PROVIDENCE (RI)
WPRI-TV, CBS-12 [Providence RI]
August 27, 2026
By Kayla Fish, Amanda Milkovits
Five men who formerly served as altar boys are coming forward and suing the Roman Catholic Church in Rhode Island over the abuse they reportedly endured and kept hidden for more than 50 years.
Boston Globe Rhode Island Reporter Amanda Milkovits has been following dozens of lawsuits filed against institutions over child sexual abuse since a new law took effect, extending the window for victims to pursue legal action in Rhode Island.RELATED: Sexual abuse victims at former St. Aloysius Home sue Diocese of Providence
On Thursday, Milkovits joined 12 News at 4 to share more about the five men, who grew up together in Pawtucket’s Prospect Heights neighborhood during the 1970s.
The men, who were friends and brothers, also served as altar boys. They allege their priest, Father Armand Ventre, invited them to his lakeside cottage in Glocester, where he molested them.
See the full video interview in the original article.
Milkovits said none of the men reported the abuse at the time, nor did they discuss it with one another until they read Attorney General Peter Neronha’s report.
Ventre died in 1999 and is now listed as credibly accused. According to diocesan records, church leaders knew he posed a danger to children over the course of his 40-year career, but he remained in ministry.
One of the men told Milkovits the abuse has had a lasting impact on his life and the lives of the other former altar boys, with effects they continue to grapple with today. He also encouraged other survivors to come forward in hopes of preventing future abuse.
Check out the full report from Milkovits in the Boston Globe: After 50 years of keeping a secret about a priest, they’re suing the Catholic Church