Father Armand Ventre (1932–1999)

Father Armand Ventre’s record is unusual for how much of it ran through schools: thirteen years at Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket (1959–1972) and three years at St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket (1974–1977), alongside parish assignments in Lincoln, Pascoag, Harrisville, Cranston, Barrington, Pawtucket, and Mapleville, and later hospital chaplaincies in Providence and North Providence. He is named on the Diocese of Providence’s published List of Credibly Accused Clergy and is among the 72 clergy included in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on the Diocese (Appendix A, p. 2).

What happened to Father Ventre?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, Father Ventre was removed from ministry on July 5, 1985 and died on December 27, 1999.

The Attorney General’s report tells a longer story, and it differs from the Diocese’s one-line status. In June 1985, Ventre was criminally charged in connection with the alleged abuse of three boys. Following a two-day bench trial in 1986, the presiding judge dismissed two counts against Ventre and found him not guilty of the remaining count (Appendix A, p. 364). After the acquittal, according to the report, Bishop Louis Gelineau declined to return him to a parish but assigned him to hospital chaplaincy, and — despite what the report describes as ongoing complaints and an internal recognition by senior Diocesan personnel that Ventre posed “an extreme risk” — he “remained in active ministry until his retirement in 1999” (Report, p. 132). The AG’s own entry accordingly records his status not as removed in 1985 but as retired December 1, 1999, weeks before his death (Appendix A, p. 364).

Where Father Ventre served: assignment history

The Diocese of Providence publishes the following assignment record:

Source: Diocese of Providence, individual clergy record, verified July 7, 2026. The Attorney General’s Appendix A publishes a substantially similar history with minor differences — it adds a 1985–1986 leave of absence, places the 1986–1987 continuing-education program in South Bend, Indiana, and records the hospital assignment as the Our Lady of Fatima Unit of St. Joseph Hospital (Appendix A, p. 364).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes Armand Ventre on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased, with the status: “Removed from Ministry 7/5/1985; Died 12/27/99”. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Armand Ventre among the 72 clergy “determined by the Attorney General to have been credibly accused of child sexual misconduct in the Diocese of Providence” (Appendix A, p. 2). He is one of the 75 names on the Diocese of Providence credibly accused list, explained.

The report’s summary of the allegations states: “Father Armand Ventre reportedly abused six boys and one mentally disabled adult male during his four decades as a priest in the Diocese of Providence” (Appendix A, p. 364). It also records that the Diocese was aware of a 1977 complaint that Ventre had repeatedly touched a 13-year-old St. Raphael Academy student — after being confronted by Bishop Gelineau, Ventre resigned from the school, but the report found no indication the complaint was ever referred to law enforcement (Report, p. 156). One complainant later received a $50,000 arbitration award in a 2008 proceeding involving the Diocese (Appendix A, p. 365).

It bears repeating: Father Ventre was tried on criminal charges in 1986 and was acquitted. As the Attorney General’s report itself states, unless otherwise noted, the details in its Appendix A are allegations — not facts proven in a courtroom or admitted by the accused — and the individuals named are generally entitled to a presumption of innocence (Appendix A, p. 2).

If you attended Mount St. Charles, St. Raphael’s, or these parishes: the Rhode Island revival window

Rhode Island’s revival window covers childhood sexual abuse at any institution — schools as well as parishes — no matter how long ago it occurred, with a filing deadline of June 30, 2028. His death in 1999 does not bar a claim; claims are brought against the responsible institution:

• How Rhode Island’s revival window works
• Can you still sue if the priest has died?
• The June 30, 2028 deadline
• Rhode Island’s childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Armand Ventre on the credibly accused list? Yes. He appears on the Diocese of Providence’s published List of Credibly Accused Clergy (Deceased) and in Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report.

Was Father Ventre ever convicted of a crime? No. He was criminally charged in 1985; at a 1986 bench trial two counts were dismissed and he was found not guilty of the remaining count. The credibly-accused listings are the investigative determinations of the Diocese and the Attorney General, not criminal convictions.

Did Father Ventre work at Mount St. Charles Academy? The Diocese’s published assignment record shows Mount St. Charles Academy, Woonsocket, 1959–1972, and St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket, 1974–1977.

He died in 1999 — can a claim still be filed? Yes. Under the revival window, claims may be filed until June 30, 2028, regardless of when the abuse occurred or whether the priest is living.

Confidential help

If something happened to you at the Mount, St. Ray’s, or one of these parishes, you can speak with a Rhode Island attorney confidentially, at no cost and with no obligation. Contact Marin & Murphy Law Firm confidentially.

Other credibly accused clergy who served at these parishes

The official assignment records above overlap with those of other clergy on the official lists — the same institution of record, at any period, which is not an assertion that they served there at the same time:

• Father Oscar Ferland — also served at St. Luke Church, Barrington (+1 more shared)
• Father Dennis Brodeur — also served at St. Jude Church, Lincoln
• Father Edmund Fitzgerald — also served at St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church, Pawtucket
• Father Edward Kelley — also served at St. Joseph Church, Pascoag

Related town records: see all verified Providence records, Cranston records, Pawtucket records, Woonsocket records, and Warwick records.

Reporting resources

Anyone with information about abuse may contact the Rhode Island State Police Special Victims Unit at (401) 764-0142, the RI Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-RI-CHILD (1-800-742-4453), or the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office at (401) 274-4400.

Questions About These Records? Talk With Marin & Murphy — Confidentially

If the assignment history on this page overlaps with your own — a parish, a school, a set of years — and you want to understand what it may mean for a claim under Rhode Island’s revival window, our attorneys can review it with you. Marin & Murphy Law Firm is a Rhode Island law firm representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse under the revival window (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028). A conversation is free and confidential, nothing is filed and no one is contacted unless you decide, and there is no fee unless you recover. Call (401) 269-3381, or start with our Rhode Island clergy abuse lawyer page.

Corrections: we maintain a corrections policy for these pages, with a named contact and a 48-hour review commitment. If you believe anything on this page is inaccurate, please tell us.

Verification: every fact on this page is checked against both official sources — the Diocese of Providence’s published records and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report — with source conflicts stated, not silently resolved. See how this database is verified.

Sources: Diocese of Providence, List of Credibly Accused Clergy and individual clergy record (verified July 7, 2026); Rhode Island Attorney General, Report on the Diocese of Providence and Appendix A (March 4, 2026). Where the two official sources differ (status characterization; assignment details), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 7, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.