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Rev. Paul Henry Leech

Ordained: 1980

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1979

Louis E. Gelineau was bishop of Providence
(1971-1997).

1980 St. Philip's

Greenville

 

Charged in July 1984 of having sexually asaulted teenage boys at three parishes, including St. Philip's. (United Press International
July 5, 1984)

RI

4/4

As a Deacon, prior to ordination, Leech worked under Revs. Raymond J. Rafferty, Charles P. Quinn, and Roger C. Gagne. He is listed in the Official Catholic Directory as as Rev. Mr. P. Henry Leech.

St. Philip had a school with 272 students.
1980 1983

St. Joseph's

Stations-Morin Heights Community Center; Woonsocket Health Center

Woonsocket
(Chipman's Corners)

Pleaded no contest in Aug. 1985 to sexual assault, sodomy, and assault and battery on teenage boys at three RI parishes, including St. Joseph's. (Associated Press
August 20, 1985)

RI

 

3/3

Leech was the third priest, after Revs. J.A. Roger Lacasse and Dennis M. Boudreau.

 
1983 1984 St. Jude's

Lincoln

Sentenced in Oct. 1985 for sexual assault of teenage boys at St. Jude's and his previous parishes. Although the sentence was for 86 years in jail, all but three years were suspended. (United Press International
October 7, 1985)

 

RI

2/2

Pastor was Rev. George P. Behan.

 
1984 1988 Absent on sick leave ? ?   Leech's name no longer appears in the OCDs after 1988.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1980-1988).

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.

 
 

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