Monday, February 04, 2008

Husband Slams Love-Cheat Priest

A LOVE rat monsignor advised a husband to leave his wife - then bought a house with her.

Shamed priest Joseph Creegan acted as a marriage counsellor for Graham and Anne Odgen.

Graham claims the senior Catholic, sacked after an 18-year affair with another married woman, told him to ditch Anne.

Creegan has denied he was romantically involved with Anne, 48, despite overnight stays in a house he helped her buy in Fife.

But in an email passed to the Sunday Mail, Graham said: "I was always concerned because Joe encouraged me to leave Anne, which seemed strange for a Catholic priest.

"He hovered like a dark cloud over us and looking back I wonder about his motives even then."

Creegan, 66, led a double life for nearly two decades, having sex with a wealthy married parishioner who lavished gifts on him, including a half share in a yacht.

His secret mistress blew the whistle nine days ago, claiming he dumped her to set up home with Anne.

Anne's professor husband has told friends Creegan suggested he ditch Anne just before the cleric bought the house with her.

Creegan was based at Dundee's St Peter & St Paul's Parish Church when the world-renowned oral cancer specialist sought his help.

Graham, who works at the city's Ninewells Hospital, was trying to save his marriage after Anne caught him having an affair. But after counselling sessions, Creegan started a relationship with her.

Graham, 45, added: "I opened up and told him a lot of personal things.

Now I wonder about if he used that information to his advantage.

"My daughter hates him. She would call her mum's mobile and he would answer and say, 'It's not a good idea for you to speak to her.' "

Graham has even been in contact with the priest's spurned mistress to thank her for exposing the scandal.

Bishop Vincent Logan, of the diocese of Dunkeld, acted after he was shown "irrefutable evidence" of the affair.

For years, Creegan had a say in the promotion of teachers in Catholic schools.

The partner of one teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "He is a bloody hypocrite. He blocked my wife's promotion as at the time we were not married but living together. She had to lie about having two bedrooms in the house.

"What a bloody joke that the man she had to defend her honour with was betraying his own vows."

The monsignor and Anne declined to comment last night.

His former mistress said: "The professor's children are in pieces over this and so is my family."
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