Publicly Accuseda
This category includes priests, seminarians, or other religious who were either incardinated in the Diocese of Fall River or who were assigned to public ministry in the Diocese of Fall River, and have been publicly named in media reports, third party lists prepared by advocacy groups and/or other dioceses and religious orders, as having allegations against them involving sexual abuse of a minor. The individuals included are clergy or other religious against whom a publicized accusation was made, but for whom the Diocese lacks sufficient information at this time to make its own determination whether the accusation was credible. In some cases, a religious order or other diocese may have determined that the priest was credibly accused after investigation or upon admission of the priest.
It is important to note that just because a name appears on the publicly accused list, that does not necessarily mean that the individual was accused of abusing a child in the Diocese of Fall River. For example, a priest may have been publicly accused of abuse in another diocese or may appear on a credibly accused list for a religious order for allegations unrelated to the Diocese of Fall River. If we were able to confirm that the priest also worked in the Diocese of Fall River at some point in his career, we have included the priest on the publicly accused list even if the Diocese did not itself receive an allegation regarding that priest.
Note also that, for priests who were incardinated in another diocese or were members of a religious order, the Diocese often lacked complete information about the priest, including assignment history. However, the Diocese has included assignments within the Diocese of Fall River and other information about the priest, based on the records and information from official sources available to the Diocese.
a Monsignor Albert Berube was publicly accused in 2002, after his death, but the allegations were not substantiated after an investigation. For this reason, he is not included on the publicly accused list; he is mentioned here only to explain this outcome, because the determination that the allegations were unsubstantiated was not previously made public.
| Name | Year of Birth | Year of Ordination | Diocese of Incardination | Religious Order | Assignment History in the Diocese of Fall River | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres, John H.1 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River | Left order |
| Brinker, Brian | 1957 | 1988 | Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York | n/a | Limited faculties granted for family baptism at St. George, Westport | Suspended |
| Byrne, Joseph | 1943 | 1969 | Archdiocese of Boston | n/a | St. Patrick, Falmouth St. Anthony, Falmouth | Removed from ministry; Deceased (2014) |
| Cavanagh, Charles | 1949 | 1980 | Unknown | Greek-Melkite Catholic Church | Corpus Christi, East Sandwich | Current location unknown |
| Cullen, William2 | See note ** below. | 1965 | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River Our Lady of Victory, Centerville | Removed from ministry; Deceased (2010) |
| Dawber, Stephen F.3 | See note ** below. | 1969 | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River Our Lady of Victory, Centerville St. John Neumann, East Freetown | Impeded; Deceased (2010) |
| Delgado, Alexander4 | 1967 | n/a | n/a | n/a | Cathedral Camp, East Freetown | Not incardinated; Current whereabouts unknown |
| Donachie, Adrian5 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.) | Our Lady's Chapel, New Bedford | Deceased (1979) |
| Fredette, Alfred | 1926 | 1952 | n/a | Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette (M.S.) | National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, Attleboro | Deceased (2000) |
| Hession, Mark R.6 | 1958 | 1984 | Diocese of Fall River | n/a | St. Patrick, Wareham St. Joan of Arc, Orleans Holy Name, Fall River St. Mary, New Bedford Charlton Memorial Hospital, Fall River St. Joseph, Taunton Holy Rosary, Fall River St. Patrick, Falmouth Our Lady of Victory, Centerville Our Lady of the Assumption, Osterville Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk | Faculties Suspended |
| Kossak, Michael J.7 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River | Dismissed |
| Lima, Jose Alfonso | 1962 | 1991 | Diocese of São João del-Rei, Brazil | n/a | St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis St. Anthony, Falmouth Good Shepherd Parish, Martha's Vineyard St. Pius X, South Yarmouth St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River | Faculties within the Diocese of Fall River removed |
| Motherway, Thomas F. | 1942 | 1969 | Archdiocese of Boston | n/a | Our Lady of Victory, Centerville | Deceased (2003) |
| O'Dea, Thomas | 1934 | 1960 | Diocese of Fall River | n/a | St. James, New Bedford St. Lawrence, New Bedford St. Francis of Assisi, New Bedford Sacred Heart, New Bedford | Deceased (1999) |
| Orteneau, Eugene F.8 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River | Left order; Deceased (2009) |
| Rancourt, Henry J. | 1930 | 1957 | n/a | Marist Fathers (S.M.) | Immaculate Conception, North Easton Our Lady of Fatima, New Bedford Good Shepherd, Vineyard Haven | See note ** below. |
| Roos, Richard H.9 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River | Impeded |
| Spagnolo, Nicholas | See note ** below. | 1953 | n/a | Stigmatine Fathers & Brothers (C.S.S.) | Limited faculties to assist in charitable work on Cape Cod | Deceased (2013) |
| Walsh, James P.10 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Round Hill retreat house, Dartmouth | Impeded; Deceased (2009) |
| Wolf, Richard J.11 | See note ** below. | See note ** below. | n/a | Society of Jesus (S.J.) | Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River | Deceased (1986) |
** Because certain individuals were not incardinated in the Diocese of Fall River, the Diocese lacked complete information for many of these individuals, including assignment history. That information has been included where it was available from official sources.
1 Fr. Acres is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having admitted to a credible allegation of abuse of a minor occurring in 1987, during which time he was assigned to Boston College High School in Boston, MA. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
2 Fr. Cullen is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having a credible allegation of abuse of a minor occurring between 1995-1996, during which time he was assigned to Nativity Prep in Boston, MA. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
3 Fr. Dawber is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having a credible allegation of abuse of a minor occurring between 1970-1976 during which time he was assigned to Boston College High School in Boston, MA. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
4 Seminarian.
5 Fr. Donachie is listed by the Franciscan Friars Holy Name Province as having a substantiated allegation against him. (https://hnp.org/protecting-gods-children/list-of-friars-with-substantiated-allegations/)
6 On December 11, 2020, Fr. Hession was indicted by a Barnstable County grand jury. While criminal proceedings continue, his faculties remain suspended and review by the Diocese is on hold.
7 Fr. Kossak is listed by the Jesuit West Province for the Society of Jesus as having a credible allegation of abuse of a minor occurring in 1980. (https://www.jesuitswest.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/07/ JW_List_0720_EnglishR11.pdf)
8 Fr. Orteneau is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor occurring between 1992-1995, during which time he was assigned to the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas in Storrs, CT. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
9 Fr. Roos is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having admitted to abuse of a minor occurring in the 1980s. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
10 Fr. Walsh is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having a credible allegation of abuse of a minor occurring between 1984-1985, during which time he was assigned to Boston College High School in Boston, MA. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
11 Fr. Wolf is listed by the USA Northeast Province of Jesuits as having a credible allegation of abuse of a minor occurring between 1979-1981, during which time he was assigned to Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River, MA. (https://www.jesuitseast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2020/07/ Jesuits_Northeast_List.pdf)
