Assignment Record –Bro. Roger C. Argencourt, S.C. aka Bro. Odillon, S.C.

Summary of Case: Bro. Roger C. Argencourt, also known as Bro. Odillion, was a Sacred Heart Brother of the New England Province who admitted to abusing two boys at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, NH. He reportedly raped and molested one of the boys as many as 40 times, once in front of another teacher. Argencourt could not be charged because the statutes of limitations had expired. Authorities in RI were preparing to file charges regarding alleged abuse at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket when Argencourt died on Sept. 23, 2002.

First Vows: 1959
Final Vows: 1965
Died: Sept. 23, 2002

1957

Russell Joseph McVinney was Providence bishop (1948-1971).

Earned a master's in education in 1972.

1972

Ernest John Primeau was Manchester bishop (1959-1974), followed by Odore Joseph Gendron (1974-1990).

Nashua

• In Jan. 2002 a man reported to police that Argencourt molested him 20-40 times in 1973, when the man was a Bishop Guertin freshman. Argencourt is said to have abused the boy while tutoring him in history, and that most of the incidents took place in the Brother's bedroom. During one of the assaults a brother-teacher is said to have walked in, saw what was happening, and walked out. Another incident is said to have occurred in a school bathroom, where another student saw what was happening.

• Another man told police in 2002 that Argencourt sexually abused him when he was a Bishop Guertin student in around 1973/1974.

1981

Louis Edward Gelineau was Providence bishop (1971-1997).

Woonsocket

• In the summer of 2002 a man reported to Woonsocket police that Argencourt sexually assaulted him when he was a Mount St. Charles student, in 1985-1986.

1986

Manchester bishop was Leo Edward O'Neil (1990-1997), who was succeeded by John Brendan McCormack (1998-2011).

Bishop Guertin was an all boys' school until 1992, when it also admitted girls.

Argencourt was placed on leave in Jan. 2002, after accusations surfaced that he had sexually abused two boys at Bishop Guertin in the 1970s.

Police said they had enough evidence, but Argencourt could not be prosecuted due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Argencourt died Sept. 23, 2002

Sources:

• Accusations Surface against Third Bishop Guertin Teacher, Associated Press State & Local Wire, March 27, 2002
• Victim Considering Lawsuit against School, Religious Order, Associated Press State & Local Wire, March 28, 2002
• Bishop: Time for Peace, Love, Pardon. Alleged Nashua Victim to Sue Guertin, By Kathryn Marchocki, Union Leader (Manchester NH),
March 29, 2002
• New Lawsuits Filed against N.H. Clergy, Associated Press State & Local Wire, April 24, 2002
• Suit Accuses Teacher at Bishop Guertin of Sex Abuse, By Kathryn Marchocki, Union Leader (Manchester NH), April 25, 2002
• Obituary, The Telegraph (Nashua, NH), September 25, 2002
• Brother Roger Argencourt, Accused of Abusing Student, Providence Journal-Bulletin (Rhode Island), September 25, 2002
• Defendant Dead but Lawsuit Continues, Associated Press, September 25, 2002
• School Informs Parents about Abuse Charge, By Megan Matteucci, Providence Journal-Bulletin (Rhode Island), October 7, 2002
• NH AG Report March 3, 2003
• Documents from NH AG Report
• Suit Alleges Failure to Report Abuse, By Kathryn Marchocki, Union Leader (Manchester NH), April 2, 2003
• Church Abuse, Associated Press State & Local Wire, November 19, 2003

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This assignment record collates Argencourt's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on Oct. 10, 2012.