Father Normand Demers

Normand Demers Catholic Priest Diocese of Providence

Ordained: 1958

Status: Sued; removed from ministry in 2002

Deceased: 2018

Assignment History

1958: St. Francis of Assisi Church (Wakefield, RI)
1958-1959: St. John the Evangelist Church (Slatersville, RI)
1959-1965: St. Vincent de Paul Church (Coventry, RI)
1965-1973: Our Lady of Fatima Hospital (North Providence, RI)
1970-1980: LaSalle Academy (Providence, RI)
1971-1976: Adult Correctional Institutions (Cranston, RI)
1973-1976: Dismas House (Providence, RI)
1974-1990: St. Joseph Church (Providence, RI)
1989: Providence Haitian Project (Haiti)
1989-1990: Suspended, Saint Luke Institute (Suitland, MD)
1990-2002: St. Martha Church (East Providence, RI)
1998: St. Joseph Hospital (Providence, RI)
1998-2002: Our Lady of Fatima Church (North Providence, RI)
2002-2004: Suspended on leave
2004: Retired

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Normand Demers

Father Normand Demers was ordained a priest in 1958 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, Demers has been identified as credibly accused of child sexual misconduct. He served in multiple Rhode Island parishes and institutions, including St. Joseph Church in Providence, St. Martha Church in East Providence, LaSalle Academy, Dismas House, and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, Demers reportedly sexually abused at least eleven boys and young men over a period of more than 30 years, from approximately 1965 to 1997. The report states that members of the Diocesan hierarchy first received notice of possible misconduct involving Demers as early as 1965, but he remained in ministry until 2002.

Early Concerns and Reports of Misconduct

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, the Diocese received reports involving Demers as early as the 1960s, including a 1967 complaint that he had allegedly been seen naked in bed with a shirtless teenage boy at a lake cottage.

Demers later served in several youth-serving ministries, including LaSalle Academy and Dismas House in Providence. According to the report, one boy stated in 1976 that he ran away from Dismas House because Demers was “making passes” at him.

Allegations Against Fr. Demers Involving St. Joseph Church and Haiti

Demers was assigned to St. Joseph Church in Providence from 1974 to 1990. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, additional allegations and concerns arose during this period, including claims that Demers had boys living with him in the rectory.

Demers also founded an orphanage and school in Haiti through the Providence Haitian Project. According to BishopAccountability.org, boys at the orphanage complained in 1989 about inappropriate touching and explicit sexual references. Demers was reportedly arrested in Haiti, later released, and then sent to Saint Luke Institute in Maryland for treatment.

Removal From Ministry and Lawsuit

After treatment, Demers was assigned to St. Martha Church in East Providence, where he served from 1990 to 2002. In 2002, Demers was removed from ministry after being accused of sexually abusing a boy approximately 35 years earlier, when the boy was between the ages of 12 and 14.

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report, by the time Demers was suspended in 2002, the Diocese had received at least five separate reports of abuse involving him. Later that year, the Diocesan Child Protection Advisory Board unanimously voted against reinstating him.

Demers remained suspended on leave from 2002 to 2004 and retired in 2004. He died on July 21, 2018.

In 2019, Robert Houllahan publicly stated that Demers sexually abused him when he was approximately seven or eight years old at St. Joseph Church in Providence. Houllahan later filed a lawsuit in 2020. According to BishopAccountability.org, the lawsuit alleged that Demers had trafficked boys through his charities as early as the 1970s and that boys from Haiti and Central America were seen at the rectory.

The case was dismissed in October 2020, and the Rhode Island Supreme Court later affirmed the ruling in June 2023.

Demers 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 Normand Demers

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 Normand Demers listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence?

Yes. Father Normand Demers 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 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 Normand Demers – Diocese of Providence