Bishops of Massachusetts Apologize and Release Abuse Prevention Protocols Following AG Report of Abuse Spanning a Century in 3 Dioceses
On September 30, 2026, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell released a comprehensive final report detailing decades of child sexual abuse and systemic institutional failures, over a 100-year period, across three Catholic Dioceses: Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester. The investigation, which began in 2019 under then-Attorney General Maura Healey, reviewed tens of thousands of records and interviewed hundreds of survivors and church officials. The report explicitly excludes the Archdiocese of Boston, which was already the subject of an AG investigation in 2003. The report found that more than 270 Catholic clerics abused nearly 1,000 children across the three dioceses. The bishops of the respective dioceses have released apologies and revealed their diocesan thorough policies for abuse prevention.
Statement of Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.
September 30, 2026
As we begin to review the report issued by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, I am filled with sorrow over the historical account of incidents and practices reflecting the tragic failings to protect our most vulnerable, especially for the innocent victims who suffered, and continue to suffer, in so many ways. To all survivors of child sexual abuse, I am deeply sorry. We as a Church failed you when you were most vulnerable. As a Diocese we are firmly resolved to continue to do all we can to help you heal, to make certain we are accountable, and to protect our children so that no other child suffers as you have.
I want to assure the community that the healing of survivors and the enforcement of professional standards and policies to prevent any future occurrence of abuse have been and continues to be our top priorities. The Fall River Diocese is focused on the ongoing safety of our community and instilling a culture of protection.
We have taken a number of important steps to build that culture of protection, including:
- Publishing, five years ago, a list of clergy against whom a credible allegation of abuse of a minor has been made, going back more than 70 years. That list remains on our website.
- Reporting to law enforcement all accusations of abuse of a child even when the victim is no longer a child
- Entering into agreements with all three of the District Attorneys in our Diocese to provide (without subpoena) documents to assist in any investigation alleging clergy abuse.
- Strengthening our protocols for handling allegations and responding to those impacted by abuse.
- Enhancing our Office of Safe Environment and hiring a licensed social worker to serve as Director of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance, along with staff in the positions of Coordinator of Compliance and Data; Coordinator of CORI and Safe Environment Training; and Catholic Schools Background Screening Specialist.
- Requiring all personnel to submit to a background check, agree to a code of conduct, and complete a Safe Environment Training Program. This includes CORI and NSOPW checks for everyone who works, ministers and volunteers in the Diocese and, in the case of schools, fingerprint checks.
- Creating a policy with detailed instructions for Diocesan personnel who receive allegations of abuse. The Diocese also has mandated training for teachers, employees, clergy and volunteers on how to recognize the signs of abuse and what to do when there is reason to believe there is abuse
- Teaching and encouraging children to understand their right to be safe and to report abuse to a trusted adult through a program called “Circle of Grace.”
- Cooperating with law enforcement to identify and prosecute abuse and conducting investigations and removing clergy who have been credibly accused.
- Created a new Ministerial Review Board composed of mostly lay members with an expanded mandate that includes independence and authority.
During my time as Bishop, I have learned much about the best practices for protecting children and vulnerable adultsa in our care. We have changed past practices and have implemented new policies that center on accountability and transparency in our operations.
Since the Attorney General’s Office began this investigation in 2019, we have fully cooperated, compiling and providing more than 80,000 pages of documents, and the Attorney General repeatedly acknowledged that cooperation.
When the Attorney General sought court permission to release a Grand Jury report, the Diocese of Fall River had the opportunity to file an objection to the release of this report, but the Diocese did not object or intervene in that action in any way to prevent its release.
We are carefully assessing the AGO report and will continue to take the steps necessary to foster a culture of protection that we have worked to build over the past decade.
Source: https://www.fallriverdiocese.org/releases-and-statements/statement-on-the-report-of-the-attorney-general/
Diocese of Worcester Statement on AG Report on Child Abuse
September 30, 2026
In our 2022 diocesan report on child sexual abuse in the history of our diocese Bishop McManus writes: “As your bishop, I am profoundly sorry for the abuse of minors by priests within this diocese since its founding in March 1950. I continue in my commitment with the help of many collaborators to do everything we can to ensure such abuse does not happen again.”
Today the Attorney General has released a report following a grand jury investigation of our diocese along with that of Fall River and Springfield.
We welcome the AG’s report for three reasons.
First, after an exhaustive investigation in which we were fully cooperative, there were no charges filed. It is also worth noting that any complaints of allegations received since 2002 have been immediately forwarded to the local District Attorney’s office.
Secondly, the report validates our own report originally issued in 2004 and updated following the grand jury investigation, noting the number of allegations which have come forward, the time frame when reported, and when the abuse it to have occurred. Both reports point out that the vast majority of cases occurred 40 – 60 years ago. Our procedures over the past three decades, including the way we screen candidates for ordination, as well as the awareness and safety training which was implemented in all our parishes and ministries, have made an enormous difference.
Thirdly, this validates our local implementation of the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Minors was adopted by all the US dioceses of the U.S. Victims have come forward and had their claims heard by clinical social workers and a Review Board with majority membership of skilled, independent advisers from the fields of child trauma and abuse. The diocese has passed each year’s independent compliance audit since the Charter was adopted. And now those efforts serve as a model for other institutions, public or private, who care for children and minors.
We will study the AG’s report to identify any additional improvements that can be made to respond to victims of past abuse and to continue to strengthen efforts to keep children safe.
The updated diocesan report can be found at
Sources: https://files.ecatholic.com/5647/documents/2026/7/Clerical%20Abuse%20Update%20%20MARCH%202026.pdf?t=1784128136000
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