November 18, 2021, WORCESTER, MA -- Following the Catholic Church’s commitment to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, has announced that Ronald Provost has been laicized. He was dismissed from the clerical state by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. As a result of the laicization, he may never function in any capacity as a priest or be referred to as a priest or as “Father” in writing such as in future obituaries.
“It continues to be my fervent prayer that Christ may bring healing and hope to anyone who has been abused by anyone in the Catholic Church,” said Bishop McManus.
Bishop McManus encourages anyone in need of pastoral assistance as a result of clerical abuse to contact the diocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator in the Office of Healing and Prevention by calling 508-929-4363. The bishop noted, “As Pope Francis wrote to the Episcopal Conferences throughout the world in February 2015, ‘everything possible must be done to rid the Church of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors and to open pathways of reconciliation and healing for those who were abused.’”
Ronald Provost was removed from ministry in 1992 and in 1993 was convicted of soliciting a child to pose in a state of nudity.
Provost was ordained in 1970 and served in the following parishes: St. Rose of Lima, Northborough, St. Camillus de Lellis, Fitchburg, St. Mary, Southbridge, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Winchendon, St. Bernard, Fitchburg, St. Peter, Worcester, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-St. Ann, Worcester, St, Anthony, Fitchburg. St. Vincent Hospital chaplain, Holy Angels, Upton, St. Joseph Parish, Barre- St. Augustine Mission, Wheelwright
Related: 2021 Audit finds Diocese compliant with National Charter
for the Protection of Children and Young People
In a related announcement, the Diocese of Worcester was found compliant in the national compliance audit in 2021 regarding the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. In the year ending June 2021 it reported having received four new reports of abuse, all of which occurred prior to 1981, and has had ongoing contact with 14 victims and their families who made reports prior to July 2020. The Diocese of Worcester is committed to creating safe environments in all diocesan parishes and institutions and continues to work closely with local law enforcement agencies and community resources to support that commitment. In 2014 the diocese implemented online training in collaboration with Dallas Child Advocacy Center for all employees and volunteers to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse. The diocese has processed 2,091 background checks and renewals over the past year for ordained and lay employees and volunteers which is another example of how it has been fully supportive of the commitment toward the safety of children in its care.
The Diocesan Review Board meets regularly to review cases brought forward from victims of abuse, as well as concerns involved in the ongoing support of victims and their families who have come forward over the years. More than half of the board members are from outside the employ of the diocese as mandated by the charter and have pertinent experience in pediatrics, law enforcement and clinical social work to assist the diocese in meeting its commitment to child safety. A current list of Review Board Members is available on the website, worcesterdiocese.org.
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