early 1990's, revelations surfaced about how the Diocese of Fall River protected former priest James Porter from potential charges of sexual abuse between 1960 and 1964. In 1960, Porter was assigned to St. Mary's parochial grammar school, where he was charged with managing the school's altar boys Parents soon started filing complaints against Porter with the diocese. However, the diocese took no action against him until 1963, by which time at least four parents had complained about his inappropriate behavior. Diocese officials then moved Porter to a parish in Fall River without notifiying police or the new parish about the allegations. More complaints were made against Porter. In 1964, Porter was arrested on sex abuse charges. However, he was only sent out for inpatient hospital treatment. At some point, he left the priesthood and started a family Porter was arrested again in Minnesota in 1992. He also faced charges in Massachusetts in 1993. He was accused of abusing more than 60 children in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and nearly 100 children elseware in southeastern Massachusetts. In 1993, Porter's lawyer struck a plea bargain on the Massachusetts charges, and Porter was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in prison, with the possibility of parole, with counseling, after six years. He was denied parole throughout his sentence. Porter completed his prison sentence in 2004, but was held in prison until his death pending a civil commitment hearing. In December 1993, Bishop O'Malley acknowledged the diocese's protection of Porter and apologized. On December 11, 2020, a grand jury at Barnstable Superior Court indicted Father Mark R. Hession, also known as “Father Mark,” on two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, and one count of intimidation of a witness. Hession was known to many locals because of his past work at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, Massachusetts . Hession also worked closely with the Kennedy family and even delivered the homily at Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral in August 2009. Bishops Bishops of Fall River William Stang (1904–1907) Daniel Francis Feehan (1907–1934) James Edwin Cassidy (1934–1951; coadjutor bishop 1934) James Louis Connolly (1951–1970; coadjutor bishop 1945–1951) Daniel Anthony Cronin (1970–1992), appointed Archbishop of Hartford Seán Patrick O'Malley (1992–2002), appointed Bishop of Palm Beach and later Archbishop of Boston (created Cardinal in 2006) George William Coleman (2003–2014) Edgar Moreira da Cunha (2014–present) Auxiliary Bishops of