PROVIDENCE (RI)
Providence Journal [Providence RI]
January 29, 2026
By Katherine Gregg
[See also the text of Bishop Lewandowski’s letter.]
- Rhode Island’s Catholic Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski has apologized ahead of a state report on clergy child sex abuse.
- The attorney general’s report is expected to detail how the church hid abuse by dozens of priests affecting hundreds of children.
- The diocese voluntarily entered the review and asserts it now has robust policies to protect children.
Rhode Island’s Catholic Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski is seeking to prepare the many Catholics in the state for the imminent release of the attorney general’s long-anticipated report on decades of clergy child sex abuse.
And, on Thursday, he also offered an apology.
“I take this opportunity to apologize to the victim-survivors for the failures of church personnel and others in past decades to protect them and keep them safe,” he said Jan. 29 in a letter addressed to “Brothers and Sisters in Christ.”
And, “I pledge to continue our support for them through our Office of Outreach and Victim Assistance programs.”
Are there new accusations of clergy sex abuse?
Attorney General Peter Neronha told The Journal in a recent interviewthat his report will document how the Catholic Church in Rhode Island, in a determined effort to “hide scandal,” allowed “dozens of priests” to abuse “hundreds of children,” even in the face of credible reports.
And he said the investigation by his staff identified at least 10 more accused priests than the diocese has disclosed.
However, the bishop, in his letter, said that “the report does not contain any new cases of abuse, and much of its content has already been widely publicized in the media over the decades.”
For many, he said, the report will nonetheless be “a difficult and painful retelling of historical cases of abuse in our diocese.”
“Catholics and members of the wider community alike have understandably been scandalized, demoralized, and angered by these heinous sins and crimes of the past,” he wrote.
Until the actual release of the report, which could come as early as next week, it is not possible to reconcile the statements of the attorney general and Lewandowski.
No accusations against current clergy in RI
While not yet public, a copy of the 192-page report was sent to the diocese ahead of release under the terms of an earlier agreement.
But Lewandowski stressed that “There are no accusations against clergy who are in active ministry today.”
“Our clergy in Rhode Island are good and holy men, serving with devotion, and giving their lives to Christ and his church,” he said. “I am grateful to them for their witness and their ministry.”
What else does the letter say?
He also stressed that the attorney general’s review reached back to the 1950s and “our diocese entered into this review voluntarily in 2019 in the interest of transparency and so that broader societal good could come from our experience, from the failures and successes of the past.”
He said he is “confident that our diocese has robust and effective policies and practices in place” to avert any repeat of the mistakes of the past.
“We have a sacred duty to protect children and vulnerable people. I take this responsibility very seriously,” he said.
He said the diocese “meets and exceeds its obligations under the law in reporting allegations, cooperating with law enforcement, transparency, and most importantly ensuring safe environments for children in our parishes, schools, and ministries – which are thriving.”
He said the diocese will have additional information when the report is made public.
“Until then, know that I am praying for healing for victim-survivors who suffered grievously from clergy sexual abuse, and praying, too, for our diocese and the church.”
A victim responds
Ann Webb, who was among the first victims to tell her story publicly in House and Senate hearings on bills to remove time-barriers to lawsuits against abusers and their enablers, had this to say late Thursday about the Bishop’s letter:
“The Providence Diocese today attempted to spin the upcoming AGs report as a rehashing of old painful news. All of which they have fixed so that children are safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. Neronha, in his Jan. 8 remarks, stated that there are 10 new names of perpetrators, and that his office has made four arrests during their six-plus year investigation. This is hardly a rehashing of old painful news.”
“This report is huge,” she said. “It will be the first time the diocese’s history of complicity in the abuse of children will be presented to the people of Rhode Island in an organized report. I have the greatest respect for Attorney General Neronha and his staff for their years of work on this investigation. Survivors were treated with true respect and consideration, and I can’t thank them enough.”
This story has been updated [on January 30, 2026] with new information.