Father John Ferry (1926–1988)

Father John Ferry’s ministry centered on St. Rose of Lima Church in Warwick — two stints totaling twenty-three years — alongside teaching at Our Lady of Providence Seminary and eight years as assistant editor and then editor of The Providence Visitor, the Diocese’s newspaper. 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 Ferry?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, his status reads, in full: “Died 4/11/1988; Predeceased any allegation received”. That is, per the Diocese’s record, he died before any allegation was received. The Attorney General’s entry prints “Retired: N/A” in its header (Appendix A, p. 131).

The Attorney General’s Appendix A records that the earliest reported incident dates to approximately 1963, when a 15-year-old student at Our Lady of Providence Seminary later alleged that Ferry served him alcohol at Ferry’s parents’ home and attempted inappropriate contact; the complainant reported telling Ferry to stop, “that Ferry immediately complied, and that nothing further occurred” (Appendix A, p. 131). Per the entry, this complainant later told the Rhode Island State Police that he left a voicemail for the Diocese in the 1990s disclosing the incident but never heard back, and reported it again in 2002 — long after Father Ferry had died (Appendix A, p. 131).

The entry also records allegations from Ferry’s years at The Providence Visitor, including a complainant who alleged that, at sixteen and working at the paper in approximately 1965, he was sexually assaulted by “the paper’s assistant editor” (Appendix A, p. 131).

Where Father Ferry 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 prints the newspaper years as two entries — “Assistant Editor, The Providence Visitor” (1965–1967) and “Editor, The Providence Visitor” (1967–1973) — where the Diocese prints a single row (Appendix A, p. 131).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes John Ferry on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father John Ferry 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: “During the 1960s, Father John Ferry reportedly sexually abused four boys and a young man between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. In each instance, Ferry reportedly provided the teens with alcohol before touching them inappropriately. Ferry predeceased all the allegations made against him” (Appendix A, p. 131).

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 Ferry was never criminally charged; in the report’s own words, “Ferry predeceased all the allegations made against him” (Appendix A, p. 131).

If you were at St. Rose of Lima, the Seminary, or The Providence Visitor: 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 1988 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 John Ferry 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 Ferry ever criminally charged? No. The Attorney General’s records reflect no criminal charges; the report states that “Ferry predeceased all the allegations made against him” (Appendix A, p. 131).

He died in 1988 — 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.

If it happened in the 1960s — 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 St. Rose of Lima, the Seminary, or the Visitor, 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 Roger Belhumeur — also served at Our Lady of Providence Seminary, Warwick (+1 more shared)
• Father Armand Ventre — also served at Our Lady of Providence Seminary, Warwick
• Father Edward Kelley — also served at St. Margaret Church, Rumford
• Father Joseph D’Angelo — also served at St. Margaret Church, Rumford

Related town records: see all verified Providence 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 single vs. split Providence Visitor entries and the Attorney General’s “Retired: N/A” header), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 21, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.