Fr. Bede Gorman

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Order: OSB
Ordained: 1944
Status: Accused

Died: 05/8/1985
Diocese: Diocese of Providence RI

“Fr. Bede.” Spent entire career at Portsmouth Abbey School as teacher, coach, athletic director, Housemaster of a dorm called “The Barn.” Died in 1985. In 11/16 the school reached out to alumni regarding past sex abuse, hiring a law firm to investigate. Four allegations deemed credible surfaced of abuse of students during the 1950s until 1972, when the school no longer had boarders. One former student had come forward in 1993 re early 1960s abuse; an Abbot Matthew revealed he’d received a complaint from a parent in the early 1970s re Fr. Bede’s behavior with her son, which Fr. Bede acknowledged. Gorman also said to have disciplined students with “bare-bottomed spanking.” Abbott Matthew said he’d heard early in his career that Fr. Bede “did things with boys.”


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