This page concerns Richard Holden, a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence who died March 23, 1985, while serving in ministry — at age 46, per the Attorney General’s entry. The Diocese’s record prints his birth date as September 11, 1939; the Attorney General’s records print September 23, 1939 — both are stated here with attribution. He was ordained May 23, 1964. This page does not refer to any other person of the same or similar name. Assignments are reproduced from the Diocese’s records and the Attorney General’s report — see how this database is verified.
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Father Richard Holden’s twenty-one years of ministry ran from St. Mary Star of the Sea in Narragansett through six years at St. Aloysius in Woonsocket and a year at Sacred Heart in Pawtucket to fourteen years at St. Vincent de Paul in Coventry, where he was serving when he died. 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 Holden?
According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, his status reads, in full: “Died 3/23/1985; 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: No” in its header (Appendix A, p. 160).
The Attorney General’s Appendix A states that Holden reportedly “approached a boy in a sexual manner” in the early-to-mid 1960s while assigned to St. Aloysius Parish in Woonsocket, and reportedly abused four other boys from 1970 to 1982 while assigned to St. Vincent De Paul Parish in Coventry; per the entry, “Diocesan officials were not notified of any of the allegations against Father Holden until after his death in 1985” (Appendix A, p. 160).
The entry also notes that although no documented abuse reports predate 1997 in the produced records, the review found “sparse documents dating back to the 1960s that indicate possible earlier complaints,” including an October 1967 parishioner letter urging its recipient to ignore “unkind rumors” being spread about Holden at “St. Louis Parish” in Woonsocket — which the report notes was likely St. Aloysius (Appendix A, p. 160).
Where Father Holden served: assignment history
The Diocese of Providence publishes the following assignment record:
| Assignment | Location | Years |
|---|---|---|
| St. Mary Star of the Sea Church | Narragansett, RI | 1964 |
| St. Aloysius Church | Woonsocket, RI | 1964–1970 |
| Sacred Heart Church | Pawtucket, RI | 1970–1971 |
| St. Vincent de Paul Church | Coventry, RI | 1971–1985 |
Source: Diocese of Providence, individual clergy record, verified July 21, 2026; entries reproduced as published. The Attorney General’s Appendix A prints the first assignment as “1964 – 1964” and prints the Coventry parish as “St. Vincent De Paul” where the Diocese prints “St. Vincent de Paul” (Appendix A, p. 160).
What the official lists say
The Diocese of Providence includes Richard Holden on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Richard Holden 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 Richard Holden reportedly sexually abused five boys during his 21 years in ministry” (Appendix A, p. 160).
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 Holden was never criminally charged; per the report, “Diocesan officials were not notified of any of the allegations against Father Holden until after his death in 1985” (Appendix A, p. 160).
If you were at St. Vincent de Paul in Coventry or St. Aloysius in Woonsocket: 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 1985 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 Richard Holden 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 Holden ever criminally charged? No. The Attorney General’s records reflect no criminal charges; the report states Diocesan officials were not notified of any allegations until after his death (Appendix A, p. 160).
When was he born? The Diocese’s record prints September 11, 1939; the Attorney General’s entry prints September 23, 1939. The variance is stated here as each source publishes it (Appendix A, p. 160).
He died in 1985 — 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 St. Vincent de Paul, St. Aloysius, or 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 Roland Lepire — also served at St. Aloysius Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
- Father Normand Demers — also served at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Coventry
- Father Paul Desrosiers — also served at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Coventry
- Father William O’Connell — also served at Sacred Heart Church, Pawtucket
Related town records: see all verified Pawtucket records and Woonsocket 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 birth date (9/11/1939 vs. September 23, 1939); the “1964 – 1964” entry form; and the De Paul/de Paul capitalization), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 21, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.