Msgr. Albert Kenney

Monsignor Albert A. Kenney serves as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Providence. In his 31 years as a priest, he has held a wide variety of pastoral, educational, and leadership roles.

Born in Arlington, Massachusetts to Robert and Alba (Spinale) Kenney, he attended Bedford High School and Providence College, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance. He completed seminary studies at Our Lady of Providence and earned degrees in Sacred Theology, including a Licentiate (S.T.L.), from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, where he also received priestly formation at the Pontifical North American College. He was ordained a priest on September 3, 1994, by Bishop Louis E. Gelineau.

Monsignor Kenney has served in parish ministry at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and St. Mary Parish in Pawtucket, and as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Providence. From 1997 to 2010, he served as Chaplain at La Salle Academy, where he reintroduced school-wide Masses, expanded retreat programs, coordinated liturgies and devotions, and moderated several athletic teams. He also founded the “Grief Group” to support students experiencing loss and offered outreach to families navigating divorce.

A gifted pastoral leader, Monsignor Kenney officiated at the weddings of more than 145 alumni and faculty, celebrated numerous baptisms, and provided comfort through funerals and memorial Masses for members of the La Salle community.

He has served as Vice Rector and Rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary, Regional Coordinator for the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors, and President of the Association of College Seminary Rectors. He was named Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.

In addition to his current role as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Monsignor Kenney serves on numerous diocesan boards and councils, including the Council of Priests, College of Consultors, Diocesan Finance Council, and Catholic Foundation of Rhode Island. He has also served as interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools and as Chaplain to the Wyatt Detention Center and the Rhode Island State Police Command Staff.

In 2024, following the elevation of Bishop Richard G. Henning to Archbishop of Boston, Monsignor Kenney was elected Diocesan Administrator and later reappointed as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia by Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R.