Rev. Msgr. Louis Ward Dunn-Assignment

Assignment Record– Rev. Msgr. Louis Ward Dunn

Summary of Case: Dunn was placed on leave in 1994 after a woman made a complaint of sexual misconduct to the bishop. She filed a lawsuit in 1995. Dunn was tried on two separate rape allegations. One was dismissed; he was convicted in the second and received 10-year sentence. At least two other suits were filed. Dunn died in 2001. Some claims were settled in 2002 but one of the original complainants did not settled. She carried her case all the way to the R.I. Supreme Court, which dismissed it in February 2008. She then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ordained: 1947
Died: 2001

Start	Stop	Assignment	Town/Accusations	State	Position	Notes
1947 Bishop of Providence was Francis P. Keough (1934-1947).	1948	St. Mary's	Crompton	RI	2/2 Pastor was Rev. Joseph M. Degnan
1948 Russell J. McVinney replaced Keough (1948-1971).	1950	Appolinarus Seminary	Rome	Italy1950
1950	1956	Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul	Providence	RI	8/8,6/7,7/7,7/8 With Dunn during his time at the Cathedral were Msgr. Bernard J Lennon and Msgr. Charles J. Mahoney 1950-1951, Msgr. William F. Murray 1950-1956, Rev. John F. O'Neil 1950-1952, Rev. Arthur T. Geoghegan 1950-1953, Rev. William J. Carey 1950-1956, Rev. Edwin F. Kirkman 1950-1955, Rev. Robert J. Randall 1951-1953, Rev. Fernando P. de Freitas 1952-1953, Rev. James P. Hynes 1953-1956, Rev. Joseph A. Cardoza 1953-1954, Rev. Daniel P. Reilly 1953-1956, Rev. Cornelius B. Lynch and Rev. John J. Walsh 1954-1956, and Rev. Lionel A. Blain 1955-1956.	The Cathedral had a school, Tyler Grammar and Junior High, with 372-293 boys and 362-303 girls.
1956	1964	Mother of Hope Novitiate	Hillsgrove	RI	Chaplain	Mother of Hope was a convent. Dunn was elevated to Monsignor in 1957.
1964	1967	Christ the King	Kingston • Accused of raping a 14-year- old girl while pastor of Christ the King, in 1965 (Providence Journal-Bulletin March 29, 1996). • Dunn accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 1967 (Providence Journal-Bulletin, March 29, 1996).	RI	1/2,1/1 Dunn's assistant priest 1964-1966 was Rev. Edmund C. Micarelli.	Christ the King was the university parish for the University of Rhode Island. Micarelli later with multiple allegations of sexual abuse of boys.
1964	1967	University of Rhode Island Newman Club	Kingston • A URI student reported to Bishop McVinney Dunn's "inappropriate sexual advances" toward young girls. Dunn was subsequently promoted by McVinney to two additional Chancery positions (per 1998 legal complaint).		Dunn served as advisor to the Club (per 1998 legal complaint).
1967 Louis E. Gelineau succeeded McVinney (1971-1997).	1994	St. Thomas	Providence • Reportedly made inappropriate sexual advances toward a 12 year old girl in 1986 (per 1998 legal complaint). • Dunn charged in 1996 with first-degree sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman in 1982 (Providence Journal-Bulletin March 29, 1996). • Placed on administrative leave after allegation of sexual misconduct (Providence [RI] Journal-Bulletin July 3, 1994). • Convicted in 1997 of rape (Providence Journal-Bulletin December 21, 1999).	RI	1/3,1/4,1/2 Working under Dunn were Rev. Ralph R. Hogan 1967-1970,Rev. Gerald P. Pincince 1967-1968, Rev. John C. Halloran 1968-1975, Rev. Thomas L. Keenan 1970-1971, Rev. Peter M. Cavanaugh 1971-1982, Deacon David Norris 1972-1974, then as Rev. David Norris 1977-1980, Rev. Ronald E. Brassard 1974-1976, Rev. Robert A. Rochon 1975-1977, Rev. Robert C. Gagne 1980-1984, Rev. Louis T. Natalizia 1981-1986, Rev. Richard A. Valentine 1986-1991, Rev. Joseph R. Paquette 1991-1994	St. Thomas had a school with 314-120 students. Brassard accused in the 1990s of sexual abuse of a boy in the 1970s in IL (Providence Journal-Bulletin May 5, 1995)
1952	1964	Vice Chancellor
1953	1960	Vicar for Religious
1964	1994	Diocesan Tribunal
1972	1975	Dean of North Providence-#5 Deanery
1973	1977	Senate of Priests
1994 Robert Edward Mulvee followed Gelineau as bishop (1997-2005).	2001	Retired	Providence	RI		Lived at St. John Vianney Residence. Dunn died in 2001.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1948-2001).

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.