaining he had disclosed it to his mother decades earlier and she had accused him of lying. He also said he had confided in Father Roger Belhumeur, who called it “an unfortunate thing” but never told him to report it. State Police were again unable to move the case forward given Menard’s death.
Father Adrien Menard’s Criminal Proceedings
Menard was never charged criminally. Every complaint reached investigators after his 1976 death, and State Police closed both the 2011 and 2019 referrals for that reason. In 2024, a detective confirmed the first complainant’s account for the Report’s records; he said he had since left the Catholic Church because of the abuse.
Support for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Father Adrien Menard, 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 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 Menard or another religious leader, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
