OTTAWA, Illinois — An Illinois priest has been removed from ministry again, years after a conviction for manufacturing and selling a date-rape drug.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Ottawa’s Catholic parishes removed Father Jeffrey Windy from the priesthood in March. Officials found that Windy had involved himself in a criminal court case by visiting a crime victim with the suspect’s father, who is a parishioner.
Monsignor James Kruse, the vicar general of the Diocese of Peoria, says Windy didn’t consult his superiors before getting involved. Kruse says that shows Windy hasn’t overcome “a pattern of imprudence.”
Windy was arrested in 2002 while at a different parish and served time in federal prison for manufacturing gamma-hydroxybutyrate. The priest was allegedly involved in a ring producing the drug to help them achieve weightlifting goals.
He returned to parish work in 2013.
Windy’s attorney says the diocese is seeking to permanently remove Windy from the priesthood. The attorney says the removal isn’t justified.
Crux staff contributed to this report.
