Father Edmund Fitzgerald (1929–2020)

Father Edmund Fitzgerald served the Diocese of Providence for over four decades, beginning with twelve years at St. Teresa of the Child Jesus in Pawtucket and continuing through Cumberland, Newport, Providence, West Warwick, Warren, and Misquamicut, with a year at the diocesan preparatory seminary high school. 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 Fitzgerald?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, Father Fitzgerald died on August 7, 2020 and was removed from ministry on August 27, 1998. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s entry differs on both points, listing Fitzgerald as “Suspended Jun. 21, 2002” and “Deceased Aug. 7, 2002” (Appendix A, p. 134). The Attorney General’s own narrative, however, records additional complainants coming forward “before Fitzgerald’s death in August 2020,” and the main report likewise states that he died in 2020 — indicating the header’s 2002 date is likely a typographical error, echoing his June 2002 suspension (Appendix A, p. 135; Report, p. 74).

According to the Attorney General’s report, the Diocese first became aware of a report of sexual abuse against Fitzgerald around March 1993 (Report, p. 125). The report states that the 1993 complainant was interviewed three times by the Diocese’s Office of Education and Compliance, “maintained a consistent version of events,” and identified Fitzgerald in a photographic identification procedure; both the complainant and Fitzgerald were then directed to polygraph examinations, and on the polygrapher’s opinion the matter was closed, the complaint was never forwarded to law enforcement, and Fitzgerald remained an active-duty priest (Appendix A, pp. 134–135; Report, p. 213). After a second and third complainant came forward in 1998, the Diocese placed Fitzgerald on a temporary leave of absence and suspended his priestly faculties; he retired in December 1998, the Diocese reinstated his faculties in early 1999 following a psychological evaluation, and he returned to part-time ministry at parishes throughout the state (Appendix A, p. 135).

By June 2002, a fourth and fifth complainant had come forward, and the Diocese suspended Fitzgerald’s faculties “for a second and final time”; three additional complainants came forward before his death (Appendix A, p. 135). The report finds the Diocese’s published status misleading, because the August 1998 “removal” “was in fact just a temporary suspension of his faculties,” reinstated six months later, and states that “[t]he Diocese never sought to remove Father Fitzgerald from the clerical state” (Report, p. 233). The State Police reviewed all of the complaints and concluded that the statute of limitations precluded further investigation and prosecution; Fitzgerald was never criminally charged (Appendix A, p. 135).

Where Father Fitzgerald 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 entry differs on several locations and names: it lists St. Joseph Church in Ashton (Diocese: Cumberland), SS. Peter and Paul Church in Warwick (Diocese: West Warwick), St. Clare Church in Westerly (Diocese: Misquamicut), “St. Teresa Church” (Diocese: St. Teresa of the Child Jesus), and “Jesus Savior Church” (Diocese: Jesus Saviour). It also adds rows the Diocese record does not include: Aug. 1998 suspended on leave; Dec. 1998 retired; Feb. 1999 faculties reinstated; 1999–2002 part-time ministry at various parishes; Jun. 2002 faculties suspended indefinitely (Appendix A, p. 134).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes Edmund Fitzgerald on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased, with the status: “Died 8/7/2020; Removed from Ministry 8/27/1998”. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Edmund Fitzgerald 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 Edmund Fitzgerald reportedly sexually abused at least eight children during his tenure as a priest with the Diocese of Providence. The reported abuse spanned from the late 1950s until the early 1980s, involved boys and girls, and occurred at several churches throughout Rhode Island, most prominently St. Teresa in Pawtucket and St. Mary of the Bay in Warren” (Appendix A, p. 134). The report also notes that bishops transferred Fitzgerald “a total of 12 times during his 40-plus years in active ministry from 1957-1998” (Report, p. 113).

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. Father Fitzgerald was never criminally charged (Appendix A, p. 2; Appendix A, p. 135).

If you were at these parishes or the preparatory seminary: the Rhode Island revival window

Rhode Island’s revival window allows civil claims for childhood sexual abuse regardless of how long ago it occurred — including the late 1950s and 1960s — until June 30, 2028. His death in 2020 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 Edmund Fitzgerald 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.

When was he removed from ministry? The Diocese’s published status includes “Removed from Ministry 8/27/1998.” The Attorney General’s entry differs, listing “Suspended Jun. 21, 2002”; the report describes the August 1998 action as a temporary suspension that the Diocese reinstated in early 1999, followed by a second and final suspension in June 2002 (Report, p. 233).

Was Father Fitzgerald ever criminally charged? No. According to the Attorney General’s report, the State Police reviewed all of the complaints and concluded that the statute of limitations precluded further investigation and prosecution; Fitzgerald was never criminally charged (Appendix A, p. 135).

He died in 2020 — 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 one 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 Timothy Gorton — also served at St. Joseph Church, Cumberland (+2 more shared)
• Father Robert Carpentier — also served at St. Clare Church, Misquamicut (+1 more shared)
• Father Roger Belhumeur — also served at St. Agnes Church, Providence (+1 more shared)
• Monsignor Louis Dunn — also served at St. Mary Church, West Warwick (+1 more shared)

Related town records: see all verified Providence records, Cranston records, and Pawtucket records, plus West Warwick records and Newport 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 (death year, removal/suspension date and type, assignment locations and parish-name spellings), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 7, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.