#USA #MA – A 19-year-old man alleged in late September 2026 that two priests at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church had sexually abused him over several years after his mother’s death left him vulnerable. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield had already removed both clerics from ministry and referred the reports to law enforcement.
The young man, who was not identified by The Republican, said Fr. Paolo Bagattini began abusing him when he was 15. Bagattini had heard his confessions and sponsored him for confirmation. Attorney Laura Mangini later said the alleged conduct started with long hugs and hands on the teenager’s hips, which Bagattini reportedly explained as ordinary Italian affection. The accuser said the abuse continued and included underage sleepovers at the rectory, a violation of diocesan policy. The Stigmatine order later paid for two trips to Italy while the young man considered the priesthood. After he returned to the United States on January 2nd, 2026, at age 18, he said he pulled away. Bagattini, he said, then asked other people about his whereabouts.
The accuser said that Fr. Robert White, the parish’s longtime pastor, began an improper relationship only after he turned 18. Mangini said she possessed text messages from White that referred to coconut oil massages. The young man alleged that White told him, “What happens at the rectory stays at the rectory.” He said he last spoke with White on September 15th, 2026, when the priest asked him to wait two weeks before making any disclosure so White could take the matter to the bishop. Three days later, the diocese announced the priests’ removals. Mangini said neither she nor her client had notified the bishop.
The priests had taken the teenager under their wing after his mother died in 2020 and his brother went to jail. He said they invited him to dinners, took him to the beach, and gave him gifts. “Father Paolo and Father White helped raise me,” he said. Both men belonged to the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata and served in the Springfield diocese. The order has a stated focus on youth. White had previously served on the diocesan review board and was nearing retirement.
Bishop William D. Byrne suspended Bagattini on July 22nd, 2026, after a report of improper behavior with a minor that allegedly began in late 2022. The diocese received a second report on September 17th involving an adult and White, and then removed White as well. Church officials sent both matters to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office. Massachusetts State Police interviewed the accuser. A spokesperson for District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni confirmed an investigation but declined further comment. A diocesan spokesperson declined to add to the church’s earlier statement.
At this time, Fr. Bagattini remains in Italy. In an August 30th parish newsletter, he cited macular degeneration and a heart condition that had caused him to lose consciousness three times and said the order’s superior general had advised him to stay. Fr. White on the other hand has left the South End rectory while Fr. Kleber L. Cardoso assumes interim pastoral duties. The diocese has also arranged counseling for the accuser, Mangini said.
The allegations unsettled the tight-knit parish, whose members include Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and his family. Mangini said some parishioners had spread rumors intended to discredit her client. “There’s a contingent at Mount Carmel spreading rumors,” she said. “In 2026, we, as a society, should know better.” No charges had been announced, and the priests have not been convicted. The claims remained under investigation.
Cover Image: Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Springfield, Massachusetts.
