Rev. Alfred R. Desrosiers-Assignment

Rev. Alfred R. Desrosiers

Summary of Case: Desrosiers accused of molesting one 15 yr old girl in 1972 and one in 1975-76 in two separate civil suits filed in 1994. Criminal trial was scheduled for fall, 1997 but portions were appealed to RI Supreme Court as of 4/98.. Claims against this priestwere settled 9/02 as part of $13.5M mass settlement involving 36 victims of priest abuse in Providence Diocese and allegations against 11 priests and a nun. Died 2/15/01.

Ordained: June 25, 1961

Start	Stop	Assignment	Town/Accusations	State	Position	Notes
1961 Bishop of Providence was Russell McVinney (1948-1971)	1962	St. Jean Baptiste (French)	Warren	RI	2/2 Pastor was Rev. Albert A. Leveille	St. Jean's had a school with 140 boys and 145 girls.
1962	1971	Holy Family (French)	Woonsocket	RI	4/4, 3/4, 2/3, 2/4 Pastor was Msgr. Stephen Grenier 1962-1069, replace by Rev. Maurice L. Hazebrouck, through Desrosiers' time at Holy Family. Rev. Zenon B. St. Laurent was second priest listed 1962-1964, replaced by Rev. Emile A. Robert 1964-1969. Desrosiers was listed second 1969-1971. Third priest 1962-1968 was Rev. Rene E. Gagne, succeeded in 1968-1969 by Desrosiers in the third spot, and by Rev. Joseph Daniello 1969-1971. Listed as fourth priest 1968-1969 was Rev. Edward G. St. Godard and in 1970-1971 Rev. Thomas J. Trepanier was fourth.	Holy Family had a school with 283-127 boys and 293-141 girls.
1971 Bishop of Providence was Louis E. Gelineau (1971-1997).	1978	St. Joan's	Cumberland • Accused of sexual abuse of a 15 year old female parishioner, beginning in 1972 (Providence Journal Bulletin, March 9, 1994). • Accused in the 1990s of having sexually abused a 16 year old girl at St. Joan's in 1976 (Providence Journal-Bulletin March 18, 1994).	RI	2/2, 2/3, 1/1 Desrosiers worked under Rev. Adrien R. Menard 1971-1974, was the lone priest 1975-1976, then worked under Rev. Auguste J. Delvaux 1976-1978. In the third spot 1973-1975 was Rev. Mr. Edward S. Cardente, in 1976-1977 it was Rev. Mr. Roland L. Simoneau, and 1977-1978 Rev. Mr. Chester Gillis was third.
1978	1993	Our Lady of Victories (French)	Woonsocket	RI	1/2, 1/3 Desrosiers was pastor, and his assistant was Rev. Normand J. Deneault. During 1980-1983 Rev. William J. Raiche, Pastor Emeritus, is listed as "in residence".	Suspended from ministry in the spring of 1993, due to accusations of sexual abuse (Providence Journal-Bulletin September 14, 1995).
1993 Robert E. Mulvee replaced Gelineau as bishop (1997-2005)	1997	Absent on leave
1997	1998	?				Not listed or indexed in the Official Catholic Directory
1998	2001	Retired				Died Feb. 15, 2001

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1962-2001).

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy & Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.