Father Joseph James Rocha
Religious Order: Dominican Order / Order of Preachers
Ordained: 1966
Status: Guilty Plea / Accused
Deceased: 2009
Assignment History
- 1966-1967: Dominican Monastery (Syracuse, NY)
- 1967-1970: St. Stephen’s College (Dover, MA)
- 1970-1971: East Tennessee State Catholic Center (Johnson City, TN)
- 1971-1977: St. Pius V Church (Providence, RI)
- 1977: Pastoral Counselor, Diocesan Tribunal
- 1977-1982: Bishop Hendricken High School (Warwick, RI)
- 1980-1983: Judge, Diocesan Marriage Tribunal
- 1982: St. Raymond Church, residence (Providence, RI)
- 1983-1986: St. Raymond Church (Providence, RI)
- 1986: Left Diocese of Providence
- 1988: Left Dominican Order
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Joseph James Rocha
Father Joseph James Rocha was ordained a priest in 1966 and was a member of the Dominican Order. He served in several dioceses, including the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island, where he was assigned to St. Pius V Church, Bishop Hendricken High School, the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal, and St. Raymond Church.
According to the Diocese of Providence list of credibly accused clergy, Rocha has been identified as a credibly accused religious order priest. He was also included on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy in Appendix A of the Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
According to BishopAccountability.org, Rocha left the priesthood in 1986 and left the Dominican Order in 1988. In 2001, he pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a 21-year-old mentally disabled man in 1999 and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Rocha died on April 13, 2009.
Allegations Against Father Joseph James Rocha
According to BishopAccountability.org, Rocha was named in a 2015 settlement involving allegations that he sexually abused a minor in 1968 or 1969 at St. Stephen’s Priory in Dover, Massachusetts. He was later included on the Dominican Province of St. Joseph’s list of accused clergy in 2018 and on the Diocese of Providence list in 2019.
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, in 2012 a man reported to the Diocese that Rocha sexually abused him when he was 8 or 9 years old in 1982. The alleged abuse reportedly occurred on three occasions, including during a camping trip in New Hampshire, during a trip to a summer home on Cape Cod, and in Rocha’s office at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick.
In 2019, the Diocese reportedly received another allegation that Rocha sexually assaulted a minor in 1981 or 1982 while assigned to Bishop Hendricken High School.
Criminal Case Against Father Joseph James Rocha
According to BishopAccountability.org, Rocha pleaded guilty in September 2001 to the sexual assault of a 21-year-old mentally disabled man in 1999. At the time, Rocha was reportedly working at an assisted living facility where the man was a resident.
Rocha received 10 years of probation and counseling and was ordered to register as a sex offender.
Diocese of Providence and Dominican Order Response to Father Joseph James Rocha Allegations
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, Rocha served in Rhode Island at St. Pius V Church, Bishop Hendricken High School, the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal, and St. Raymond Church before leaving the Diocese of Providence in 1986.
According to BishopAccountability.org, Rocha left the Dominican Order in 1988. He was later publicly named by the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in 2018 and included on the Diocese of Providence list of credibly accused clergy in 2019.
Rocha was also included in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, which described allegations involving minors connected to his Rhode Island assignments.
Father Joseph James Rocha and Institutional Responsibility
Rocha’s case involves a religious order priest who served in multiple Catholic institutions, including a Catholic high school and diocesan roles in Rhode Island.
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, at least one allegation involved abuse connected to Rocha’s office at Bishop Hendricken High School. Another allegation reportedly involved abuse while Rocha was assigned to Bishop Hendricken in 1981 or 1982.
Rocha was included on the Diocese of Providence list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor as a religious order priest. He was also included on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy in Appendix A of the Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Father Joseph James Rocha
Can I sue for sexual abuse by a religious order priest in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island’s new two-year revival window, beginning July 1, 2026, allows survivors of child sexual abuse to file claims that were previously blocked by the statute of limitations. You can bring a claim during this two-year window regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. Because there is a deadline to file your claim, survivors should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
How long do I have to sue for sexual abuse in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island’s new law creates a two-year window for certain older child sexual abuse claims beginning July 1, 2026. Claims must be filed by June 30, 2028. Survivors should not wait, because it may be necessary to gather relevant documents, investigate the claim, and determine the appropriate parties to sue.
Can the Diocese of Providence, a religious order, or a Catholic school be sued for sexual abuse in Rhode Island?
Possibly. Survivors may have claims against the Diocese of Providence, a religious order, a Catholic school, a parish, or another Catholic institution if there is evidence that the institution knew or should have known about the risk of abuse and failed to protect children. Horowitz Law attorneys can review the facts of your case and explain your legal options.
Was Father Joseph James Rocha listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence?
Yes. Father Joseph James Rocha was included on the Diocese of Providence list of credibly accused religious order priests. He was also included on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy in Appendix A of the Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
Rhode Island Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
Rhode Island’s new law creates a two-year revival window, beginning July 1, 2026, for certain older child sexual abuse claims. Horowitz Law is bringing these lawsuits in Rhode Island and has collected evidence of institutional negligence involving Catholic entities in Rhode Island. The revival window allows survivors of clergy sexual abuse to pursue claims that were previously blocked by the statute of limitations. Filing deadlines will apply, so survivors should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Horowitz Law Is Here to Help
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, religious order members, clergy, Catholic school employees, and Catholic institution employees in the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest, religious order member, clergy member, Catholic school employee, or Catholic institution employee in Rhode Island, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, survivors may have legal options due to Rhode Island’s new two-year revival window for certain child sexual abuse claims, but filing deadlines will apply, so do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or email sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz for a free consultation.