Every Catholic diocese in Massachusetts publishes a list of clergy it considers credibly accused of sexually abusing children. Every one except Worcester. The Attorney General’s report on the Fall River, Springfield and Worcester dioceses, released September 30, 2026, singles that out, and the Worcester Diocese’s response the same day did not say it would change.
Here is what the report says about Worcester’s refusal, what the diocese said back, and what a public list does and does not do.
What the report says
From the report’s section on the Worcester Diocese’s current practices:
“Though the Charter calls for openness and transparency, Worcester has refused an open and transparent practice, which is in place in every other diocese in Massachusetts and in over ninety percent of Catholic dioceses nationwide. While it has, since 2002, shared the names of credibly accused priests with the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, and has made transitory disclosure of credibly accused priests on the diocesan website and in its diocesan newspaper, the diocese nevertheless refuses to share the names of these priests publicly in an accessible format.”
The report counts 90 accused clergy and 216 survivors in the Worcester Diocese. Elsewhere it describes priests whose cases Worcester never resolved publicly. In two examples it says “the Worcester Diocese refuses to make the scope and nature of the allegations against the priest publicly known,” and that the diocese “has refused to make the accused priests’ names public beyond announcing their administrative leave at Mass in the local parishes or in the Catholic Free Press.” It also notes that “Worcester’s policies remain unchanged,” while Fall River overhauled its procedures in 2020.
For comparison, the report says the Fall River Diocese “lists 50 diocesan priests on its Credibly Accused List; of these, 33 are listed as deceased.”
What the diocese said
According to the Worcester Guardian, the diocese, led by Bishop Robert McManus, issued a statement Wednesday saying it welcomed the report. It noted that the investigation produced no charges against the diocese, said allegations received since 2002 have been immediately forwarded to the district attorney, and pointed to its implementation of the 2002 Charter, its use of clinical social workers and an independent Review Board, and annual compliance audits. It said the “vast majority” of cases documented in its own earlier reports occurred 40 to 60 years ago and credited new safeguards with making “an enormous difference.”
“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 diocese said. The statement, as reported, did not address a public list.
On the audits the diocese cited: the report says Worcester “has been deemed in compliance during these audits since the adoption of the Dallas Charter,” but concludes the audits “are not a reliable means of assessing compliance with the Dallas Charter and are more akin to self-reported surveys.” On mandatory reporting, the report says its investigation “did not reveal any violations of the 2002 update of the Massachusetts mandatory reporting law by the Worcester Diocese.”
Does the law require a list?
Not that we are aware of. We know of no Massachusetts statute that requires a diocese or other private institution to publish the names of employees credibly accused of abuse. The lists other dioceses publish are voluntary, adopted under the Church’s own transparency commitments. That is why the Attorney General’s report frames this as a recommendation, calling on all three dioceses to increase transparency, “including by making information about credibly accused clergy publicly accessible.”
What Massachusetts law does require is reporting. Since 2002, clergy have been mandated reporters of suspected child abuse to the state’s child-protection agency, now the Department of Children and Families. That obligation is about current abuse and current children. It does not reach the question a public list answers: whether a priest a parishioner knew decades ago was later found credibly accused.
Why it matters to survivors
The report describes what secrecy meant in practice. When accused priests were allowed to retire without public findings, “priests received sympathy from unknowing parishioners,” and some “were often able to continue to present to the public as priests in good standing.” A public list is the simplest way to end that. It also matters to survivors who came forward and never learned what the diocese concluded, and to survivors who have not come forward and are trying to learn whether they were the only one.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Worcester Diocese have a list of credibly accused priests?
Not a publicly accessible one. According to the Attorney General’s September 30, 2026 report, Worcester is the only Massachusetts diocese without one. It has shared names with the Worcester County District Attorney since 2002 and has made what the report calls “transitory” disclosures on its website and in its newspaper.
What did the Worcester Diocese say about the AG report?
According to the Worcester Guardian, it welcomed the report, noted no charges resulted, cited its post-2002 reforms, Review Board and audits, and said it “will study the AG’s report to identify any additional improvements.” The reported statement did not address a public list.
Are dioceses required by law to publish credibly accused lists?
We know of no Massachusetts statute requiring it. Published lists are voluntary. The Attorney General’s report recommends that all three dioceses make the information publicly accessible.
How many accused clergy did the AG find in the Worcester Diocese?
90 accused clergy and 216 survivors, according to the report, which notes the numbers are not filtered for credibility.
Sources: Office of the Attorney General, Report on Diocese Investigation (2026), read in full at mass.gov, including the Worcester Diocese’s current-practices section and Section IX. The Worcester Diocese’s statement as reported by the Worcester Guardian, September 30, 2026; we did not obtain the full statement directly. General information, not legal advice. Survivors in Central Massachusetts can reach Pathways for Change’s 24-hour confidential hotline at 800-870-5905, as listed by the Worcester Guardian.