Father Normand Demers (1932–2018)

Father Normand Demers served the Diocese of Providence for over four decades: sixteen years at St. Joseph Church in Providence and twelve at St. Martha in East Providence, earlier parish years in Wakefield, Slatersville, and Coventry, an assignment at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, teaching at La Salle Academy in the 1970s, and an assignment at the Adult Correctional Institution in Cranston. 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 Demers?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, Father Demers was removed from ministry on April 1, 2002 and died on July 21, 2018. The Attorney General’s record states his status differently: its Appendix A entry lists Demers as suspended on March 25, 2002 (Appendix A, p. 72).

According to the Attorney General’s Appendix, members of the Diocesan hierarchy first received notice of possible misconduct by Demers as early as 1965, yet he remained in ministry until 2002 (Appendix A, p. 72). In 1989–1990 the Diocese sent Demers to Saint Luke Institute, a treatment facility in Maryland, for approximately five months after learning he was accused of sexual misconduct with one or more boys in Haiti; after his discharge, he returned to the Diocese and a parish assignment at St. Martha Church in East Providence, where he served for another twelve years (Appendix A, p. 72; Report, p. 145). By the time of his 2002 suspension, the Diocese had received at least five separate reports of abuse against him, and in December 2002 the Diocesan Child Protection Advisory Board voted unanimously not to reinstate him; he retired on March 12, 2004, and died on July 21, 2018 (Appendix A, p. 72–73).

The Appendix states that the Diocese reported several, but not all, of the allegations to law enforcement, and that none resulted in a prosecutable criminal case; Demers was never criminally charged (Appendix A, p. 72). The main report separately describes complaints brought to Bishop Louis Gelineau in the mid-1980s about conditions at the St. Joseph’s Church rectory in Providence, and finds no indication that the Diocese took action in response (Report, p. 102–103).

Where Father Demers 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 entry differs in several details: it dates the Our Lady of Fatima Hospital assignment 1965–1973 (the Diocese prints 1964–1973), prints “Lasalle Academy, Providence, 1970 – 1980” where the Diocese prints “Teacher, LaSalle Academy” with “1970’s,” styles the Cranston assignment “Adult Correctional Institutions,” and adds rows the Diocese’s list omits: “1989: Providence Haitian Project, Haiti”; “1989 – 1990: Suspended, Saint Luke Institute, Suitland, Maryland”; “1998: St. Joseph Hospital, Providence”; “2002 – 2004: Suspended on leave”; and “2004: Retired” (Appendix A, p. 72).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes Normand Demers on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased, with the status: “Removed from Ministry 4/1/2002; Died 7/21/2018”. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Normand Demers 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: “Over a more than thirty-year period between 1965 and 1997, Father Normand Demers reportedly sexually abused at least eleven boys and young men while serving as a priest for the Diocese of Providence” (Appendix A, p. 72). The main report’s narrative separately puts the figure at “at least ten boys and young men” — a variance within the Attorney General’s own materials (Report, p. 103). The same summary states: “Members of the Diocesan hierarchy first received notice of possible misconduct as early as 1965, but Demers remained in ministry until 2002” (Appendix A, p. 72).

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 Demers was never criminally charged: the Appendix records that the allegations the Diocese reported to law enforcement resulted in no prosecutable criminal case (Appendix A, p. 72; Appendix A, p. 2).

If you were at these parishes or La Salle Academy: the Rhode Island revival window

Rhode Island’s revival window covers childhood sexual abuse at any institution — parishes and schools alike — no matter how long ago it occurred, until June 30, 2028. His death in 2018 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
• Rhode Island’s childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Normand Demers 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 is “Removed from Ministry 4/1/2002”. The Attorney General’s entry records his status differently, listing him as suspended on March 25, 2002, followed by a 2002–2004 leave and 2004 retirement (Appendix A, p. 72).

Did he teach at La Salle Academy? The Diocese’s published assignment record lists “Teacher, LaSalle Academy, Providence, 1970’s.” The Attorney General’s entry dates the Lasalle Academy assignment 1970–1980 (Appendix A, p. 72).

Was Father Demers ever criminally charged or convicted? No. The Attorney General’s Appendix states that the Diocese reported several, but not all, of the allegations to law enforcement and that none resulted in a prosecutable criminal case; Demers was never charged with or convicted of any crime (Appendix A, p. 72).

He died in 2018 — 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 or at La Salle, 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 Armand Ventre — also served at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, North Providence
• Father Edward Kelley — also served at St. John the Evangelist Church, Slatersville
• Father Paul Desrosiers — also served at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Coventry
• Father Peter Scagnelli — also served at St. John the Evangelist Church, Slatersville

Related town records: see all verified Providence records and Cranston 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 7, 2026); Rhode Island Attorney General, Report on the Diocese of Providence and Appendix A (March 4, 2026). Where the two official sources differ (removal-from-ministry versus suspension status and date; assignment years and naming; leave, treatment, and retirement entries), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 7, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.