Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald

Edmund H. Fitzgerald Catholic Priest Diocese of Providence

Ordained: 1957

Status: Accused; faculties suspended indefinitely in 2002

Deceased: 2020

Assignment History

1957: St. Thomas Church (Providence, RI)
1957-1969: St. Teresa Church (Pawtucket, RI)
1969-1971: St. Joseph Church (Ashton, RI)
1971-1976: St. Mary Church (Newport, RI)
1976-1979: St. Agnes Church (Providence, RI)
1979-1980: Our Lady of Providence Preparatory Seminary High School (Providence, RI)
1980: Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, RI)
1980: St. John Church (Providence, RI)
1980-1981: Saints Peter and Paul Church (Warwick, RI)
1981-1984: St. Mary of the Bay Church (Warren, RI)
1984-1992: St. Mary Church (West Warwick, RI)
1992-1998: St. Clare Church (Westerly, RI)
1998: Jesus Savior Church (Newport, RI)
1998: Eleanor Slater Hospital (Cranston, RI)
1998: St. Mark Church (Cranston, RI)
August 1998: Suspended on leave
December 1998: Retired
February 1999: Faculties reinstated
1999-2002: Part-time ministry at various parishes
June 2002: Faculties suspended indefinitely

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald

Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald was ordained a priest in 1957 and served in the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island for more than four decades. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy, Fitzgerald has been identified as credibly accused of child sexual misconduct. He served at several Rhode Island parishes and institutions, including St. Teresa Church in Pawtucket, St. Mary of the Bay Church in Warren, and St. Clare Church in Westerly.

According to BishopAccountability.org, Fitzgerald was publicly named by the Diocese of Providence in 2019 as a priest credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. The Diocese list noted that Fitzgerald was removed from ministry in 1998. Fitzgerald died on August 7, 2020.

Allegations Against Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, Fitzgerald allegedly sexually abused at least eight children, including boys and girls, from the beginning of his priesthood in the late 1950s until the early 1980s.

The Diocese’s records reportedly show that it first received a report in 1993 that Fitzgerald sexually abused a girl when she was approximately 11 or 12 years old, about 16 years earlier. The report also alleged that Fitzgerald abused the girl’s sister. According to the Attorney General’s report, the diocesan investigator decided the complainant had lied based on polygraph testing, and Fitzgerald remained in ministry.

Additional Allegations Against Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald

In January 1998, a man reported concerns to the Diocese involving Fitzgerald’s conduct toward his sons in the early 1960s. One son reportedly said that when he was 13 or 14 years old, Fitzgerald asked him to remove his clothes so the priest could see how he was developing.

In August 1998, another man told the Diocese that Fitzgerald sexually abused him over several years between 1961 and 1968, beginning when he was an eight-year-old altar boy. According to BishopAccountability.org, the alleged abuse included forced oral sex and attempted anal rape.

Fitzgerald was placed on leave in August 1998 and later requested retirement, citing health reasons and the traumatic experiences of the previous months. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, Fitzgerald was sent for evaluation and his faculties were reinstated in February 1999, allowing him to return to part-time ministry.

Faculties Suspended and Later Reports Against Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald

In April 2002, a man reported that Fitzgerald molested him when he was eight years old in 1961 or 1962 in the basement of St. Teresa Church in Pawtucket. In June 2002, another man alleged that Fitzgerald sexually abused him when he was approximately 12 years old around 1961.

Following these additional allegations, Fitzgerald’s faculties were suspended indefinitely in June 2002.

Additional complainants came forward in later years. According to BishopAccountability.org, a man reported in 2017 that Fitzgerald sexually abused him in the late 1960s at St. Teresa Church when he was an eight- or nine-year-old altar boy. In 2019, another man alleged that Fitzgerald sexually abused him when he was 12 or 13 years old in the late 1950s at St. Teresa Church. Also in 2019, a woman alleged that Fitzgerald sexually abused her in 1983 at St. Mary of the Bay Church in Warren, when she was approximately 12 or 13 years old.

Fitzgerald was included on the Diocese of Providence list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor in 2019. He was also included on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy and in the Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald

Can I sue for sexual abuse by a 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 be sued for my sexual abuse by a priest?

Possibly. Survivors may have claims against the Diocese of Providence or another Catholic institution, including parishes and schools, 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 Edmund H. Fitzgerald listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence?

Yes. Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald was included on the Diocese of Providence list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. He was also included on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy and in 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 the Diocese of Providence’s negligence. 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 and other clergy in the Diocese of Providence. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest or clergy member in Rhode Island, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Providence 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.

Father Edmund H. Fitzgerald – Diocese of Providence