Father Joseph D'Angelo Sex Abuse Investigation

Key Takeaways

Father Joseph D’Angelo was accused of sexually abusing at least four boys during his ministry in Rhode Island.
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, concerns regarding D’Angelo’s suitability for ministry existed before his ordination and complaints involving children later emerged at multiple parish assignments.
D’Angelo was suspended from ministry twice, named in a 1996 civil lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse, and ultimately laicized in 2006.

Who Was Father Joseph D’Angelo?

Father Joseph D’Angelo was born on January 3, 1947, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Providence on April 21, 1979.

Prior to his ordination, D’Angelo reportedly held numerous positions involving young people. According to a curriculum vitae he later prepared, he worked as a retreat leader for youth, directed and counseled at a boys’ summer camp in Massachusetts, provided private tutoring in England, counseled orphans in Sicily, and served as a youth moderator in Rome.

D’Angelo served at several Rhode Island parishes before being suspended from ministry in 1983. He later spent time in Italy, where he was permitted to serve in ministry before being suspended in 1997 and then laicized on September 22, 2006.

D’Angelo died on January 15, 2026. He is included on both the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report.

Questions Raised Before Ordination

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, concerns regarding D’Angelo’s suitability for ministry arose years before his ordination. “Father D’Angelo applied for ordination through the Diocese in 1975 after another religious order denied him admission to the priesthood. The Diocese requested that D’Angelo receive a psychological evaluation at the University of Rhode Island before accepting him as a candidate. Although the report noted issues ‘that might present a problem in regular parish activities,’ the Diocese ultimately accepted D’Angelo as a candidate for ordination.” (Appendix A)

Questions persisted, and D’Angelo later underwent additional psychological evaluation and received negative assessments from members of the clergy and laity, “who recommended that he not be ordained.” In 1978, Bishop Louis Gelineau and Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell initially decided not to ordain him, concluding that “‘he does not seem to be adaptable to the specific ministerial needs of our type of diocese.’”

D’Angelo appealed that decision through Church grievance procedures and ultimately prevailed. He was ordained in 1979.

Assignment History

According to records reviewed by the Rhode Island Attorney General, D’Angelo’s assignment history included:

Immaculate Conception Church, Westerly (1977–1978)
St. Anthony Church, Providence (1978–1979)
St. John Church, Providence (Residence) (1979)
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (1979)
St. Augustin Church, Newport (1979–1980)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Providence (1980–1981)
St. John Church, Providence (Residence) (1981)
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (1981)
St. Margaret Church, East Providence (1981–1983)
Suspended from Ministry (1983–1994)
Diocese of Isernia-Venafro, Italy (1994–1997)
Suspended from Ministry (1997–2006)
Laicized (2006)

Allegations Against Father Joseph D’Angelo

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report,

“Father Joseph D’Angelo is accused of sexually abusing at least four boys during his four years as a priest in the Diocese of Providence. He was accused of abusing two boys in 1980 and 1981 while assigned to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Providence, and at least two other boys from 1981 to 1983 while assigned to St. Margaret Parish in East Providence.

In April 1983, a St. Margaret parishioner reported to Bishop Louis Gelineau that Father D’Angelo had directed ‘unnatural acts of affection’ at her children, and a pastor noted that a mother accused D’Angelo of assaulting her son around this same time.” (Appendix A)

Following these complaints, D’Angelo was suspended and instructed to undergo evaluation at a facility operated by the Servants of the Paraclete in New Mexico. Instead, D’Angelo traveled to Rome and appealed his suspension directly to Vatican officials.

Ministry in Italy and Laicization

Although Bishop Gelineau refused to restore D’Angelo to ministry in the Diocese without an evaluation, he later agreed to allow D’Angelo to seek ministry elsewhere.

According to Bishop Accountability, D’Angelo returned to the United States in 1984 and lived in Everett, Massachusetts. In July 1984, he filed complaints with the Diocese Grievance Committee alleging that Bishop Gelineau and a former pastor had defamed him and violated canon law. He later returned to Rome and continued appealing to Vatican officials. Gelineau continued to refuse D’Angelo’s reinstatement in Providence.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Vatican officials discussed laicizing D’Angelo in 1993 following concerns involving the family of a boy in Murialdo, Italy. However, D’Angelo was not removed from the priesthood at that time and was later permitted to minister in the Diocese of Isernia-Venafro in Italy.

According to the Attorney General’s Report, D’Angelo was later named in a 1996 civil lawsuit filed by a man who alleged that D’Angelo sexually abused him as a child in 1981. The lawsuit ultimately became part of the Diocese of Providence’s 2002 settlement resolving dozens of clergy sexual abuse claims. His faculties were suspended in 1997.

The Diocese of Providence ultimately referred D’Angelo for laicization in 2006, and “the Vatican laicized him later that year.”

Readers should refer to Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, for extensive information regarding D’Angelo’s ordination, assignments, abuse reports, suspension, and move to Rome.

Father D’Angelo’s Response

D’Angelo maintained that he was treated unfairly by Church officials.

In September 2019, D’Angelo emailed the AG’s Office, claiming “that the allegations in 1983 were the result of a conspiracy and denied ‘any and all misconduct that is falsely attributed’ to him.”

D’Angelo maintained that Church officials treated him unfairly and retaliated against him for reporting their “‘sin and crime of abuse of power.’” According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, he did not respond when, in 2025, they offered him an opportunity to address the allegations outlined in the report.

On Father D’Angelo’s Linkedin, he wrote in his About section, “During my lifetime, I have unfortunately experienced many problems and obstacles, which were purposely caused by envious, jealous, and mean individuals, who should have instead followed the example of their Master and Lord Jesus, in their own religious vocation. Unfortunately I still suffer the consequences of such incoherent behavior on the part of those individuals without a heart.”

Were You Harmed by Father Joseph D’Angelo?

Although D’Angelo died in 2026, survivors may still have civil legal options against the institutions that supervised him.

Rhode Island’s recently enacted childhood 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 in Rhode Island and nationwide. 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 Joseph D’Angelo or another member of the clergy, we encourage you to speak with an attorney about your rights and potential legal options. Every consultation is free and completely confidential.

📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law

Image sources: Joseph D’Angelo, via LinkedIn. The Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, Providence, RI, via Providence Preservation Society.