Father Charles Dolan (1904–1977)

Father Charles Dolan’s forty years of ministry spanned seventeen assignments — the Cathedral, parishes in Providence, Pawtucket, Wickford, Riverside, Woonsocket, and Cranston, and two early-1930s assignments in Taunton, Massachusetts. 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 Dolan?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, his status reads, in full: “Died 11/5/1977; Predeceased any allegation received”. That is, per the Diocese’s record, he died before any allegation was received. The Attorney General’s entry prints his death as November 9, 1977 — a four-day variance from the Diocese’s published date — and prints “Retired: No” in its header while its own assignment history includes a “1971: Retired” line (Appendix A, p. 105); each is stated here as the official documents print it.

The Attorney General’s report describes Father Dolan as an example of the Diocese’s transfer practices, stating that Bishop Russell McVinney transferred him “16 times between his ordination in 1930 and his retirement in 1971” (Report, p. 113). Appendix A records that in 1949 Dolan received “treatment” at Via Coeli in New Mexico, “though the records received by this Office do not indicate what the “treatment” was for,” and that Diocesan records refer to Dolan as a “sick priest” as early as 1949 (Appendix A, p. 105; Report, p. 128).

Per the report, “the first documented explicit reference to child sexual abuse allegations does not appear until 1992” — some fifteen years after Dolan’s death — when a complainant reported abuse in the early 1950s during his one-year assignment at St. Brendan’s in Riverside (Appendix A, p. 105; Report, p. 125).

Where Father Dolan served: assignment history

The Diocese of Providence publishes the following assignment record:

Source: Diocese of Providence, individual clergy record, verified July 21, 2026; entries reproduced as published. The Attorney General’s Appendix A additionally prints a “Summer 1949: Via Coeli Monastery, Jemez Springs, New Mexico” entry that the Diocese’s record does not include, prints the 1943–1949 Sacred Heart assignment as Providence where the Diocese prints East Providence, and adds a “1971: Retired” line (Appendix A, p. 105).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes Charles Dolan on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Charles Dolan 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 Charles Dolan reportedly sexually abused at least two teenage girls from 1938 through the early 1950s” (Appendix A, p. 105).

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). Father Dolan was never criminally charged; per the report, the first documented explicit reference to child sexual abuse allegations in Diocesan records appears in 1992, about fifteen years after his death (Appendix A, p. 105).

If you were at these Providence, Pawtucket, or Riverside parishes: the Rhode Island revival window

Rhode Island’s revival window allows civil claims for childhood sexual abuse regardless of how long ago it occurred — until June 30, 2028. His death in 1977 does not affect the right to bring 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
• Who can file a claim

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Charles Dolan 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 Dolan ever criminally charged? No. The Attorney General’s records reflect no criminal charges; the Diocese’s published status records that he “Predeceased any allegation received,” and the report dates the first documented explicit allegation reference to 1992 (Appendix A, p. 105).

When exactly did he die? The Diocese’s published status prints “Died 11/5/1977”; the Attorney General’s entry prints November 9, 1977. The four-day variance is stated here as each source publishes it (Appendix A, p. 105).

If it happened in the 1940s or 1950s — is it too late? Generally, no. The revival window exists precisely for claims the old statute of limitations barred, until June 30, 2028.

Confidential help

If something happened to you at any of these parishes, you can speak with a Rhode Island attorney confidentially, at no cost and with no obligation. You don’t need records or proof in hand to have a conversation, and you don’t need to have told anyone before. 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 Peter Scagnelli — also served at St. Anthony Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
• Father Peter Tedeschi — also served at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Providence (+1 more shared)
• Father Samuel Turillo — also served at St. Anthony Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
• Father Timothy Gorton — also served at St. Ann Church, Cranston (+1 more shared)

Related town records: see all verified Providence records, Cranston records, Pawtucket records, Woonsocket records, and Warwick records, plus East Providence 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 21, 2026); Rhode Island Attorney General, Report on the Diocese of Providence and Appendix A (March 4, 2026). Where the two official sources differ (the death date (11/5/1977 vs. November 9, 1977); the omitted Via Coeli entry; the Sacred Heart location; and the Attorney General’s retirement entries), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 21, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.