Father Joseph D’Angelo

Joseph D’Angelo Catholic Priest Diocese of Providence

Ordained: 1979

Status: Settled; laicized in 2006

Deceased: 2026

Assignment History

1977-1978: Immaculate Conception Church (Westerly, RI)
1978-1979: St. Anthony Church (Providence, RI)
1979: St. John Church, Residence (Providence, RI)
1979: Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, RI)
1979-1980: St. Augustin Church (Newport, RI)
1980-1981: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (Providence, RI)
1981: St. John Church, Residence (Providence, RI)
1981: Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, RI)
1981-1983: St. Margaret Church (East Providence, RI)
1983-1994: Suspended
1994-1997: Diocese of Isernia-Venafro (Italy)
1997-2006: Suspended
2006: Laicized

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Joseph D’Angelo

Father Joseph D’Angelo was ordained a priest in 1979 and served in the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island. His assignments included St. Augustin Church in Newport, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Providence, Rhode Island Hospital, and St. Margaret Church in East Providence. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s list of credibly accused clergy, D’Angelo has been identified as credibly accused of child sexual misconduct. He was included on the Diocese of Providence list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor in 2019.

According to BishopAccountability.org, D’Angelo was accused of sexually abusing at least four boys, ages 10 to 12, during his four years in ministry in the Diocese of Providence. He was suspended from ministry in 1983, later served in Italy, and was laicized in 2006.

Concerns Before Ordination

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, concerns about D’Angelo’s suitability for ministry existed before he was ordained. In 1975, D’Angelo was reportedly denied admission to the priesthood by a religious order. The Diocese of Providence later accepted him as a candidate after requiring him to undergo a psychological evaluation. According to the report, the evaluation noted issues that “might present a problem” in regular parish activities.

In 1977, D’Angelo underwent another psychological evaluation at the House of Affirmation in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. Bishop Louis Gelineau later allowed D’Angelo to continue ministry while receiving outpatient therapy.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, complaints from laity and clergy followed in 1978, and Bishop Gelineau and Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell initially decided not to ordain D’Angelo. D’Angelo appealed that decision through Church grievance procedures and ultimately prevailed. He was ordained in 1979.

Allegations in Rhode Island and Suspension From Ministry

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, D’Angelo was accused of sexually abusing at least four boys during his four years as a priest in the Diocese of Providence. The report states that he was accused of abusing two boys in 1980 and 1981 while assigned to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Providence, and at least two other boys from 1981 to 1983 while assigned to St. Margaret Church in East Providence.

In April 1983, a St. Margaret parishioner reportedly told Bishop Gelineau that D’Angelo had directed “unnatural acts of affection” toward her children. Around the same time, a pastor reportedly noted that another mother had accused D’Angelo of assaulting her son.

Following these complaints, D’Angelo was suspended from ministry and instructed to undergo evaluation at a facility operated by the Servants of the Paraclete in New Mexico. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, D’Angelo instead traveled to Rome and appealed his suspension directly to Vatican officials.

D’Angelo returned to the United States in 1984 and lived in Everett, Massachusetts. In July 1984, he filed complaints with the Diocese Grievance Committee alleging that Bishop Gelineau and a former pastor had defamed him and violated canon law. He then returned to Rome to continue appealing to the Vatican.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, Bishop Gelineau continued to refuse D’Angelo’s reinstatement in Providence, and D’Angelo remained in Italy.

Ministry in Italy, Civil Lawsuit, and Laicization

After D’Angelo’s suspension in Rhode Island, he remained outside the Diocese of Providence for years while appealing his case through Church channels. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, he was accused in 1993 of sexually abusing a boy in Murialdo, Italy. Despite that allegation, D’Angelo was later allowed to minister in the Diocese of Isernia-Venafro in Italy from 1994 to 1997.

D’Angelo’s faculties were suspended again in 1997 after a civil lawsuit was filed in Providence by a man who alleged that D’Angelo sexually abused him as a child in 1981. The lawsuit later settled as part of the Diocese of Providence’s September 2002 $13.5 million settlement involving clergy sexual abuse claims.

D’Angelo was laicized on September 22, 2006. He died on January 15, 2026.

D’Angelo 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 in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Father Joseph D’Angelo

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 Joseph D’Angelo listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence?

Yes. Father Joseph D’Angelo 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 in the Rhode Island 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 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 Joseph D’Angelo – Diocese of Providence