Key Takeaways
- Father Paul F. Reynolds was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sex Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, even though the Diocese has never included him on its own List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
- According to the report, Reynolds sexually abused at least three boys, all around ages 8 to 10, in the mid-1970s while serving as an altar boy supervisor at St. Lawrence Parish in North Providence.
- Two of the victims sued the Diocese in 2020, but Rhode Island courts dismissed their claims in 2023 after ruling that the state’s expanded statute of limitations applied only to abusers themselves, not to the institutions accused of enabling them.
Who Was Father Paul F. Reynolds?
Father Paul F. Reynolds was a priest in the Diocese of Providence for more than 40 years, serving four parishes before retiring in 2007 due to medical leave. He died in 2017.
Reynolds is identified on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, but he does not appear on the Diocese of Providence’s own List of Credibly Accused Clergy. His case surfaced only after two of his alleged victims filed a civil lawsuit in 2020. According to the report, all three known victims were altar boys at St. Lawrence Parish in North Providence in the mid-1970s. (Appendix A, p. 297)
Father Paul F. Reynolds Assignment History
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, Reynolds served at:
- 1965–1969: Blessed Sacrament Church, Providence
- 1969–1982: St. Lawrence Church, North Providence
- 1982–1992: St. Martha Church, East Providence
- 1992–2007: St. Mary Church, West Warwick
- 2007: Medical leave, then retired as Pastor Emeritus
The Allegations Against Father Paul F. Reynolds
All three complainants described Reynolds as someone their families trusted, which he used to isolate them individually rather than through any single documented pattern of institutional warning.
- 1974: A boy about nine years old said he was helping Reynolds prepare for a parish festival and fell asleep in a pew, waking to find Reynolds’s exposed penis touching his lips. He said he ran from the church and hid in the woods until dark. When he got home, his mother was on the phone with Reynolds, who asked to speak with the boy and told him not to tell anyone. He did not disclose the abuse to anyone until 2013.
- 1976 or 1977: A second boy, about eight or nine years old, said Reynolds was close with his family and would frequently touch and grab him in ways disguised as playful affection. He described two specific incidents: one in which Reynolds forced him to perform oral sex for several minutes inside the church, and another in which Reynolds blocked an exit, pulled down his own pants, and tried unsuccessfully to get the boy to touch him. He did not disclose the abuse until 2017, after learning that the first complainant, a close friend, had also come forward.
- Summer 1975: A third boy, about 10 years old, said Reynolds asked him to sit on his lap after Mass, began “tickling” him, and tried to unzip his pants before the boy pushed his hand away and escaped further contact. He told his parents the same day, and his father reported the incident to a parish priest, after which the boy understood an “agreement” had been reached, requiring Reynolds to leave. This complainant also disclosed a separate incident involving a different visiting priest at St. Lawrence around the same period, later identified by State Police as Father Eugene Corbesero.
The Diocese produced no records of any other complaints against Reynolds, and it is unclear whether his case was ever formally reviewed by the Diocesan Review Board.
Reynolds was never criminally charged. He died in 2017, and the Rhode Island State Police did not formally interview any of the three complainants until 2025, after the Attorney General’s investigation was already underway.
Civil Litigation Against Father Paul F. Reynolds
In late 2020, two of Reynolds’s alleged victims sued the Diocese. Diocesan attorneys invited their lawyers to discuss the allegations in January 2021, but there is no record of a response. The Diocese referred the allegations to the Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney General’s Office in February 2021.
Both lawsuits were stayed pending the Rhode Island Supreme Court’s decision in Houllahan v. Gelineau, which upheld a lower court’s dismissal of claims against hierarchical Diocesan defendants on statute of limitations grounds. Applying that precedent, the Reynolds complainants’ cases were dismissed in December 2023. The third complainant never filed a civil or criminal complaint and has not received any settlement from the Diocese.
Support for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Father Paul F. Reynolds, 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 Reynolds or another religious leader, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
Image sources: Father Paul F. Reynolds, via BishopAccountability.org.
