Key Takeaways
- Father James Silva was named by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office as one of four current and former Diocese of Providence priests criminally charged with child sexual abuse as a result of its clergy investigation.
- A statewide grand jury indicted Silva in November 2021 on two counts of first-degree child molestation and nine counts of second-degree child molestation, involving a boy under 14 between 1989 and 1990.
- Silva had already pleaded guilty in 1995 to a separate second-degree sexual assault charge and received a seven-year suspended sentence.
- Diocesan records reviewed in past litigation show Silva was removed from at least three parish assignments over accusations of abusing boys between the 1970s and 1990s, and that a New Mexico treatment center warned Diocesan officials around 1983 to “keep Silva away from youths,” years before he was placed in a role overseeing seminary formation.
Who Was Father James Silva?
Father James M. Silva was ordained in 1967 and served at numerous Rhode Island parishes before being named Assistant and later Interim Director of the Diocese’s Office of Ministerial Formation in 1986. He was laicized in 1993.
Silva is one of four clergy members the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office criminally charged as a result of its investigation into the Diocese, alongside John Petrocelli, Kevin Fisette, and the late Edward Kelley. He was also included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy. The criminal charges against him remain pending.
Father James Silva Assignment History
According to the Diocese of Providence, Silva’s assignments were, as follows:
- Jesus Saviour Church, Newport, 1967-1968
- St. Francis Xavier Church, East Providence, 1968-1969
- Jesus Saviour Church, Newport, 1969-1971
- St. Barnabas Church, Portsmouth, 1971-1972
- Regional CYO Newport County, 1971-1974
- St. Christopher Church, Tiverton, 1972-1974
- St. Mary Church, Bristol, 1974-1975
- St. Matthew Church, Cranston, 1975-1976
- St. Joseph Church, Pascoag, 1976-1980
- St. Lucy Church, Middletown, 1980-1981
- St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Narragansett, 1982
- Continuing Education & Spirituality, Diocese of Providence, Providence, 1981
- SS. Peter & Paul Church, West Warwick, 1982-1983
- Cathedral of SS Peter & Paul, Providence, 1983-1986
- Office of Ministerial Formation, Providence, 1986-1993
- St. Joseph Hospital, Providence, 1991
The Allegations Against Father James Silva
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, the pending criminal indictment against Silva alleges that he committed multiple acts of child molestation against a boy under age 14 between 1989 and 1990, while Silva served as Interim Director and Assistant Director of the Diocese’s Office of Ministerial Formation.
That indictment reflects only one chapter of a documented pattern. The Providence Journal-Bulletin reporting from 1994 described Silva sexually abusing a 15 year old boy while assigned to St. Christopher’s in Tiverton in the early 1970s. The Boston Globe later reported Silva was twice reported to the Diocese for molesting boys while at St. Matthew’s in Cranston, and was removed from St. Joseph’s in Pascoag and St. Lucy’s in Middletown following further accusations.
Criminal Proceedings Against Father James Silva
A statewide grand jury indicted Silva on November 3, 2021, on two counts of first-degree child molestation and nine counts of second-degree child molestation. He was arraigned in Providence County Superior Court, and bail was set at $50,000 with surety. The court also issued a no-contact order between Silva and both the alleged victim and any other person under 18. As of this writing, the case remains pending. As of August 2026, no trial date has been announced.
Separately, in March 1995, Silva had pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual assault in an unrelated case and received a seven-year suspended sentence with probation.
Civil Litigation Against Father James Silva
A 1994 lawsuit alleges that in spring 1980, Bishop Louis Gelineau transferred Silva out of St. Joseph’s after he allegedly molested several boys there, then sent him to St. Lucy’s without warning that parish. When a Navy chaplain later told Gelineau that Silva was making advances on a boy at St. Lucy’s, Gelineau’s reported reply was, “Oh, no. Not again!”
That same lawsuit alleges the Diocese sent Silva out of state for treatment twice, and that around 1983, staff at a New Mexico facility run by the Servants of the Paraclete warned a Diocesan official to keep Silva away from young people, three years before he was placed in charge of forming Diocesan seminarians. The lawsuit also accused him of assaulting an 18-year-old man in 1991 while filling in for a vacationing pastor.
Separately, a man named Joe Ruggeri has spoken publicly about being molested by Silva during a camping trip while a student at a Newport Catholic school, decades before the pending criminal charges. Ruggeri was among a group of survivors whose civil claims against the Diocese were resolved in a 2002 settlement.
Rhode Island’s expanded statute of limitations may allow additional survivors to pursue their own civil claims.
Support for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Father James Silva, 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 Silva or another religious leader, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
