Statement on the Report of the Attorney General

Statement of Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.
September 30, 2026

As we begin to review the report issued by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, I am filled with sorrow over the historical account of incidents and practices reflecting the tragic failings to protect our most vulnerable, especially for the innocent victims who suffered, and continue to suffer, in so many ways. To all survivors of child sexual abuse, I am deeply sorry. We as a Church failed you when you were most vulnerable. As a Diocese we are firmly resolved to continue to do all we can to help you heal, to make certain we are accountable, and to protect our children so that no other child suffers as you have.

I want to assure the community that the healing of survivors and the enforcement of professional standards and policies to prevent any future occurrence of abuse have been and continues to be our top priorities. The Fall River Diocese is focused on the ongoing safety of our community and instilling a culture of protection.

We have taken a number of important steps to build that culture of protection, including:

• Publishing, five years ago, a list of clergy against whom a credible allegation of abuse of a minor has been made, going back more than 70 years. That list remains on our website.
• Reporting to law enforcement all accusations of abuse of a child even when the victim is no longer a child
• Entering into agreements with all three of the District Attorneys in our Diocese to provide (without subpoena) documents to assist in any investigation alleging clergy abuse.
• Strengthening our protocols for handling allegations and responding to those impacted by abuse.
• Enhancing our Office of Safe Environment and hiring a licensed social worker to serve as Director of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance, along with staff in the positions of Coordinator of Compliance and Data; Coordinator of CORI and Safe Environment Training; and Catholic Schools Background Screening Specialist.
• Requiring all personnel to submit to a background check, agree to a code of conduct, and complete a Safe Environment Training Program. This includes CORI and NSOPW checks for everyone who works, ministers and volunteers in the Diocese and, in the case of schools, fingerprint checks.
• Creating a policy with detailed instructions for Diocesan personnel who receive allegations of abuse. The Diocese also has mandated training for teachers, employees, clergy and volunteers on how to recognize the signs of abuse and what to do when there is reason to believe there is abuse
• Teaching and encouraging children to understand their right to be safe and to report abuse to a trusted adult through a program called “Circle of Grace.”
• Cooperating with law enforcement to identify and prosecute abuse and conducting investigations and removing clergy who have been credibly accused.
• Created a new Ministerial Review Board composed of mostly lay members with an expanded mandate that includes independence and authority.

During my time as Bishop, I have learned much about the best practices for protecting children and vulnerable adults in our care. We have changed past practices and have implemented new policies that center on accountability and transparency in our operations.

Since the Attorney General’s Office began this investigation in 2019, we have fully cooperated, compiling and providing more than 80,000 pages of documents, and the  Attorney General repeatedly acknowledged that cooperation.

When the Attorney General sought court permission to release a Grand Jury report, the Diocese of Fall River had the opportunity to file an objection to the release of this report, but the Diocese did not object or intervene in that action in any way to prevent its release.

We are carefully assessing the AGO report and will continue to take the steps necessary to foster a culture of protection that we have worked to build over the past decade.