A SENIOR Dundee priest has been effectively sacked from the Catholic Church after admitting to a lengthy affair with a married woman, writes Eve Noon.

Monsignor Joseph Creegan, who had retired from St Peter and Paul’s Church, has been removed from his priestly duties by Bishop Vincent Logan.

Last week he had assured Bishop Logan that previous claims of a relationship with another, recently divorced, woman were untrue and it was entirely platonic.

The decision to remove the monsignor came after the priest’s former secret lover of 18 years complained to the bishop when Mgr Creegan’s relationship with the divorcee came to light.

The 66-year-old cleric admitted to the lengthy affair when the bishop confronted him with “un- deniable evidence” he had received.

His spurned mistress, who has been married for more than 25 years, spoke out after Mgr Creegan ended their long-standing affair.

It is believed that the mistress presented the bishop with Emails, bills, and receipts from their time together.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Dunkeld said, “Bishop Vincent Logan has suspended Mgr Joseph Creegan from the exercise of his priesthood with immediate effect.

“This follows information Bishop Logan received on Friday about Mgr Creegan’s relationship with a woman over a number of years.

“Bishop Logan acted as soon as he was given specific and irrefutable evidence about the allegations which had been made earlier. Mgr Creegan has accepted the decision.”

She went on to explain that Mgr Creegan is therefore suspended from all of the actions under the powers of the order, meaning he would not be able to practise any priestly functions.