Assignment Record– Rev. Barry M. Meehan Summary of Case: A priest of the Providence RI diocese, ordained in 1978, Barry Meehan worked in parishes in West Warwick, Cranston, and Providence. In December 2012 a man reported to the diocese that Meehan had sexually assaulted him between 1986 and 1991, when the man was a teenage boy. State Police were notified; during their investigation a second accuser was discovered who said Meehan sexually abused him when he was a teenager in 1991 and 1992. Meehan was placed on leave in January 2013. He denied the allegations. In November 2014 he was arrested and charged with five counts of first degree sexual assault; he pleaded not guilty. Meehan was laicized May 7, 2015. He died of a heart attack at age 67 on December 8, 2016, while awaiting trial. Ordained: June 10, 1978 |
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| Start | Stop | Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1978 Providence bishop was Louis Edward Gelineau (Dec 1971-June 1997). |
1980 | SS Peter and Paul | West Warwick |
RI | 2/3 |
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| 1980 | 1990 | St. Mary's (Italian) | Cranston • A man reported to the diocese in December 2012 that when he was a teenager (over age 14), between April 17, 1986 and January 25, 1991 Meehan sexually assaulted him. The diocese deemed the allegations "credible." |
RI | 2/5, 2/4, 2/3 | St. Mary's had a school with 100-153 boys and 110-156 girls. The diocese reported the allegations to the Rhode Island State Police. |
| 1990 | 1996 | St. Augustine's | Providence • Rhode Island police investigating the report in December 2012 of past sexual abuse of a boy by Meehan discovered a second alleged Meehan victim, also a boy. This person was said to have been sexually assaulted by the priest as a minor over age 14, around Jan. 25, 1991 and Aug. 31, 1992. |
RI | 3/4, 3/3 | St. Augustine's had a school with 243-355 students. The 1996 Directory shows a CCD program with 365 students. |
1996 Gelineau was succeeded by Robert Edward Mulvee (1997-2005). |
2002 | St. John's | West Warwick | RI | 2/2, 1/2, 1/3 | St. John's had a school with 212-140 students, and a CCD program with 125-272. (The CCD program merged with St. James', per the 2002 Directory.) |
| 2000 | 2002 | St. James' | West Warwick | RI | ||
2002 Thomas Joseph Tobin replaced Mulvee as Providence bishop (2005-). |
2013 | St. Timothy's | Warwick | RI | 1/2, 1/1 | St. Timothy's had a CCD program with 300-144 students. |
| 2013 | 2015 | Absent on Leave | Meehan was removed from active ministry in January 2013 after a credible accusations of past sexual abuse of two minors emerged. Meehan denied the allegations. In November 2014 Meehan was arrested and charged with five counts of first degree sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty. Meehan was laicized May 7, 2015. Meehan died of a heart attack while awaiting trial, December 8, 2016. He was 67 years-old. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1979-2014) • Catholic Priest Resigns in Light of Sexual Misconduct Allegations, By Chris Sheppard, ABC 6, January 13, 2013
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. |