Father Timothy Gorton (1956–2021)

Father Timothy Gorton’s three decades of ministry moved through much of the state — Cumberland, Newport, five years at the diocesan preparatory seminary high school in Providence, parishes in Cranston, Warren, Warwick, and Pawtucket, an assignment at Roger Williams University, and finally Precious Blood and St. Agatha in Woonsocket. 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 Gorton?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, Father Gorton was removed from ministry on April 23, 2012 and died on June 18, 2021. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s entry records a different date and action, listing Gorton as “Suspended May 1, 2012” (Appendix A, p. 152).

According to the Attorney General’s report, a complainant reported to the Narragansett Police Department in January 2012 that Gorton had abused him in 1983, when he was 12 years old, while Gorton was assigned to St. Joseph Church in Cumberland. Police determined that neither reported incident could be prosecuted because both were time-barred under the applicable three-year statute of limitations, and referred the complainant to the Diocese’s Office of Education and Compliance (Appendix A, pp. 152–153). The report also notes that, although the Diocese produced no records documenting contemporaneous knowledge of the alleged abuse, it transferred Gorton from St. Joseph’s in Cumberland to St. Joseph’s in Newport a year after the reported assaults took place (Report, p. 125).

When interviewed by the Office of Education and Compliance in February 2012, Gorton denied all of the allegations against him (Appendix A, p. 153). Both the complainant and Gorton completed polygraph examinations; per the report, the complainant’s reportedly showed “no deception indicated” while Gorton’s reportedly showed “deception indicated” (Appendix A, p. 153). The Diocesan Review Board determined the allegations were credible on March 27, 2012; Bishop Thomas Tobin closed the canonical investigation on April 10, 2012; and Gorton requested retirement from active ministry on April 16, 2012, citing his health, which the Bishop granted on May 1 (Appendix A, p. 153). The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided not to laicize Gorton and instead directed him to live a “life of prayer and penance,” effectively and permanently removing him from all public ministry (Appendix A, p. 152; Report, p. 226).

Where Father Gorton 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: it does not list the Roger Williams University assignment (Diocese: 1994–1997) or a separate Precious Blood Church row (Diocese: 2008–2012), and it adds rows the Diocese record does not include — 2007–2008 Medical Leave of Absence and 2012 “Suspended and Retired” (Appendix A, p. 152). The report’s narrative nonetheless places Gorton at Precious Blood Church in Woonsocket in 2012 (Appendix A, p. 153).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes Timothy Gorton on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased, with the status: “Removed from Ministry 4/23/2012; Died 06/18/21”. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Father Timothy Gorton 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 Timothy Gorton reportedly sexually abused a 12-year-old boy in 1983 in the rectory of St. Joseph Church in Cumberland, Rhode Island, and in Narragansett, Rhode Island” (Appendix A, p. 152). The report also identifies Gorton as one of the priests who “were permitted to retire into ‘a life of prayer and penance’” rather than being laicized (Report, p. 92).

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 Gorton was never criminally charged; the Narragansett Police determined that the reported incidents could not be prosecuted because both were time-barred under the applicable three-year statute of limitations (Appendix A, p. 2; Appendix A, p. 153).

If you were at these parishes, the prep seminary, or RWU: the Rhode Island revival window

Civil claims for childhood sexual abuse may be filed until June 30, 2028, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred; his death in 2021 does not affect the right to bring one, because 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 Timothy Gorton 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 4/23/2012.” The Attorney General’s entry differs, listing “Suspended May 1, 2012”; the report records that the Diocesan Review Board found the allegations credible on March 27, 2012, that Gorton requested retirement on April 16, 2012, and that the Bishop granted it on May 1, 2012 (Appendix A, p. 153).

Was Father Gorton ever criminally charged? No. Narragansett Police determined in 2012 that the reported incidents could not be prosecuted because both were time-barred under the applicable three-year statute of limitations; the Vatican later directed a “life of prayer and penance” rather than laicization (Appendix A, pp. 152–153).

The abuse would have been more recent than most cases — does the window still apply? Yes. The revival window covers previously time-barred childhood sexual abuse claims from any era, and newer claims may also proceed under Rhode Island’s existing statute of limitations. Either way, a claim may still be timely.

Confidential help

If something happened to you at one of these parishes or schools, 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. Joseph Church, Cumberland (+2 more shared)
• Father Charles Dolan — also served at St. Ann Church, Cranston (+1 more shared)
• Father Peter Scagnelli — also served at Roger Williams University, Bristol (+1 more shared)
• Father Robert Carpentier — also served at Precious Blood Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)

Related town records: see all verified Providence records, Cranston records, Pawtucket records, Woonsocket records, and Warwick 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/suspension date and type, assignment rows), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 7, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.