BishopAccountability.org

Peoria Priest Removed From Ministry For 2nd Time: Report

By Rebecca Bream
Patch
November 26, 2018

https://patch.com/illinois/peoria/peoria-priest-removed-ministry-2nd-time-report

Rev. Jeffrey Windy previously served time for manufacturing and selling a date-rape drug.

For the second time since 2002, a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria has been removed from ministry, and the reason why isn't exactly clear. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Rev. Jeffrey Windy's superiors in Peoria learned last winter Windy had visited two people involved in a criminal court case, leading the police to question him and his boss in the Ottawa parishes, the Rev. David Kipfer.

Windy was removed from ministry in March by Peoria Bishop Daniel Jenky because, according to diocese official Monsignor James Kruse, Windy didn't ask for his superiors' approval before getting involved in the criminal case, showing he hadn't overcome what Kruse called "a pattern of imprudence," the Chicago Tribune said.

The Catholic Diocese of Peoria and Windy wouldn't provide a comment to the news outlet, but the Tribune said Kruse confirmed Jenky filed a canon law case in Rome for more action on Windy's status.

Windy's March removal comes years after his 2002 arrest for manufacturing and selling gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), known as the date-rape drug, for which he served time for in federal prison.

Windy was reinstated as a priest in 2013, serving in Bloomington and Ottawa, according to week.com. On Monday, Windy's attorney told the outlet the priest only became involved in. the criminal case to consult a theft victim and provide counseling to the accused, who was a parishioner.

"Reverend Windy did nothing wrong," lawyer Gary Peterlin said. "He did exactly what the Bible teaches and what the calling of the cloth is, is to go and visit people in jail which he did do, and he also went and visited the victim."

Windy's removal isn't the only recent trouble for the diocese. On Nov. 1, the diocese announced in a statement that the Diocesan Review Commission advised Jenky to remove three retired priests from public ministry due to credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor against each. Fr. George Hilian, Fr. Duane Leclercq and Fr. John Onderko can no longer function as Catholic priests.

That announcement came nearly two weeks after the diocese released a statement on Oct. 18, responding to a lawsuit filed by an attorney suing all six Illinois dioceses, in which Anderson claimed that "John Doe 595" reported that Msgr. Charles Beebe molested him in 1981, and that Jenky ignored the allegation.

According to the diocese, Anderson also stated that Fr. John Anderson is still allowed to serve within the diocese. However, He's been removed since 2002.

"The Diocese of Peoria has been accused of ignoring Darin Buckman's complains when he came forward to allege that he was abused by Fr. Anderson nearly 34 years ago. The Diocese has had conversations with both Buckman and the attorneys representing him, even yesterday October 17, 2018."




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