Father Robert Carpentier (1941–2012)

Father Robert Carpentier began his ministry with nine years in Woonsocket — Precious Blood, St. Agatha, and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs — followed by assignments in North Providence, the village of Nasonville, and North Slatersville, with summer assignments in Misquamicut and Newport. 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 Carpentier?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, Father Carpentier was removed from ministry on April 9, 1992 and died on May 9, 2012. The Attorney General’s record states his status differently: its entry lists Carpentier as retired in 2006, with an assignment history showing a medical leave, a sabbatical, and a leave of absence spanning 1992 to 2006 (Appendix A, p. 45).

The two official statuses describe the same sequence of events from different angles. According to the Attorney General’s Appendix, the Diocese first learned of an allegation against Carpentier in April 1992, when the family of a complainant (“Complainant A”) reported it to Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell; at a meeting with Bishop Louis Gelineau and Bishop Angell on April 9, 1992, Father Carpentier admitted to abusing Complainant A and agreed to resign from his position (Appendix A, p. 45–46). There is no indication in the Diocesan records produced to the Attorney General that the Diocese notified law enforcement at the time (Appendix A, p. 45; Report, p. 90). Rather than being formally removed under the AG’s chronology, Carpentier was sent to the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut, then to a church-funded sabbatical at Boston College, and “remained on a leave of absence from April 1992 until his ‘official’ retirement in 2006, during and after which he continued to receive compensation and benefits from the Diocese” (Appendix A, p. 45; Report, p. 130–131). Parishioners were told at the time that he was taking a “medical leave of absence” due to “mental tiredness and anxieties” (Report, p. 130).

Complainant A filed a civil suit against Carpentier and the Diocese in October 1992, which was ultimately included in the landmark 2002 settlement between the Diocese and 36 survivors of clergy abuse for $13.5 million (Appendix A, p. 45; Report, p. 90). In April 2020 — eight years after Carpentier’s death — the Diocese received a second complaint (“Complainant B”), which the Diocese forwarded to the Rhode Island State Police in late June 2020 (Appendix A, p. 46). Carpentier was never criminally charged; the report states that he “was never prosecuted” (Report, p. 131).

Where Father Carpentier 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 continues past 1992 with four additional rows the Diocese’s list omits: “April – May 1992: Medical Leave of Absence, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT”; “1992 – 1994: Sabbatical, Boston College”; “1994 – 2006: Leave of Absence”; and “2006: Retired” (Appendix A, p. 45). The AG’s narrative report also places St. John the Evangelist Church in North Smithfield — the town containing the village the Diocese and the Appendix call North Slatersville (Report, p. 130).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes Robert Carpentier on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased, with the status: “Removed from Ministry 4/9/1992; Died 5/9/2012”. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Robert Carpentier 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 Robert Carpentier reportedly sexually abused two boys in Woonsocket in the late 1960s and early 1970s, while serving as a priest at St. Agatha’s Church and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Woonsocket. He admitted the abuse of one of his complainants (‘Complainant A’). He died before the second complainant (‘Complainant B’) came forward” (Appendix A, p. 45).

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; in this case, the Appendix itself records Carpentier’s 1992 admission to Diocesan officials as to Complainant A (Appendix A, p. 45). Father Carpentier was never criminally charged: the Diocese did not report the 1992 admission to law enforcement, the report states he “was never prosecuted,” and the second complaint reached the State Police only in 2020, after his death (Report, p. 131; Appendix A, p. 2).

If you were at these Woonsocket, North Providence, or Nasonville 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 — including the late 1960s and 1970s — until June 30, 2028. His death in 2012 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 Robert Carpentier 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 4/9/1992” — the date of the meeting at which, per the Attorney General’s Appendix, he admitted the abuse of Complainant A and agreed to resign. The Attorney General’s entry instead lists him as retired in 2006, after a medical leave, sabbatical, and leave of absence spanning 1992–2006 (Appendix A, p. 45).

Was Father Carpentier ever criminally charged or convicted? No. There is no indication the Diocese reported the 1992 admission to law enforcement, and the Attorney General’s report states he “was never prosecuted”; a second complaint was forwarded to the State Police in 2020, eight years after his death (Report, p. 131; Appendix A, p. 46).

He died in 2012 — 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 Edmund Fitzgerald — also served at St. Clare Church, Misquamicut (+1 more shared)
• Father Timothy Gorton — also served at Precious Blood Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
• Monsignor John Allard — also served at Precious Blood Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
• Father Edward Kelley — also served at St. Agatha Church, Woonsocket

Related town records: see all verified Woonsocket records, plus 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 (removal-from-ministry versus 2006 retirement status; post-1992 leave, sabbatical, and retirement entries; parish location naming), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 7, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.