Monsignor John Allard (1949–2018)

Monsignor John Allard’s nearly four decades of ministry centered on Woonsocket — seventeen years at Precious Blood and St. Agatha — with earlier parish years in Pawtucket, Cranston, and Mapleville, and long stretches in diocesan roles: the Office for Youth Ministry, the Office of Evangelization & Spirituality, and CYO centers in South Providence and 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 Monsignor Allard?

According to the Diocese of Providence’s published list, he was removed from ministry on February 25, 2013 and died on April 27, 2018. The Attorney General’s report records a different status and date: its Appendix A entry lists Allard as retired on February 21, 2013 (Appendix A, p. 12).

The Attorney General’s Appendix records that in February 2013 a complainant — by then a Diocesan employee — reported that Allard had sexually abused him beginning in October 1981, when he was approximately 15 years old and Allard was an Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Cranston (Appendix A, p. 12–13). The Diocese forwarded the allegations to law enforcement; the Rhode Island State Police opened an investigation on February 14, 2013 and closed it on February 26, 2013 after determining that prosecution was barred by the statute of limitations, and Allard was never criminally charged (Appendix A, p. 13). When Diocesan investigator Robert McCarthy asked Allard whether the allegations were true, the report records that Allard replied, “[i]t’s true” (Appendix A, p. 13).

The Diocesan Review Board deemed the allegations credible, and in February 2013 Bishop Thomas Tobin placed Allard on administrative leave (Appendix A, p. 12; Report, p. 228). The report states that, despite the credibility finding, Bishop Tobin recommended against Allard’s full removal from the priesthood, and in October 2013 the Vatican ordered the Bishop to retire Allard and impose a “life of prayer and penance” (Report, p. 69; Report, p. 228). The report further finds that Allard later returned to work as a part-time cook in the St. Agatha rectory in Woonsocket, an arrangement the Diocese did not learn of for several months and with “little to no documented monitoring” (Report, p. 69; Report, p. 229). He died in 2018 (Appendix A, p. 12).

Where Monsignor Allard 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 places Our Lady of Good Help Church in Burrillville rather than Mapleville, does not list the 2001 temporary assignment at Sacred Heart Church in Woonsocket, styles the youth-ministry office as the “Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry,” and adds a final “2013: Retired” entry (Appendix A, p. 12).

What the official lists say

The Diocese of Providence includes John Allard on its List of Credibly Accused Clergy – Deceased, with the status: “Removed from Ministry 2/25/2013; Died 4/27/2018”. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s report (March 4, 2026) includes Monsignor John Allard 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: “Beginning in October 1981 and over the following two years, Monsignor John Allard—who would go on to serve as Director of the Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry—reportedly sexually abused a teenage altar boy on numerous occasions” (Appendix A, p. 12). The Appendix also records that the Diocesan Review Board deemed the allegations credible after Allard admitted that they were true (Appendix A, p. 12).

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 report itself records that Allard admitted the allegations to Diocesan investigators (Appendix A, p. 13). Monsignor Allard was never criminally charged: the Rhode Island State Police closed their February 2013 investigation after determining that prosecution was barred by the statute of limitations (Appendix A, p. 13; Appendix A, p. 2).

If you were at these Woonsocket parishes or the CYO centers: 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 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
• Who can file a claim

Frequently Asked Questions

Is John Allard on the credibly accused list? Yes. He appears on the Diocese of Providence’s published List of Credibly Accused Clergy (Deceased) and, as Monsignor John Allard, 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 2/25/2013”. The Attorney General’s report records his status differently, listing him as retired on February 21, 2013 (Appendix A, p. 12).

Was Monsignor Allard ever criminally charged or convicted? No. The Rhode Island State Police opened an investigation on February 14, 2013 and closed it on February 26, 2013 after determining that prosecution was barred by the statute of limitations; Allard was never charged with or convicted of any crime (Appendix A, p. 13).

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 programs, 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 Robert Carpentier — also served at Precious Blood Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
• Father Timothy Gorton — also served at Precious Blood Church, Woonsocket (+1 more shared)
• Father Armand Ventre — also served at Our Lady of Good Help Church, Mapleville
• Father Edward Kelley — also served at St. Agatha Church, Woonsocket

Related town records: see all verified Providence records, Cranston records, 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 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 retirement status and date; assignment locations and office names), both are stated with attribution. Information current as of July 7, 2026; official lists are working documents and may change.