Credibly Accused
This category includes priests, seminarians, and other religious against whom an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was made that meets the semblance of truth standard previously defined and who were incardinated in the Diocese of Fall River and/or assigned to public ministry in the Diocese of Fall River.
This category is divided into three subcategories:
(A) Incardinated in the Diocese of Fall River
(B) Other Diocese
(C) Religious Order
For those in sub-categories B and C, respectively, the priest was incardinated in another diocese or was a member of a religious order but exercised public ministry in the Diocese of Fall River.
A. Incardinated in the Diocese of Fall River
| Name | Year of Birth | Year of Ordination | Diocese of Incardination | Assignment History in the Diocese of Fall River | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrade, Manuel Jr. | 1926 | 1949 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River St. John of God, Somerset Santo Christo, Fall River Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Bedford Our Lady of the Angels, Fall River Espirito Santo, Fall River Immaculate Conception, New Bedford Our Lady of Health, Fall River St. Michael, Fall River St. John the Baptist, New Bedford St. Anthony, Taunton | Deceased (1995) |
| Annunziato, Armando | 1931 | 1956 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, North Attleboro St. Francis of Assisi, New Bedford St. Mary's Home, New Bedford St. Vincent's Home, Fall River St. Bernard, Assonet St. James, New Bedford St. Mary, Mansfield | Deceased (1993) |
| Avila, Jose M. Bettencourt e (aka George Avellar)1 | 1906 | 1930 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Anthony, Taunton Immaculate Conception, New Bedford Our Lady of Health, Fall River St. Anthony, East Falmouth Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Bedford | Deceased (1988) |
| Baker, William F. | 1949 | 1977 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John, Attleboro St. Patrick, Falmouth Our Lady of Grace, Westport St. Mary, Seekonk St. Joseph, Fall River | Faculties Removed; Laicized (2015) |
| Barney, H. Stanley | 1949 | 1975 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Dominic, Swansea Sacred Heart, Fall River St. Pius X, South Yarmouth Our Lady of Victory, Centerville St. George, Westport St. Mary, Mansfield | Faculties Removed |
| Bernier, Adrien E. | 1919 | 1957 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Michael, Ocean Grove Notre Dame, Fall River St. Mathieu, Fall River Sacred Heart, New Bedford St. Anne, New Bedford | Deceased (1989) |
| Boffa, William J. | 1949 | 1975 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Louis and St. Joseph, Fall River Our Lady of Grace, Westport Immaculate Conception, North Easton St. Vincent de Paul Camp, Westport St. Joseph, Taunton Coyle & Cassidy High School, Taunton Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Seekonk St. John Neumann, East Freetown St. William, Fall River St. Stephen, Attleboro St. Pius X, South Yarmouth | Faculties Removed |
| Boulet, Normand J. | 1940 | 1969 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Hyacinth, New Bedford St. Stephen, Dodgeville St. Joseph, Attleboro Boy Scouts of America, Attleboro Immaculate Conception, Taunton Our Lady of Grace, Westport Boy Scouts of America, New Bedford St. Michael, Swansea St. Anthony, New Bedford St. Jacques, Taunton Boy Scouts of America, Taunton | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2015) |
| Bowen, Donald J. | 1938 | 1964 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Patrick, Somerset St. Joseph, North Dighton St. Mary, Norton St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro | Laicized (2007) |
| Buckley, James F. | 1931 | 1959 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary Cathedral, Fall River Sacred Heart, Fall River Immaculate Conception, Fall River St. Joan of Arc, Orleans St. Augustine, Vineyard Haven St. Margaret, Buzzards Bay Holy Redeemer, Chatham | Faculties Removed |
| Byington, Edward J. | 1939 | 1970 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John, Attleboro Sacred Heart, Taunton St. Patrick, Fall River St. Paul, Taunton St. George, Westport Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk Girl Scouts of America, Attleboro Area Sacred Heart, Fall River St. Francis, Hyannis St. Thomas More, Somerset | Faculties Removed |
| Clark, James A. | 1929 | 1955 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, New Bedford Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Taunton | Laicized (2000); Deceased (2011) |
| Connolly, Paul G. | 1929 | 1956 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, Taunton Immaculate Conception, Fall River St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis St. Mary, New Bedford St. Elizabeth, Edgartown | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2007) |
| Cronin, John P. | 1931 | 1957 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Patrick, Fall River St. Vincent's Home, Fall River St. Bernard Church, Assonet St. Joseph, Taunton Our Lady of Fatima, Swansea St. Joseph, North Dighton St. Anne, Fall River | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2014) |
| de Souza, Maurice | 1912 | 1939 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John the Baptist, New Bedford St. Anthony, East Falmouth St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River St. Anthony, Taunton Our Lady of Health, Fall River | Deceased (1996) |
| Degagne, Richard E | 1954 | 1982 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John, Attleboro Holy Name, Fall River St. Anthony of Padua, New Bedford Notre Dame, Fall River Sacred Heart, North Attleboro Immaculate Conception, Taunton St. John Neumann, East Freetown Immaculate Conception, North Easton | Faculties Removed |
| DeMello, Arthur T. | 1934 | 1962 | Diocese of Fall River | Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton Our Lady of Health, Fall River St. John of God, Somerset St. Mary, Taunton Immaculate Conception, New Bedford St. Elizabeth, Fall River | Faculties Restricted; Deceased (2004) |
| dos Reis, Arthur C. | 1902 | 1926 | Diocese of Fall River | Holy Family, East Taunton St. Michael, Fall River Espirito Santo, Fall River St. Anthony, Fall River Our Lady of Health, Fall River Santo Christo, Fall River | Deceased (1981) |
| Dupuis, J. Arthur G. | 1907 | 1933 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Joseph, Attleboro Notre Dame, Fall River St. Joseph Orphanage, Fall River St. Louis de France, Swansea | Deceased (1975) |
| Dylla, Hugo | 1874 | 1899 | Diocese of Fall River | Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Bedford Holy Rosary, Taunton St. Stanislaus, Fall River Holy Cross, Fall River | Deceased (1966) |
| Fahey, James W. | 1944 | 1970 | Diocese of Fall River | Our Lady of the Assumption, Osterville Immaculate Conception, North Easton St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, South Attleboro | Faculties Restricted; Deceased (2016) |
| Fernandes, Stephen A. | 1950 | 1976 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro Holy Name, New Bedford Sts. Peter and Paul, Fall River St. James, New Bedford Christ the King, Mashpee St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis Our Lady of Fatima, New Bedford | Faculties Removed; Laicized (2008) |
| Fraga, Bento R. | 1930 | 1956 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John of God, Somerset St. Joseph, Taunton Holy Ghost, Attleboro St. John the Baptist, New Bedford St. Peter, Provincetown St. Paul, Taunton | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2012) |
| Furtado, Steven R. | 1947 | 1973 | Diocese of Fall River | Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton St. Luke's Hospital, New Bedford St. John, New Bedford Charlton Memorial Hospital, Fall River Sacred Heart, Fall River Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Bedford Our Lady of Health, Fall River St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River Espirito Santo, Fall River Holy Ghost, Attleboro | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2016) |
| Gomes, John A. | 1942 | 1969 | Diocese of Fall River | Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton Boy Scouts of America, Taunton Area St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River Union-Truesdale Hospital, Fall River St. John of God, Somerset Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs Our Lady of the Angels, Fall River St. Elizabeth, Fall River Annunciation of the Lord, Taunton St. Mary, South Dartmouth | Faculties Restricted |
| Herrera, Hernando | 1967 | 1998 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Joseph, Taunton Coyle & Cassidy High School, Taunton Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk St. Mary Cathedral, Fall River | Faculties Removed; Laicized (2004) |
| Higgins, Phillip J. | 1937 | 1973 | Diocese of Fall River | St. George, Westport St. Peter, Provincetown St. Lawrence, New Bedford | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2007) |
| Kaszynski, Robert S. | 1933 | 1960 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Patrick, Fall River St. Stanislaus, Fall River | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2014) |
| Keliher, Cornelius J. | 1907 | 1932 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Patrick, Wareham Our Lady of the Assumption, Osterville St. Louis, Fall River Sts. Peter and Paul, Fall River St. Mary, Hebronville | Deceased (1993) |
| Kozanko, Andrew | 1974 | 2000 | Diocese of Fall River | Corpus Christi, East Sandwich Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Bedford St. Anne’s Hospital, Fall River Notre Dame, Fall River St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis | Faculties Restricted |
| Kuhn, Michael F. 2 | 1957 | 1997 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, Seekonk Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro St. Mary Cathedral, Fall River Paul VI High School, Fairfax, VA St. Paul Chung, Chantilly, VA Siena Academy Montessori -St. Catherine of Siena, Great Falls, VA Youth Apostles Institute, McLean, VA Mount St. Mary's University, Emmitsburg, MD Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA St. John's Catholic Prep, Baltimore, MD Marymount University, Arlington, VA | Faculties Restricted |
| Lacroix, Daniel W. | 1959 | 1988 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Vincent de Paul Camp, Westport Holy Name Church, New Bedford Holy Redeemer, Chatham St. Patrick, Wareham St. Mary, Mansfield St. Francis Xavier, Acushnet St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Seekonk St. Mary, New Bedford St. Joseph-St. Theresa, New Bedford Our Lady of Fatima, New Bedford | Faculties Removed |
| Landry, David J. | 1962 | 1987 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro St. Anne, Fall River St. Mary, Taunton Immaculate Conception, Taunton St. Jacques, Taunton St. Pius X, South Yarmouth Our Lady of Victory, Centerville | Faculties Removed; Laicized (2020) |
| Maguire, Joseph D. | 1944 | 1970 | Diocese of Fall River | St. James, New Bedford St. Patrick, Somerset St. Patrick, Falmouth Boy Scouts of Cape Cod Area St. Elizabeth, Edgartown Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs St. Joseph, Taunton | Faculties Removed; Laicized (2007) |
| McCarthy, Raymond W. | 1919 | 1945 | Diocese of Fall River | Sacred Heart, Fall River St. Patrick, Somerset St. Patrick, Fall River St. Mark, Attleboro Falls Our Lady of Victory, Centerville St. John the Baptist, New Bedford | Faculties Removed; Deceased (2005) |
| Messier, Donald E. | 1937 | 1968 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River St. Mathieu, Fall River Our Lady of Fatima, New Bedford St. Patrick, Fall River St. Thomas More, Somerset Immaculate Conception, Taunton Marian Manor, Taunton | Faculties Restricted |
| Murphy, James E. | 1935 | 1962 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Patrick, Fall River St. Mary, Taunton Sacred Heart, Taunton St. Jacques, Taunton | Laicized (2006); Deceased (2020) |
| Neylon, Bruce M. | 1948 | 1975 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, Mansfield Holy Name, Fall River St. Patrick, Wareham Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Attleboro St. John, Attleboro St. Mary, Seekonk St. Stanislaus, Fall River Holy Trinity, Fall River | Faculties Removed |
| Nichols, Herbert T. | 1948 | 1975 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, New Bedford St. Joseph, Fall River St. Ann, Raynham St. Joseph, Taunton Boy Scouts of America, Attleboro-Taunton Area St. Mary, Taunton St. Anne, Fall River St. Joan of Arc, Orleans Charlton Memorial Hospital, Fall River St. James, New Bedford Our Lady of Lourdes, Wellfleet St. Anthony of Padua, New Bedford St. Bernadette, Fall River | Faculties Removed |
| Norton, William W. | 1941 | 1967 | Diocese of Fall River | Sacred Heart, Taunton St. Kilian, New Bedford Cathedral Camp, East Freetown Bishop Stang High School, Dartmouth St. Mary's Home, New Bedford Holy Name, New Bedford St. Mary, New Bedford St. Patrick, Wareham St. Patrick, Fall River St. Joseph, Woods Hole Our Lady of Lourdes, Wellfleet Our Lady of Victory, Centerville St. Anne, Fall River St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River | Deceased (2004) |
| Paquette, Edward O. | 1928 | 1957 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, Taunton St. Mary, Mansfield St. Kilian, New Bedford | Faculties Removed; Laicized (2009) |
| Pegnam, John W. | 1931 | 1960 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis Immaculate Conception, Taunton St. Mary, Norton | Deceased (1996) |
| Porter, James R. | 1935 | 1960 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary, North Attleboro Sacred Heart, Fall River St. James, New Bedford | Faculties Removed; Laicized (1974); Deceased (2005) |
| Quinn, Justin J. | 1926 | 1953 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River St. Kilian, New Bedford St. Thomas More, Somerset St. Lawrence, New Bedford St. Elizabeth, Edgartown St. Rita, Marion Immaculate Conception, Fall River St. Anne, Fall River St. Mary's Home, New Bedford Madonna Manor, Attleboro Sacred Heart, North Attleboro | Deceased (1996) |
| Rausch, Edward | 1927 | 1954 | Diocese of Fall River | St. John, Attleboro | Laicized (1971); Deceased (2014) |
| Robillard, Raymond A. | 1940 | 1966 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Hyacinth, New Bedford St. Joseph, Attleboro Notre Dame, Fall River Sacred Heart, New Bedford St. Louis, Fall River St. Jacques, Taunton St. Theresa, South Attleboro St. Stephen, Attleboro St. Pius X, South Yarmouth Holy Ghost, Attleboro Rose Hawthorne Lathrop Home, Fall River | Faculties Removed |
| Shovelton, William J. | 1922 | 1946 | Diocese of Fall River | Our Lady of the Isle, Nantucket St. Louis, Fall River St. Joseph, Fall River Sacred Heart, Fall River St. Thomas More, Somerset Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk St. William, Fall River | Deceased (2015) |
| Simoes, Gilbert J. | 1933 | 1961 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Michael, Fall River Our Lady of Mt Carmel, New Bedford Santo Christo, Fall River St. John the Baptist, Westport | Suspension from Ministry; Deceased (2009) |
| Tripp, Kevin F. | 1942 | 1968 | Diocese of Fall River | St. Patrick, Fall River Holy Name, Fall River St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro St. Luke's Hospital St James, New Bedford | Laicized (2020) |
1 The name George Avellar appeared on a list of clergy accused of sexual misconduct published by the Bristol County District Attorney in 2002. The Diocese has no record of an individual named George Avellar and believes that the name may be a mistranscription of Jose Avila.
2 While Father Kuhn is a priest incardinated in the Diocese of Fall River, he is a member of the Virginia-based Youth Apostles Institute. As such, after 2004 he ministered outside the Diocese of Fall River, largely in the Virginia area.
B. Other Diocese
| Name | Year of Birth | Year of Ordination | Diocese of Incardination | Assignment History in the Diocese of Fall River | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier, George R.1 | 1945 | n/a | n/a | Cathedral Camp, East Freetown St. Vincent de Paul Camp, Westport St. Pius X, South Yarmouth | Deceased (2004) |
| Corbin, Anthony Andre | 1929 | 1961 | Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina | Our Lady of the Assumption, Osterville Our Lady Queen of All Saints Church Chapel, Mashpee | Deceased (2008) |
1 Seminarian.
C. Religious Order
| Name | Year of Birth | Year of Ordination | Religious Order | Assignment History in the Diocese of Fall River | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaudin, Rene | 1927 | 1957 | Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.) | St. Francis, Acushnet Our Lady of Lourdes, Wellfleet | Deceased (2001) |
| Genevive, Frank | 1956 | 1983 | Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.) | St. Margaret, Buzzards Bay | Removed from ministry; Deceased (2014) |
| Guarin, Angelo Michael | 1970 | 1998 | Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (F.F.I.) | Our Lady's Chapel, New Bedford | Faculties Revoked |
| McManus, Francis J. | 1941 | 1973 | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River St. James, New Bedford St. Luke's Hospital, New Bedford | Deceased (2015) |
| Mulryan, Thomas J.1 | 1932 | 1955 (perpetual profession of vows) | Congregation of the Holy Cross (C.S.C.) | Msgr. James Coyle High School, Taunton | Dispensed from religious vows; Deceased (2009) |
| Nickel, James R. | unknown | 1970 | Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC.) | Holy Trinity, West Harwich Our Lady of the Annunciation, Dennisport St. Mary, Fairhaven | Deceased (2008) |
| Powers, John A. | 1925 | 1952 | Dominican Friars (O.P.) | St. Patrick, Falmouth | Removed from ministry; Deceased (2010) |
1 Religious brother.
