Father Rene Guertin

Ordained: 1946

Status: Accused

Deceased: 1982

Assignment History

1946: St. Andrew Church (Block Island, RI)
1946-1969: St. Aloysius Orphan Home (Greenville, RI)
1946-1952: St. Xavier Academy (Providence, RI)
1952-1969: LaSalle Academy (Providence, RI)
1969-1980: Our Lady of Good Help Church (Mapleville, RI)

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Rene Guertin

Father Rene Guertin was ordained a priest in 1946 and served in the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island for more than three decades. According to the Diocese of Providence list of credibly accused clergy, Guertin has been identified as credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. He served at several Rhode Island parishes and institutions, including St. Aloysius Orphan Home in Greenville, St. Xavier Academy in Providence, LaSalle Academy in Providence, and Our Lady of Good Help Church in Mapleville.

According to BishopAccountability.org, Guertin was publicly named by the Diocese of Providence in 2019 as a priest credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. The Diocese noted that the allegations against him were received after his death. Guertin died on January 23, 1982.

Allegations Against Father Rene Guertin at St. Aloysius Orphan Home

According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report, Guertin was accused of sexually abusing at least five children, including boys and girls. Much of the alleged abuse reportedly occurred at St. Aloysius Orphan Home in Greenville, where Guertin was assigned from 1946 to 1969.

In 2014, a woman reported to the Diocese that Guertin sexually abused her at St. Aloysius Orphan Home when she was between the ages of 4 and 7. According to BishopAccountability.org, she alleged that a nun would bring her to Guertin’s room and wait outside the door.

In 2015, the woman’s sister reportedly made a similar allegation. According to BishopAccountability.org, she alleged that Guertin would give her candy after abusing her and that the nun who brought her to his room would take the candy away while leading her back to bed.

Additional Allegations Against Father Rene Guertin

According to BishopAccountability.org, a woman reported to the Diocese in 2007 that Guertin raped and physically abused her for seven years while he was assigned to Our Lady of Good Help Church in Mapleville, beginning when she was 10 years old in 1970. She reportedly said she often cooked and cleaned at the rectory, spent the night there, and that Guertin recruited other children from the parish to help there.

Diocesan records also reportedly show that in 1973, a parishioner reported that Guertin was living with a young girl in the parish rectory.

In 2015, a man reportedly told the Diocese that when he was 10 years old and living at St. Aloysius Orphan Home in 1950, Guertin stripped him naked and beat him after he tried to report that older boys at the home had sexually abused him.

In 2022, the Diocese received another report from a man alleging physical and sexual abuse by Guertin as a child at St. Aloysius Orphan Home in the 1950s.

Guertin 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 in Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Father Rene Guertin

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 Rene Guertin listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Providence?

Yes. Father Rene Guertin 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 Appendix A of 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 connected to the Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island. 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 a priest or clergy member in Rhode Island 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 Rene Guertin – Diocese of Providence