Father John Aquinas Powers
Religious Order: Dominican Order / Order of Preachers
Ordained: 1952
Status: Accused
Deceased: 2010
Assignment History
- 1960-1965: St. Pius V Church (Providence, RI)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father John Aquinas Powers
Father John Aquinas Powers was ordained a priest in 1952 and was a member of the Dominican Order. He served at St. Pius V Church in Providence, Rhode Island, during the 1960s. He is one of several Catholic clergy members connected to Rhode Island clergy sexual abuse lawsuits involving the Diocese of Providence.
According to the Diocese of Providence list of credibly accused clergy, Powers 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, Powers was publicly named as accused by the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in late 2018. He was also included on the Diocese of Raleigh list in 2018, the Diocese of Providence list in 2019, the Diocese of Columbus list in 2019, and the Diocese of Fall River list in 2021. Powers died on October 19, 2010.
Allegations Against Father John Aquinas Powers
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, Powers was accused of sexually abusing two boys in the early 1960s while assigned to St. Pius V Church in Providence.
According to BishopAccountability.org, Providence diocesan officials received an allegation in 1995 from the Dominican Order that Powers had sexually abused a boy while assigned to St. Pius V in the 1960s. The Order reportedly had known of the allegation for approximately ten years and stated that the matter had been adjudicated civilly.
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report also states that the Diocese received a second allegation in 2008 from a man who said Powers fondled him when he was 14 or 15 years old, on one occasion, in the early 1960s at St. Pius V Church. The man later received a settlement from the Dominicans.
Diocese of Providence and Dominican Order Response to Father John Aquinas Powers Allegations
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, the Diocese was informed in 1995 by an attorney for the Dominican Order that Powers had been accused of abusing a boy while assigned to St. Pius V Church. The report states that, by that time, the Dominican Order appeared to have known about the allegation for approximately a decade.
The report states that there was no record of a Diocese of Providence investigation into the 1995 allegation at that time.
In 2008, a second complainant contacted the Diocese directly. According to the Attorney General’s report, the allegations were reported to the Rhode Island State Police by letter in June 2008. The Dominican Order reached a monetary settlement with the second complainant the following month.
Father John Aquinas Powers and Institutional Responsibility
Powers’ case involves a religious order priest serving in a Diocese of Providence parish. In clergy abuse cases involving religious order priests, responsibility may involve the religious order, the diocese, the parish, or another Catholic institution, depending on who assigned, supervised, or knew about the priest’s conduct.
According to BishopAccountability.org, Powers was removed from ministry by the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in 2005. He died in 2010.
Powers 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 John Aquinas Powers
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 or a religious order be sued for sexual abuse in Rhode Island?
Possibly. Survivors may have claims against the Diocese of Providence, a religious order, a parish, a school, 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 John Aquinas Powers listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence?
Yes. Father John Aquinas Powers 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, 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, 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.